Keira Knightley shakes my hand, and it's the coldest in the room. "I've been holding ice," she says, meaning a cup of ice water. But she's a warm conversationalist, with a jittery energy you usually see on the Oscar podium. "I read the script and told him [Joe Wright, the director] I fell in love with Cecilia. I [asked] to play Cecilia. He convinced me to play Briony." So then what happened? "It was very confusing," she admitted.

As Cecilia, Knightley gives a gorgeous little performance, and the character doesn't look so bad herself. "It was pretty important for us to create a glamorous person, to fully understand what she gives up," she said, adding that Wright helped design the green gown in the opening scenes. "After 'Pride and Prejudice,' he had seen me in so many dresses, he knew what looked good." Maybe he should design her Oscar dress, too?

With "Atonement," Christopher Hampton has written one of the most masterful adaptations of the year. (The other is "No Country for Old Men." See a pattern?) He had some good dish for the GoldDigger. Originally, director Joe Wright wanted Keira Knightley to play Briony at age 18. But Keira, who knew the director from "Pride and Prejudice," asked him to play Cecilia. Of course, the role of Briony at 18 went to Romola Garai. The role of Briony at 13 is played by Saoirse Ronan (pictured above). Both actresses nail their performances, although at one point there was talk of having the same actress play young Briony. "The single most appropriate decision was to acknowledge the first half of the movie was about a child and to ground the movie by having a child play the part," Hampton said. If this all isn't confusing enough, there's a third part, older Briony, played by Vanessa Redgrave. Which Briony will get nominated for an Oscar? The smart money is on Saoirse.

Really. We're about the enter the first big phase of Oscar season. It's December, and "Atonement" opens in limited release on Friday. It's the Hillary Clinton of the race. Everyone expects it to win, but will it? Like Ms. Clinton, the movie has had the clever strategy of laying low, allowing Barack Obama--I mean "No Country for Old Men"--to gain momentum and (they hope) peak early. Now it's finally time for "Atonement" to come out fighting like the champion it is. Will it succeed? The festivities began today, with a press lunch at the National Arts Club in New York. 

Inside, I spoke to Tim Bevan, the film's producer, who acknowledged the hush campaign for "Atonement." "It's always difficult when you have a film that people see so early," he said. "It's about keeping the lid on expectations." Bevan has seen "No Country," and he's a fan--after all, he did produce "Fargo"--though he went on to predict that the Coens's ambiguous ending will cost them best picture. "That ending is f--ing weird, isn't it," he said. "You want to see Josh Brolin get it." And with that gentle dig, ladies and gentleman, we've got a real campaign.

Josh Brolin has been toiling as an actor for more than 20 years. But until this fall, you wouldn't know that he could actually act. This is what's included on his list of roles-—most of them are supporting—on the Internet Movie Database: "Hollow Man," the 2000 Kevin Bacon movie, "Into the Blue," the 2005 Paul Walker movie, and "The Mod Squad," the 1999 Claire Danes movie. All of them tanked. But then something changed. Brolin appeared this fall in "In the Valley of Elah." He carries "No Country for Old Men," in a show-stopping performance, and he also does nice work as an evil police officer in "American Gangster."

Brolin spoke to The GoldDigger. My most pressing question was about his moustache.

The GoldDigger: Was it your decision to do the moustache in "No Country"?

Josh Brolin: Initially, it was mine. Ironically, when we were doing it, it was the same day Javier was doing his hair. I was on the left side of the trailer, and he was on the right. I had a goatee because of "Grindhouse." They said, "Why don't we cut off the goatee"? I said, "Nah, I'm thinking about doing a moustache." I knew a lot of country guys that had moustaches. Their fear was that it was going to look something like the Village people. I was like, "Nah, let's try different lengths."

Have you shaved it off?

Now? Yeah. I'm done with the movie.

But you also had a moustache in "American Gangster."

It's a different moustache in "Gangster." It's darker, bigger.

Is that real, too?

They're all real. I don't do that—a fake. I'd do it for a comedy, maybe.

Do you have a favorite movie this year, because you've been in three.

"Margot at the Wedding" is pretty good.

But you're not in that one.

Yeah I was. I'm just kidding. I don't have a favorite. I like all the movies, because they're all very different. Which did I like doing best? The Coens's movie, just because of my relationship, and I was on set as much as I was.

How many times have you seen "No Country"?

Five. I can't see it anymore. It's too many times. Plus, I saw a version that no one will ever see. It's the most pristine version of any film I'd ever seen. We used Lucas's stuff. I didn't want to see it after that.

Where was this?

I can't really say.

You can't?

I honestly can't.

Is it a secret?

It was until I mentioned it now. It was a one-time thing.

You're going to get nominated for an Oscar, don't you think?

I don't know. Can you imagine if I said, yes? You would tear me a new a--hole. I think the big surprise is that people are saying that about "American Gangster." "No Country" is such a unique movie, I understand the trajectory a little more. The "American Gangster" thing throws me. I go, wow! Look, man. If I ever had a dream, one of the reasons why I stuck with acting, is when Daniel Day-Lewis came out with "My Beautiful Laundrette" and "A Room With a View" the same week. I couldn't believe it was the same guy. The characterization is so different. I thought, God man, If I could do something like that in my lifetime, that would be a pinnacle for me.

What do you do when you're not acting?

Everything. I'm one of those guys out there constantly doing sh--. I trade, I surf, I race cars, I jump out of airplanes. Hang out with my kids. Take RV trips with my girl.

SPOILER WARNING: What follows is a discussion on the end of "No Country For Old Men." Don't continue reading if you haven't seen the movie yet.