’The Dark Knight’ duels with ‘Gran Torino’ for Oscar’s wild card slot

With the Oscar nominations due tomorrow morning, Hollywood insiders are weighing the odds. Indie sensation Slumdog Millionaire may be leading the pack, but for once studio films are in the game, including the Batman blockbuster and Clint’s elegaic ode to his American machissmo. The best actor race come down to a cage match between Mickey Rourke (‘The Wrestler’) and Sean Penn (‘Milk’). And the only sure thing is that Oscar will give the late Heath Leger the last laugh as the Joker.

CNN