2010 Oscar Winners

Here is the full list of Oscar nominees and winners of each category:

Best Supporting Actor:

• Matt Damon - Invictus
• Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
• Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
• Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
• Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

Best Animated Feature Film:

• Coraline
• Fantastic Mr. Fox
• The Princess and the Frog
• The Secret of the Kells
• Up

Best Original Song:

• “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog
• “Down in New Orleans” from The Princess and the Frog
• “Loin de Paname” from Paris 36
• “Take It All” from Nine
• “The Weary Kind” from Crazy Heart

Best Original Screenplay:

• Mark Boal - The Hurt Locker
• Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds
• Oren Moverman and - The Messenger
• Joel and Ethan Coen - A Serious Man
• Pete Docter and Bob Peterson - Up

Best Animated Short:

• French Roast
• Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty
• The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
• Logorama
• A Matter of Loaf and Death

Best Documentary Short:

• China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
• The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
• The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
• Music by Prudence
• Rabbit à la Berlin

Best Live-Action Short:

• The Door
• Instead of Abracadabra
• Kavi
• Miracle Fish
• The New Tenants

Best Make-up:

• Il Divo
• Star Trek
• The Young Victoria

Best Adapted Screenplay:

• Neill Blomkamp and - District 9
• Nick Hornby - An Education
• Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche - In the Loop
• Geoffrey Fletcher - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
• Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner - Up in the Air

Best Supporting Actress:

• Penelope Cruz - Nine
• Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
• Maggie Gyllenhaal - Crazy Heart
• Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
• Mo’Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

Best Art Direction

• Avatar
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
• Nine
• Sherlock Holmes
• The Young Victoria

Best Costume Design:

• Bright Star
• Coco Before Chanel
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
• Nine
• The Young Victoria

Best Sound Editing:

• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Star Trek
• Pixar’s Up

Best Sound Mixing:

• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Star Trek
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Best Cinematography:

• Maurio Fiore - Avatar
• Bruno Delbonnel - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Barry Ackroyd - The Hurt Locker
• Robert Richardson - Inglourious Basterds
• Christian Berger - The White Ribbon

Best Original Score:

• James Horner - Avatar
• Alexandre Desplat - Fantastic Mr. Fox
• Marco Beltrami & Buck Sanders - The Hurt Locker
• Hans Zimmer - Sherlock Holmes
• Michael Giacchino - Pixar’s Up

Best Visual Effects:

• Avatar
• District 9
• Star Trek

Best Documentary Feature:

• Burma VJ
• The Cove
• Food, Inc.
• The Most Dangerous Man in America
• Which Way Home

Best Film Editing:

• Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron - Avatar
• Julian Clarke - District 9
• Bob Murawski and Chris Innis - The Hurt Locker
• Sally Menke - Inglourious Basterds
• Joe Klotz - Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

Best Foreign Language Film:

• Ajami - Israel
• El Secreto de sus Ojos - Argentina
• The Milk of Sorrow - Peru
• Un Prophéte - France
• The White Ribbon - Germany

Best Actor:

• Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
• George Clooney - Up in the Air
• Colin Firth - A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman - Invictus
• Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

Best Actress:

• Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren - The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan - An Education
• Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
• Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

Best Director:

• Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron - Avatar
• Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
• Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

Best Picture:

• Avatar
• The Blind Side
• District 9
• An Education
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglourious Basterds
• Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
• A Serious Man
• Up
• Up in the Air

What I'm happy with:

Best Supporting Actor: Cristoph Waltz
I thought he thoroughly deserved the win for that excellent performance in Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress: Mo'nique
Again, Mo'nique thoroughly deserves this Oscar. She will never play another role this well again in her life. You have to watch Precious just for her performance in the film.

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker
Although this movie may seem small and insignificant in comparison to Avatar, it takes nothing away from the quality of this movie, which ultimately gave it this win. I have always liked The Hurt Locker, ever since I saw it and reviewed it- here.


What I'm not happy with:

Best Original Screenplay: The Hurt Locker
Sure The Hurt Locker had an excellent screenplay and would deserve this win any other year. But it was in the same category as Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece Inglourious Basterds. I just think Basterds had a far more superior story than The Hurt Locker and I'm just a little disappointed it didn't win.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Precious
I just think Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell did a better job with District 9 and should have take this award home for their efforts.

