Oscar buzz in Boston

Some years, it's a reach to make Boston relevant on Oscar night, and some years it isn't. Last night, with Martin Scorsese's bloody, South Boston-based thriller "The Departed" up for five statues, it was easy to get dressed for the city's official Oscar party at the State Room. The swish affair at Jim Apteker's place was supposed to be full of folks rabidly rooting for six-time Oscar also-ran Scorsese, not to mention Mark Wahlberg, whose improbable journey from Dorchester juvie to serious actor might make a decent movie someday. But this being Boston, the State Room shindig didn't have much sizzle or swarm. We did run into Nick Paleologos, new executive director of the Massachusetts Film Office, who said the success of "The Departed" bodes well for the future of filmmaking in Boston. "It doesn't close the deal, it opens the conversation," he said.

Also in the house was "Malcolm in the Middle" actor Erik Per Sullivan, who admitted he hadn't actually watched Scorsese's mob movie. "I saw part of it. My parents were watching it," said Sullivan, who's 15. "I had to do homework." Others in attendance included Dropkick Murphy Ken Casey, car kahuna Ernie Boch Jr., and actress Pamela Lambert. While the black-tie types were busy downtown, the Wahlberg bunch was huddled at mom's house in Weymouth. "Just to be nominated is so amazing," said Mark's brother, Paul, the chef at Bridgeman's in Hull. "My mother is beside herself. We're beyond proud." Donnie Wahlberg told us his kid brother once promised to take him to the Academy Awards if he was nominated. "It was going to be, like, my reward," Donnie told us. "But, of course, he took his girlfriend , Rhea [Durham]. " While Eddie Murphy was the favorite to win for Best Supporting Actor, Donnie was still optimistic Saturday. "A few years ago, Burt Reynolds was supposed to win for 'Boogie Nights,' but he didn't," said Donnie. "I think Mark's got a good shot." Asked if there'd be a downside to winning, Donnie smiled, "If you're Cuba Gooding Jr., I guess."

Leary backs Scorsese

Add Denis Leary to the long list of film fans who hoped Scorsese would grab the gold. "He better win or someone's going down," Leary said Saturday, hosting a fancy fund - raiser for his Firefighters Foundation at the Charles Hotel. "He's only the greatest living director . . . I mean, give me a break." Flanked by his friends Cam Neely and Michael J. Fox, the funnyman predicted, unhappily, that Murphy would win over Wahlberg. "It'll be a landslide," said Leary. The black-tie benefit attracted several familiar faces, including filmmaker Bobby Farrelly, director Sam Weisman, comedian Lenny Clarke, Ken Howard, "Rescue Me" stars Mike Lombardi, Callie Thorne, and Andrea Roth, "CSI" actor Paul Guilfoyle, and chef Ming Tsai. Fox was in good spirits, even as his Parkinson's disease was causing him to tremble considerably. "I'm feeling OK," he said. "I'm just pretty wound up right now."

Laurence Fishburne, who was honored at Harvard over the weekend, had no doubts about who'd win last night. "Forest Whitaker's going home with an Academy Award," predicted the actor who nearly won one for his portrayal of Ike Turner. "My money's on 'The [Last ] King [of Scotland ]' and 'The Queen.' " Fishburne, who'll be sticking around town to shoot the movie based on Ben Mezrich's bestseller, "Bringing Down the House," said he's happy to be back in Boston. (He was in "Mystic River" as well.) "It's nice that my son, Langston, goes to BU, so I can see his beautiful face," he said. "And they just gave me the key to the city, so watch out!"

What with four sold-out shows at the Wilshire Theatre, and performing Randy Newman's nominated song "Our Town" at the Oscars, James Taylor's having a ball in LA. "It's a perfect way to approach the Academy Awards for the first time," the singer told us Saturday. (His A-list audience at the Wilshire included composers Hans Zimmer and John Williams, and actress Helen Mirren.) Taylor said he and wife Kim have been humored by the Oscar hoopla. "You end up taking your cufflinks so seriously for about 15 minutes," he joked. Seriously, though, Sweet Baby James said it's a privilege to play the Newman number from "Cars." "I just love Randy's work. I asked no questions," said JT. "If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me."

Meredith Goldstein of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.