BEIJING, Jan. 26 -- Films exploring an aviation visionary's flight into fame, a female boxer's long day's journey into

Films exploring an aviation visionary's flight into fame, a female boxer's long day's journey into night and two buddies bumbling through wine and romance are expected to dominate the Oscar nominations on Tuesday.

night and two buddies bumbling through wine and romance are expected to dominate the Oscar nominations on Tuesday.

    Experts say look for Martin Scorsese's film biography of Howard Hughes, "The Aviator," Clint Eastwood's touching boxing drama "Million Dollar Baby" and Alexander Payne's California wine country comedy "Sideways" to receive the most nominations for Hollywood's grandest prize.

    The names of the nominees are to be read out at 5:30 a.m. local time (8:30 a.m. EST) so the news can be broadcast at breakfast time on the East Coast, where it is three hours later.

    For a while, "Aviator" looked like the film that had best picture Oscar written all over it, thanks to strong reviews, flawed competitors and a Hollywood desire to finally reward Scorsese, who has never won a gold statue despite making films like "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull."

    But then Clint Eastwood's new film flew in, as he put it, under the radar, to surprise pundits and prognosticators and is threatening to put some suspense into the closely watched but often predictable contest.

    "Sideways" has some fanatical disciples, too, while "Aviator" is respected by filmgoers, but not beloved. Some Oscar watchers are wondering: Could this year turn out like 1981 when a little heartfelt indie about underdog athletes, "Chariots of Fire," overtook the favored epic, "Reds?"

    Jamie Foxx, the star of the Ray Charles film biography, may pull off an Oscar acting double if he gets nominated for best actor for "Ray" as expected and for best supporting actor for his role as Tom Cruise's hostage in "Collateral."      

    In the best actress category, it might again shape up as a battle between Annette Bening, for her performance in "Being Julia," and Hilary Swank, for "Million Dollar Baby."

    Other possible nominees are British actress Imelda Staunton" who plays an abortionist in "Vera Drake," Kate Winslet, for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and Catalina Sandino Moreno, as the drug mule in "Maria, Full of Grace."

    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com/yahoo)