Best Visual Effects: Avatar

Yeah, yeah. Stop gasping. I wasn't blown away by Avatar's visual effects. Not that I'm saying it wasn't anywhere near game-changing for cinema, because it was. I'm just saying I connected more and got more out of the effects in District 9. And when we talk about bang for buck, District 9 (budget: $30 million) blows Avatar (budget: $250-300 million) out of the water.



Well, congratulations to Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker people for racking up a total of six out of a possible six Academy Awards. I thought they really deserved each and every one of them. I am, after all, team Hurt Locker, no matter what people say about Avatar.

Source: /Film

2010 Golden Globe Nominations Announced

So it’s that time of year once more where there will be plenty of talk of ‘award-worthy’ movies. We are of course, in the process of building up to the 2010 Awards season, culminating at the Academy Awards. The nominations for the Oscars’ little brother, the Golden Globes, as it were, have just been announced and you can check them out below.

Best Motion Picture — Drama

• Avatar
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglorious Basterds
• Precious
• Up in the Air

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama

• Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
• Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Helen Mirren, The Last Station
• Carey Mulligan, An Education
• Gabourey Sadibe, Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama

• Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• George Clooney, Up in the Air
• Colin Firth, A Single Man
• Morgan Freeman, Invictus
• Tobey Maguire, Brothers

Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

• (500) Days of Summer
• The Hangover
• It’s Complicated
• Julie & Julia
• Nine

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

• Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
• Marion Cotillard, Nine
• Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated
• Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
• Julia Roberts, Duplicity

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy

• Matt Damon, The Informant
• Daniel Day Lewis, Nine
• Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Joseph Gordon Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
• Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Mo-Nique, Precious
• Julianne Moore, A Single Man
• Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
• Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
• Penelope Cruz, Nine

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Matt Damon, Invictus
• Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
• Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
• Christopher Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
• Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

Best Animated Feature Film

• Coraline
• The Fantastic Mr. Fox
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
• The Princess and the Frog
• Up

Best Foreign Language Film

• Barria
• Broken Embraces
• A Prophet
• The White Ribbon
• The Maid

Best Director — Motion Picture

• Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
• James Cameron, Avatar
• Clint Eastwood, Invictus
• Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
• Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture

• Up in the Air
• It’s Complicated
• District 9
• The Hurt Locker
• Inglorious Basterds

Best Original Score — Motion Picture

• Michael Giacchino, Up
• Marvin Hamlisch, The Informant
• James Horner, Avatar
• Abel Krozeniowski, A Single Man
• Karen O. and Carter Burwell, Where the Wild Things Are

Best Original Song — Motion Picture

• “I Will See You,” Avatar
• “The Weary Kind,” The Crazy Heart
• “Winter,” Brothers
• “Cinema Italiano,” Nine
• “I Want to Come Home,” Everybody’s Fine

Best Television Series – Drama

• Big Love (HBO)
• Dexter (Showtime)
• House (FOX)
• Mad Men (AMC)
• True Blood (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama

• Glenn Close, Damages
• January Jones, Mad Men
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Anna Paquin, True Blood
• Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

• Simon Baker, The Mentalist
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men
• Hugh Laurie, House
• Bill Paxton, Big Love

Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical

• 30 Rock (NBC)
• Entourage (HBO)
• Glee (FOX)
• Modern Famiy (ABC)
• The Office (NBC)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

• Toni Collette, United States of Tara
• Courtney Cox, Cougar Town
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Lea Michele, Glee

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical

• Alex Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Steve Carell, The Office
• David Duchovny, Californication
• Thomas Jane, Hung
• Matthew Morrison, Glee

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Georgia O-Keeffe (Lifetime Television)
• Grey Gardens (HBO)
• Into The Storm (HBO)
• Little Dorrit (PBS)
• Taking Chance (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Joan Allen, Georgia O’Keeffe
• Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
• Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
• Anna Paquin, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler
• Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
• Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
• Chiwetel Ejiofor, Endgame
• Brendan Gleeson, Into The Storm
• Jeremy Irons, Georgia O’Keeffe

Best Peformance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Jane Adams, Hung
• Rose Byrne, Damages
• Jane Lynch, Glee
• Janet McTeer, Into The Storm
• Chloe Sevigny, Big Love

Best Peformance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Michael Emerson, Lost
• Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
• William Hurt, Damages
• John Lithgow, Dexter
• Jeremy Piven, Entourage

As far as I know, movies that have a lot of critical buzz around it at the moment are The Hurt Locker, Brothers, Precious, Up in the Air and A Serious Man. I haven’t watched most of these movies. But I definitely will get around to it before the Awards season and try to give my opinions on them. Until then, mark your calendar for January 17th, 2010, which is when the Golden Globes will be airing.

