Sunday 15 February 2009

And the Oscar Goes To...

The Oscars are coming up next Sunday (Feb. 22nd) and Kirk Cooper is more excited about them than I am. Maybe it's because he has something to root for in Slumdog Millionaire. During the second part of my Feb. 14th show (see In the Mood for Love post) we talked about our picks for the 81st Annual Academy Awards. He is feeling the magic of Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, a magic that I have never felt since seeing the film at the Toronto International Film Festival last September. To me and the few others I have met who are not enamored of the film, it is understandable why most people have enjoyed this film about two impoverished brothers from the slums of India aspiring to wealth--rags to riches stories always do well with the general public. What we don't understand is why this film has become so award-worthy. The only thing I would accept this film winning an award for is cinematography, but anything else is baffling. It's a case of the Emperor having no clothes. Everyone else is seeing the Emperor in his splendiferous, royal robes and all we can see is a naked man. Oh, well, let's see what happens on Oscar night. Maybe I'll feel the magic and underdogs Richard Jenkins and Melissa Leo will win in their categories. Yes, I voted for Sean Penn, but a win by Jenkins, whom I have long admired, would be a magical feat.

THE VISITOR


The film and actress missing for me is the French film, I've Loved You So Long/Il y a longtemps que je t'aime with a brilliant performance by Kristen Scott Thomas. I would also have liked to see Kevin Bacon nominated for his supporting role in Frost/Nixon. Kirk has a special place in his heart for WALL-E

Will you be watching? What film/actor do you think is missing from Oscar's list?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Melissa Leo deserves the Oscar for Frozen River. Slumdog Millionaire is the most overrated film in Oscar history it does not deserve to be on the list. Milk should win but it won't, all in all not an exciting year. The biggest surprise would be best original screenplay for In Bruges.

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