I've seen them all, and altho I think that Slumdog will sweep the Oscars, here's a lowdown on them all.

Few people are in any doubt that Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire is going to win the Best Motion Picture Oscar this year, especially since it has swept every single award so far - be it the Golden Globe or the BAFTA. Even Danny Boyle is up for Best Director award for this film, which has a sum total of ten nominations.

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/slumdog-millionaire-1.jpg

Slumdog Millionaire has had a fair share of dire controversy, especially in India, with people of all walks of life criticising at least one aspect of the film.

It all began with the one and only Amitabh Bachchan who slammed the film for glorifying 'India's underbelly'. While most of the industry backed the film, there are a few die-hard 'patriots' who agree with Bachchan.

Till such time as A.R Rahman actually manages to bring home the Oscar (he is nominated for three this year, all for this film), it seems the criticism won't die down. When the award does come, however, all will be forgotten and forgiven.

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/slumdog-millionaire-2.jpg

Gus Van Sant's Milk is a biopic of Harvey Milk, who was among the first few openly gay officials in the United States of America.

Gus Van Sant is up for the Best Director award for this film, while Sean Penn (right) is up for the Best Actor in a Leading Role award and James Franco (left) is up for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/milk2.jpg

There is a wave of criticism that has hit the Academy with analysts commenting on its essentially conservative nature.

The allegation is that while the Academy nominates films centred around homosexual characters, it resists giving such films any top honours. The most frequently quoted example of this is the competition between Crash and Brokeback Mountain in 2007, with Crash winning the Best Film award, even though most people considered Brokeback to be a much better film.

This is touted as the reason why Sean Penn may not win the Best Actor award this year. How true this claim is, is anyone's guess, as Tom Hanks did win the award for his portrayal of a gay activist in 1994 for Philadelphia.

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/milk1.jpg

Stephen Daldry's The Reader is a film based in post-World War Germany tells the story of a former Nazi guard and her young lover.

Daldry is also up for the Best Director award. This is his third film and his third nomination, the last two being for Billy Elliott in 2000 and then for The Hours in 2002.

While those who have seen The Reader say it is a better film than Slumdog Millionaire, it is unlikely the film will win the Best Picture award, because giving it to Slumdog makes the Academy look good, while giving it to The Reader makes them look a tad pro-Nazi...something they are probably not willing to digest!

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/reader2.jpg

Hollywood can never have enough of World War films, as it is the only film industry that gives us at least a handful of World War or specifically Holocaust films every year.

People have a number of moral problems with The Reader, the first being its apparent 'sympathy' for a Nazi character. The second is the eternal question of a woman's morality and the charge of seducing a young boy, which is levied against the character portrayed by Kate Winslet.

It might be a film based in Germany, but American family values may take precedence over film-craft and Winslet, Stephen Daldry and The Reader may end with no awards in their kitty.

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/reader1.jpg

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button's director, David Fincher is nominated for Best Director this year. This is the first time Fincher has been nominated for his achievement in direction even though he has directed several critically acclaimed films including Se7en, Fight Club and more recently, Zodiac.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is the story of a man who grows backwards in appearance.

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/benjamin-button-2.jpg

Although it has got the highest number of nominations (13) , it might sadly, prove to be unlucky - as is tradition - for the movie, because despite the high number of nominations, the likelihood of it winning any major awards is thin, especially if its performance at the BAFTA is of any indication.

Brad Pitt is nominated for the title role in this film. This is Pitt's second Oscar nomination, the first being in 1996 for Twelve Monkeys.

Oscar winner Cate Blanchett has acted in Curious Case... in a supporting role, but has been overlooked for an Oscar this year.

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/benjamin-button-1.jpg

Ron Howard as director of Frost/Nixon is also up for Best Director award, making this one of those years when all the directors of the Best Picture nominees are nominated in the Best Director category.

Howard has previously made The Da Vinci Code and is currently in the process of completing Dan Brown's other best-seller Angels and Demons. Frost/Nixon is about the interview of disgraced president Richard Nixon by host David Frost post Nixon's resignation.

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/frost-nixon-1.jpg

Frost/Nixon is up for five Oscars this year. Apart from Best Movie and Best Director, even Frank Langella, who plays the post-Watergate Nixon is up for a Best Actor award.

Michael Sheen, who was last seen in The Queen, however is not a nominee this year.

http://www.ndtv.com/talkingpictures/ENTERTAINMENT/oscarbestmovie2009/frost-nixon-2.jpg
Source(s):
http://movies.aol.com/oscars-academy-awards/photos/oscar-predictions

Asker's Rating:

Permalink | Report