Source: ScreenRant

2009 MTV Movie Awards Winners

The MTV Movie Awards must be one of the silliest and most pointless awards show there is, but as always, it’s fun to watch and fun to talk about. A show in which Twilight is nominated seven times and win five of those, cannot be taken seriously. But, again, it’s good fun.

So the awards show wasn’t shown live in Malaysia. How many of you caught it live on the Internet though? I couldn’t because I was in college. I guess I’ll just wait to watch the awards show on June 12 when they air it here in Malaysia on MTV. Here is the complete list of nominees and winners of the recent 2009 MTV Movie Awards. As I thought, Twilight pretty much swept the awards. Check it.

BEST MOVIE

• Twilight
• The Dark Knight
• High School Musical 3: Senior Year
• Iron Man
• Slumdog Millionaire

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE

• Angelina Jolie - Wanted
• Anne Hathaway - Bride Wars
• Kate Winslet - The Reader
• Kristen Stewart - Twilight
• Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE

• Christian Bale - The Dark Knight
• Robert Downey Jr. - Iron Man
• Shia LaBeouf - Eagle Eye
• Vin Diesel - Fast & Furious
• Zac Efron - High School Musical 3: Senior Year

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE FEMALE

• Amanda Seyfried - Mamma Mia!
• Ashley Tisdale - High School Musical 3: Senior Year
• Freida Pinto - Slumdog Millionaire
• Miley Cyrus - Hannah Montana: The Movie
• Vanessa Hudgens - High School Musical 3: Senior Year
• Kat Dennings - Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE MALE

• Robert Pattinson - Twilight
• Taylor Lautner - Twilight
• Ben Barnes - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
• Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
• Bobb’e J. Thompson - Role Models

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE

• Amy Poehler - Baby Mama
• Anna Faris - The House Bunny
• James Franco - Pineapple Express
• Jim Carrey - Yes Man
• Steve Carell - Get Smart

BEST VILLAIN

• Derek Mears - Friday The 13^th
• Dwayne Johnson - Get Smart
• Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
• Johnathon Schaech - Prom Night
• Luke Goss - Hellboy II: The Golden Army

BEST FIGHT

• Anne Hathaway vs. Kate Hudson - Bride Wars
• Christian Bale vs. Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
• Ron Perlman vs. Luke Goss - Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• Robert Pattinson vs. Cam Gigandet - Twilight
• Seth Rogen and James Franco vs. Danny McBride - Pineapple Express

BEST KISS

• Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy - Wanted
• Freida Pinto and Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
• James Franco and Sean Penn - Milk
• Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson - Twilight
• Paul Rudd and Thomas Lennon - I Love You, Man
• Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron - High School Musical 3: Senior Year

BEST WTF MOMENT

• Amy Poehler - Baby Mama, Peeing In the Sink
• Angelina Jolie - Wanted, Curved Bullet Kill
• Ayush Mahesh Khedekar - Slumdog Millionaire, Jumping in the Poop Shed
• Ben Stiller - Tropic Thunder, Tasting the Decapitated Head
• Jason Segel and Kristen Bell - Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Naked Break-Up

BEST SONG FROM A MOVIE

• “Jai Ho” - AR Raham, Slumdog Millionaire
• “The Wrestler” - Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler
• “The Climb” - Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie
• “Decode” - Paramore, Twilight

So what do you think? Are you outraged by the fact that Twilight beat Slumdog for Best Movie? Astonished that Zac Efron pipped Robert Downey Jr. for Best Male? Pissed that Kristen Stewart was thought to be better than Kate Winslet? Annoyed that Ashley Tisdale was more of a breakthrough female than Freida Pinto? Devastated that Robert Pattinson was voted as Breakthrough Male ahead of Dev Patel? Gobsmacked that the Twilight fight was better than The Dark Knight fight? Or even the Pineapple Express fight? Well if you are all of the above, tell me about it.

Wow. Most of the people who voted for these winners suck.

