18 February 2009
Slumdog Millionaire
After what seems like six months of discussion and debate on Q about the now heralded Slumdog Millionaire, I finally saw the film.
One opinion of many...
Critics are quick to suggest that the Academy Awards Best Picture nominated film has not produced any individual acting awards because the cast is comprised of unknown (and at times non-) actors. It's easy to say the Academy is unkind to anyone who isn't on the cover of People magazine, addicted to cocaine or a spokesperson for adoption in their spare time. And I understand the name Dev Patel may not make the sound of money like Mickey Rourke, Brad Pitt or Sean Penn. However, I'm not sure that's the reason Slumdog Millionaire isn't getting the acting nod.
The story is great. At times phenomenal. The film is well made and the soundtrack is stellar. But there isn't a stand out performance in the bunch. If I were to hand out any gold statues it would be the boys who play the youngest Salim and Jamal, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail. They are the heart of the movie.
New baby momma M.I.A.'s Paper Planes is one of the soundtrack high points to the solid first third of the movie.
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2 COMMENTS :
I agree with your statement. I see a movie in the theaters almost every week. I saw Slumdog millionaire about 2 months before it got released in theaters at a friends place. I had not heard of this movie aside from "Hey Eric, want to come over and watch Slumdog millionaire".
After seeing it, I did in fact enjoy it and thought it was a well organized and scripted film.
Two months later, I looked at the golden globe winners and saw it took home "Best Picture" and I was kind of astounded. On top of that, every where I turn, when the topic of movies arises, people tend to ask that same question "Have you seen Slumdog millionaire?".
Sure the movie was great, but I feel people are so caught up in this film because it's as though they feel slightly more cultured in knowing they saw a movie that didn't have the whole 'americanized feeling' attached to it.
Kind of the opposite of what you wrote of how it is easy to say the academy is unkind to anyone who isn't on the cover of people magazine, where the way I feel is how people are so quick to fall in love with the no namers. The general public is unkind to the well-known superstars and I think they often forget why they are superstars in the first place...
... because they are good at what they do.
In closing, sure Slumdog Millionaire was a good movie, but it is dependant on those awards to make it popular. Without them, it would have withered away without recognition.
They are quick to fall in love with no name movies but NOT with no name actors. No one from underdog favorite Slumdog Millionaire is nominated for an individual acting award. And it could be as simple as pronunciation.
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