Our predictions are fairly spread out showing just how confuse we all are about this year’s precursors. This group’s winner could be an Oscar harbinger or it could be some off-the-wall choice that won’t tell us anything. This is the last guild before the Oscars, so seeing how well something like The Descendants or The Artist or Hugo does may tell us something.

Of course, they could go some middle-of-the-road direction in an effort to avoid playing politics with this year’s awards. Normally, we give you a day’s lead time, but we couldn’t this time. So, prepare yourselves for results this evening (or the morning which is when I’ll probably have all the data).

COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS

Best Period Costume Design

The Artist (RU:Wesley / Peter)
Jane Eyre (Wesley)
The Help
Hugo (RU:Hugo)
W.E.

Wesley Lovell: The fanciest costumes in this competition seem to be worn by the actors in Jane Eyre. It’s also the farthest removed period wise. Yet, The Artist has been winning some costume prizes and Hugo remains a considerable threat with its colorful and detailed costumes. In the end, this category, more than any other, may tell us just where the Academy’s thoughts are. If The Artist wins, you can bet there will be a major sweep for the film this year. If Jane Eyre wins, as I expect, it won’t make much of a different to Oscar voters who may still go for The Artist.

Best Fantasy Costume Design

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (RU:Wesley / Peter)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Wesley)
Red Riding Hood (RU:Peter)
Thor
X-Men: First Class

Wesley Lovell: First, toss out more modern looking costumes for Thor and X-Men: First Class. Then remove the surprise nomination for Red Riding Hood. You then have modern-looking Harry Potter facing off against the vast and detailed period attire of Pirates of the Caribbean. While I’d like to think that seeing the same stuff over and over would doom both of these films, but they still seem to be more likely than the others. But I also have a sneaking suspicion that the 1960’s could help X-Men pull off a surprise win, but right now, I’m leaning towards fancy over character-driven in the Pirates/Potter competition.

Best Contemporary Costume Design

Bridesmaids (Wesley)
The Descendants (RU:Peter)
Drive (RU:Wesley)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Peter)
Melancholia

Wesley Lovell: Picking a contemporary winner is very difficult. None of these nominees are about the fashion industry, though Bridesmaids comes the closest with its fancy designer wedding dresses. There’s nothing really unique in Melancholia for the CDG to glom onto and I don’t see them rewarding a film for George Clooney running down the street in boat shoes. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo could win entirely based on Lisbeth Salander’s wardrobe (which would be the sole reason for the win), but I think runner up to Bridesmaids has to be Drive where the jacket worn by Ryan Gosling has become something of an icon (one which I expect Billy Crystal may reference during the awards Sunday).