2009 MTV Movie Awards Nominations

Only one awards show gives out pointless, meaningless awards and yet, are so much fun to watch. One one awards show has categories like Best Kiss, Best Villain and Best WTF Moment. And only in one awards show can Twilight rack up seven nominations, almost twice as many that The Dark Knight. The awards show I'm talking about is the MTV Movie Awards.

This was the first year where the viewers chose the nominees. That's over and they have been announced. Voting just started and will run through May 27. Only for the Best Movie category will voting run all the way to the end of the live show on May 31. Have your say by voting at the MTV Movie Awards homepage. Most of the nominees are ridiculous, but I have to say I had fun voting. Best Kiss and Best WTF Moment were tough ones. Be warned, there are two gay kiss scenes nominated this year. Enough talk. Here are the crazy nominations.

BEST MOVIE
• The Dark Knight - Director: Christopher Nolan, Producers: Charles Roven and Emma Thomas (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• High School Musical 3: Senior Year - Director: Kenny Ortega, Producers: Bill Borden and Barry Rosenbush (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Iron Man - Director: Jon Favreau, Producers: Avi Arad and Kevin Feige (Paramount Pictures)
• Slumdog Millionaire - Director: Danny Boyle, Producer: Christian Colson (Fox Searchlight)
• Twilight - Director: Catherine Hardwicke, Producers: Wyck Godfrey, Greg Mooradian and Mark Morgan (Summit Entertainment)

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE
• Angelina Jolie – Wanted (Universal Pictures)
• Anne Hathaway – Bride Wars (20th Century Fox)
• Kate Winslet – The Reader (The Weinstein Company)
• Kristen Stewart – Twilight (Summit Entertainment)
• Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Paramount Pictures)

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE
• Christian Bale – The Dark Knight (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Robert Downey Jr. – Iron Man (Paramount Pictures)
• Shia LaBeouf – Eagle Eye (DreamWorks SKG/ Paramount Pictures)
• Vin Diesel – Fast & Furious (Universal Pictures)
• Zac Efron – High School Musical 3: Senior Year (Walt Disney Pictures)

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE FEMALE
• Amanda Seyfried – Mamma Mia! (Universal Pictures)
• Ashley Tisdale – High School Musical 3: Senior Year (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Freida Pinto – Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight)
• Miley Cyrus – Hannah Montana: The Movie (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Vanessa Hudgens – High School Musical 3: Senior Year (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Kat Dennings – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (Columbia Pictures)

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE MALE
• Robert Pattinson – Twilight (Summit Entertainment)
• Taylor Lautner – Twilight (Summit Entertainment)
• Ben Barnes – The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Dev Patel – Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight)
• Bobb’e J. Thompson – Role Models (Universal Pictures)

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE
• Amy Poehler – Baby Mama (Universal Pictures)
• Anna Faris – The House Bunny (Columbia Pictures)
• James Franco – Pineapple Express (Columbia Pictures)
• Jim Carrey – Yes Man (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Steve Carell – Get Smart (Warner Bros. Pictures)

BEST VILLAIN
• Derek Mears – Friday The 13th (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Dwayne Johnson – Get Smart (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Johnathon Schaech – Prom Night (Screen Gems)
• Luke Goss – Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Universal Pictures)

BEST FIGHT
• Anne Hathaway vs. Kate Hudson – Bride Wars (20th Century Fox)
• Christian Bale vs. Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Ron Perlman vs. Luke Goss – Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Universal Pictures)
• Robert Pattinson vs. Cam Gigandet – Twilight (Summit Entertainment)
• Seth Rogen and James Franco vs. Danny McBride – Pineapple Express (Columbia Pictures)

BEST KISS
• Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy – Wanted (Universal Pictures)
• Freida Pinto and Dev Patel – Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight)
• James Franco and Sean Penn – Milk (Focus Features)
• Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson – Twilight (Summit Entertainment)
• Paul Rudd and Thomas Lennon – I Love You, Man (Paramount Pictures)
• Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron – High School Musical 3: Senior Year (Walt Disney Pictures)

BEST WTF MOMENT (New Category)
• Amy Poehler – Baby Mama, Peeing In the Sink (Universal Pictures)
• Angelina Jolie – Wanted, Curved Bullet Kill (Universal Pictures)
• Ayush Mahesh Khedekar – Slumdog Millionaire, Jumping in the Poop Shed (Fox Searchlight)
• Ben Stiller – Tropic Thunder, Tasting the Decapitated Head (DreamWorks SKG/ Paramount Pictures)
• Jason Segel and Kristen Bell – Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Naked Break-Up (Universal Pictures)

