Reviewing the Academy Awards 2009

While the entire national media goes overboard celebrating Slumdog Millionaire's success at the Academy Awards this year, one must maintain objectivity while reviewing its success. Let our right judgement not be swayed by feelings of attachment to Slumdog. 

The Academy Awards are a celebration of excellence in cinema, not like our own domestic award shows that celebrate excellence in public relations.

1. The 5 films nominated for the Best Film this year and even last year were by no means big earners. This year, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with about $130 million at the US Box Office was the largest hit. The Dark Knight with about $540 million at the US Box Office was not a nominee.
2. In India, will any award ceremony not nominate Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi? Of course not! Its a Yash Raj, they can't ignore it. Yet, RNBDJ deserves only acting and music nominations.
3. A couple of years back, the best actor (male and female) went to Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai (now Rai Bachchan) for Dhoom 2. I mean, Dhoom 2 was a decent commercial entertainer, but were the performances worth awards? No.
4. Compare this to the Academy Awards, which are quite immune to public opinion. Brad Pitt has never won an Oscar despite acting in very intense roles, simply because someone was better. This year, it was Sean Penn.
5. The Academy Awards did have performances, but these performances were timed so well that one wouldn't really get bored. In Indian Awards, you have one performance after another. Why?

This is why I really look down upon our own award ceremonies. They are base, predictable, boring, and in very polite words - absolute trash.

And for this precise reason, Indian Awards will never have the same kind of reputation as do, say, the Oscars or Golden Globes or the Venice Film Festival. I mean, how many people know the actor who has won the maximum number of filmfare Best Actor awards? (p.s. it's Dilip Kumar with 8, I think)

Anyway, here I review this year's Oscar winners. Of course, I haven't seen a lot of the movies from the US and UK this year, and so my judgement rests more on personal likings or the lack of it:

1. Best Actor: This was, according to me, a big upset. I was rooting for Mickey Rourke. Firstly, his movie was about Wrestling (but that didn't make much of a difference to be). More importantly, it would have capped off a very remarkable comeback by Rourke. And his eccentric fashion sense was pleasing to the eye. Yet, Sean Penn comes across as a wonderful actor and a wonderful person too. As someone on NDTV once said "Mickey Rourke should win, but Sean Penn will win."

My Pick : Mickey Rourke 

Eventual Winner: Sean Penn

2. Best Actress: After five nominations, it was almost impossible for Kate Winslet not to win. From her very moving portrayal of Rose in Titanic to her criticism of anorexic models, Kate Winslet has been a very dignified actress. She's not called the best actress of her generation for nothing. And look at her humility. She had nothing but respect for Meryl Streep and acknowledged her fellow nominees as well. She's deserved tyhis for a long time and thankfully, it finally did happen. She's of Meryl Streep's calibre, I feel. For being a wonderful combination of acting prowess and grace, Kate Winslet it this year's Oscar winner. Truly, a masterful act.

My Pick: Kate Winslet

Eventual Winner: Kate Winslet

3. Best Film: I was very divided on this. I have seen Slumdog and generally liked the movie, but because of the acting rather than the script, dialogues or the direction. Yet, as a complete movie, Slumdog perhaps works for me, and it certainly did work for those at the Academy. The Reader was the movie that I thought could thwart Slumdog's chances, but it did not (thankfully).

My Pick: Slumdog Millionaire

Eventual Winner: Slumdog Millionaire