BEST SONG FROM A MOVIE (New Category)
• “Jai Ho” – AR Raham, Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight)
• “The Wrestler” – Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler (Fox Searchlight)
• “The Climb” – Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana: The Movie (Walt Disney Pictures)
• “Decode” – Paramore, Twilight (Summit Entertainment)

Now that you've seen all the noms, head on over to the MTV Movie Awards page and vote for your favorites. I have a feeling Twilight will do incredibly well. This is, after all, the only show in which Twilight can win anything at all. The show is on in the States May 31 and will be hosted by funny man Andy Samberg.

Jack Black, Michael Cera, Andy Samberg, MTV Movie Awards, 'Nuff Said

Hypothetically speaking, if I told you that Jack Black and Michael Cera had a son together, and their son would be Andy Samberg, what would you say? Would you believe me? Or would you say "That would make such an awesome commercial for the upcoming MTV Movie Awards!"? Well, you tell me. By the way, all the hypothetical talk wasn't hypothetical. Or was it??

Aah just watch the video. Its hilarious.

MTV Shows

Andy Samberg, mostly known for his very funny work on SNL and The Lonely Island, is hosting the 2009 MTV Movie Awards this May 31. No details on if we in Malaysia will get to see it live or not, but I'll keep you posted.

Slumdog Sweeps Oscars

First off, what a brilliant, magnificent show! Didn't catch the name of the guy who directed the Oscars this year but he did a great job. And Hugh Jackman, whaaat?? He did an outstanding job hosting the show. I had no idea before this that he could sing no less perform a hilarious, exhausting number at the start of the show. I'm glad they went with him this year instead of the typical comic. It was good to see the first 10 minutes of the Oscars look more like the Tony Awards. Well done Hugh!

I'm kind of busy right now so I'll keep this post short. Maybe I'll do another Oscars post some time soon. But for now, here are the winners of the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Best Picture
My prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Director
My prediction: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Winner: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Actor
My prediction: Sean Penn (Milk)
Winner: Sean Penn (Milk)

Best Actress
My prediction: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Winner: Kate Winslet (The Reader)

Best Supporting Actor
My prediction: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Winner: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Best Supporting Actress
My prediction: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Winner: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)

Best Adapted Screenplay
My prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Screenplay
My prediction: Milk
Winner: Milk

Best Cinematography
My prediction: Slumdog Millionaire
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Visual Effects
My prediction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Animated Feature Film
My prediction: WALL-E Winner: WALL-E

Best Art Direction
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Costume Design
Winner: The Duchess

Best Film Editing
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Makeup
Winner: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Original Score
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Song
Winner: “Jai Ho” (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Sound Editing
Winner: The Dark Knight
Best Sound Mixing
Winner: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language Film
Winner: Departures

Best Documentary Feature
Winner: Man on Wire

Best Documentary Short
Winner: Smile Pinki

Best Animated Short Film
Winner: La Maison en Petits Cubes

Best Live Action Short Film
Winner: Toyland

Big Winners
Slumdog Millionaire — 8
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — 3
The Dark Knight, Milk — 2
Departures, The Duchess, Man on Wire, The Reader, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, WALL-E — 1

Congratulations to Slumdog Millionaire on the impressive 8 wins out of 10 categories nominated. The film truly deserved this glorious recognition.

Having gone 11 for 11 for my predictions, I really should've predicted for more categories than 11. Hopefully next year I will. Are you happy with the results? Sound out in the comments.

My Oscar Predictions

Its finally that time again. Oscar time. And what better way to celebrate the Oscars than making predictions on who's going to win. Before reading my predictions, you can check out the list of nominations here.

The way I'll do it is who I think will win and who I would want to win. I hope you enjoy my list. Here we go!


BEST PICTURE
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Really? Are we doing this? Slumdog is undoubtedly the runaway favorite and deservedly so. A loss would be the biggest upset you could possibly imagine. Also, the runaway winner in the Best Picture poll in the sidebar.


BEST ACTOR
Who will win: Sean Penn (Milk)
Who should win: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
This is a tough one. Sean Penn is more likely to win for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay politician in California. But Mickey Rourke could definitely win this one after such an amazing, personal, committed performance as Randy the Ram, the title character in Darren Aronofsky's brilliant The Wrestler. Or you could look at it the other way- Penn taking it from under the nose of Rourke. In any case, only these two have a chance.


BEST ACTRESS
Who will win: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Who should win: Kate Winslet (The Reader)
This is another no-brainer. Winslet to take it for her role in Stephen Daldry's holocaust drama The Reader.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Who will win: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Who should win: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Once again, really? Is there any question? Not only should Ledger win this award just because he's dead, but also because of his out-of-this-world performance as the maniacal Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. Anyone who's willing to get into a nurse costume before blowing up a hospital deserves an Oscar.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Who will win: Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
Who should win: Amy Adams (Doubt)
Okay this one is a tricky one, trickiest so far. Penelope Cruz has generating tons of buzz as of late with her performance in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Having said that, underrated Amy Adams could easily take it away from Cruz as her depiction as a naive nun in John Patrick Shanley's highly-rated Doubt opposite Meryl Streep (nominated for Best Actress, stands no chance) and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (nominated for Best Supporting Actor, even less of a chance). And then theres always Taraji P. Henson. Who you say? Taraji played Queenie, adoptive mother to Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt, also no chance for Best Actor).


BEST DIRECTOR
Who will win: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Who should win: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
This year is Danny Boyle's year. Simple as that. Nobody's gonna break the stranglehold Boyle's got on that little golden statuette.


BEST ANIMATED FILM
Who will win: WALL-E
Who should win: WALL-E
Kungfu Panda and Bolt never had a chance this whole year. WALL-E was simply in a league of its own.


BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: The Dark Knight
I can definitely see why Slumdog will win. But The Dark Knight should win just for its pure awesome-ness.


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Who will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Who should win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Strangely enough, the only thing I loved about Ben Button was how Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett's appearances were digitally altered. Amazing work.


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Who will win: Milk
Who should win: WALL-E
Gus van Sant's Milk should have no problem taking this. But the just the possibility of WALL-E winning it makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Who will win: Slumdog Millionaire
Who should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Simon Beaufoy gets all the credit for transforming the novel Q & A into such a wonderful story on the big screen.


Well that's all from me now. What did you think of my predictions? Agreed whole-heartedly? Or think I'm full of horse shit? Either way, sound out and comment. Do share these predictions too. Check back Monday night for all the winners from the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Jamal Malik is one question away from winning 20 million rupees.
How did he do it?

A: He cheated
B: He's lucky
C: He's a genius
D: It is written

From brilliant screenwriter Simon Beaufoy and genius British filmmaker Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Sunshine) comes Slumdog Millionaire, the story of an 18 year-old Mumbai orphan who is in the hot seat having already won 10 million rupees on the local version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire'. Suspected of cheating on the show, Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) is tortured and interrogated by police. Forced into explaining how he answered all the questions, he tells the police that the experiences he had while living his life in the slums of Mumbai were a clue to the questions.

The one thing that truly makes this whole film is how its told in a non-linear form, switching between the depressing and difficult times during Jamal's time in the slums and his curious and uncertain experience on the game show. It was amazing to see how the storyline flashed back whenever the next question was asked, incorporating his past experiences with the question being asked. The clues were discrete yet it stood out and gave a sense of understanding and made me feel that every chapter of his life was being told for a reason. The film is so brilliantly structured it leaves a very deep imprint. Where a typical movie starts off high, dips low then comes up again for the climax, 'Slumdog' starts off amazingly dismal and gloomy then climbs up to a brief period of comic relief and glee before dipping again and finally ending. On a high or low note, you find that out for yourself. not going to spoil it.

Shot on site in India, 'Slumdog' so beautifully illustrates the dirty, compact, upsetting slums of old Bombay as well as the developing, 21st century Mumbai. The slums were depicted so strongly I don't think the film did any favors to Mumbai in the way of tourism. But I think this film puts India in a bad light, highlighting the negative stereotype that is poverty in India. Nevertheless, the cinematography and lighting was simply breathtaking. Half of the film was shot with a handheld which was very obvious in the opening sequences of the movie where the guards are chasing the kids through the slums. The film should win an Oscar for Best Cinematography purely for shooting half of it with a handheld and not screwing it up, let alone making it work beautifully.

Believe you me, you want to be Dev Patel right now. Before this, he was a relatively unknown actor on the British TV show 'Skins'. To sum up his entire performance, he was very passive and laidback, looking extremely comfortable on the big screen like he's been doing this for awhile. Sometimes a performance like this can potentially mess the film up but Patel pulled off the 'less is more' swagger pretty well. Although the lead actor in the film I felt more of an impact from little Jamal (Azharuddin Ismail). While watching him and Salim begging for money running from gangsters, I was thinking where in the world did they find these kids. Their acting was flawless. Even more important, the acting from the kids felt genuine and innocent. They were so cute and at times funny. After reading a little bit, I learned that the kids were from the real slums of Mumbai and were terribly underpaid. They still reside in the slums today. Terrible ain't it? Well Danny Boyle said they were paid three times the salary of the average adult living in their neighborhood. Well thats not saying much considering their neighborhood is a collection of makeshift shacks. Veering off topic here. Enough of that.

Already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA, the soundtrack for 'Slumdog' is so so so good. Very good. So good I'm listening to it right now. My personal favorite is 'O...Saya' which plays in the sequence where the guards chase the kids through the slums. Composed by A. R. Rahman with contributions from M.I.A., the soundtrack boosts the film and brings out the culture and color of India that much more. Soundtrack- Ah-mazing!

This film proves that a simple story and simple concept can be a great success just as long as its shot in a unique way with a great crew and cast. By far, Slumdog Millionaire is my new favorite film of 2008. Also my pick for best movie of the year. It wholly deserves all its wins so far especially at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs. I'm very sure it will sweep the Oscars as well.

I urge everyone to watch this if you have not. If you have, please do drop me a comment.

D: It is written

Doctor's prognosis: 9 out of 10 popcorns!

*Check out my preview post with more details and trailer here.

'Slumdog' Sweeps 2009 BAFTAs

Taking 7 BAFTAs home including Best Film and Best Director, 'Slumdog Millionaire' continued their hot streak of sweeping Awards as the Oscars draw nearer.

Check out some of the winners from last the biggest film awards event on the British calendar after the jump.



Best Film

Slumdog Millionaire

Director

Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle

Leading Actor

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Leading Actress

Kate Winslet - The Reader

Supporting Actor

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Supporting Actress

Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Original Screenplay

In Bruges - Martin McDonagh

Adapted Screenplay

Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy

Outstanding British Film

Man on Wire

Animated Film

WALL•E

Music

Slumdog Millionaire - A. R. Rahman

Cinematography

Slumdog Millionaire - Anthony Dod Mantle

Sound

Slumdog Millionaire - Glenn Freemantle / Resul Pookutty / Richard Pryke / Tom Sayers / Ian Tapp

Special Visual Effects

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Barba / Craig Barron / Nathan McGuinness / Edson Williams

For the full list of winners, check my source out. And for more videos of the BAFTAs by the BBC, check out their YouTube channel.

81st Annual Academy Awards Nominations

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Best Actress
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Best Supporting Actor
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Best Director
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Screenplay
Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Martin - In Bruges
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Andrew Stanton - WALL•E

Best Adapted Screenplay
Eric Roth + Robin Swicord - Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
David Hare - The Reader
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language
Der Baader Meinhof Komplex
The Class
Departures
Revanche
Waltz with Bashir

Best Animated
Bolt
Kung Fun Panda
WALL•E


Catch The Oscars, hosted by Wolverine himself (Hugh Jackman), a month from today.
Set your calendars. 22 February 2009!

Check out my source for the nominations of the other categories.

Golden Globe Results

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Mickey Rourke

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Colin Farrell - In Bruges

Best Director
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Big winners on the night were John Adams, 30 Rock, Slumdog Millionaire and Kate Winslet.

Check out all the winners here.


On a completely different note, I need ideas for a short film so if you have any, and you don't mind sharing them with me, don't hesitate in letting me know.

Golden Globes 2009

As you may already know, this year's Golden Globes will be televised live on Star World (Astro Channel 711) at 8am. So don't forget to set your alarms up. But if you'll be forced to miss it due to work or school (like me), then there will be a primetime re-run the same day at 8pm. So whatever you do, don't miss it.

Below are the noms for a few of the categories.

Best Motion Picture - Drama
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand - Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson - Last Chance Harvey

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell - In Bruges
James Franco - Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman - Last Chance Harvey

Best Director - Motion Picture
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes - Revolutionary Road

For the full list of categories and nominations, go to the official Golden Globes site.