Predictions, Suprises and Snubs

Atlast, AMPAS has finally announced the nominations for 81st Academy Awards. What suprised me was the snubbing of several anticipated movies - like The Dark Knight which I think should have been nominated for atleast in Best Original Screenplay categoray, Revolutionary Road, which I expected at least three nods for Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) , Best Actress (Kate Winslet) and Best Direction. Gran Torino, directed by Clint Eastwood is totally killed by Academy, and it didn't recieved even a single nod. I also thought WALL-E should have been nominated for Best Picture category but anyway.

So, Here are my predictions -

[Note :- Edited after BAFTA's]

Best Picture

• Will Win - Slumdog Millionaire
• Should Win - Milk
• Also in Race - Frost / Nixon
• Underdogs - Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Reader

Best Director

• Will Win - Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
• Should Win - Danny Boyle
• Also in Race - Ron Howard (Frost / Nixon) , Gus Van Sant (Milk)
• Underdogs - David Flincher (Curious Case...) and Stephen Daldry (The Reader)

Best Screenplay (Original)

• Will Win - Milk
• Should Win - Wall - E
• Also in Race - In Bruges, Frozen River
• Underdogs - Happy Go Lucky

Best Screenplay (Adapted)

• Will Win - Slumdog Millionaire
• Should Win - The Reader
• Also in Race - Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt and Frost / Nixon
• Underdogs - None

Best Actor

• Will Win - Sean Penn (Milk)
• Should Win - Frank Langella (Frost/ Nixon)
• Also in Race -Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
• Underdogs - Brad Pitt (Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)

Best Actress

• Will Win - Kate Winslet (The Reader)
• Should Win - Kate Winslet (The Reader)
• Also in Race - Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Meryl Streep (Doubt)
• Underdogs - Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Melissa Leo (Frozen River)

Best Supporting Actor

• Will Win - Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
• Should Win - Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
• Also in Race - Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), Josh Brolin (Milk), Philip Hoffman (Doubt)
• Underdogs - Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)

Best Supporting Actress

• Will Win - Merisa Tomei (The Wrestler)
• Should Win - Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona)
• Also in Race - Viola Davis (Doubt) , Taraji P. Henson (Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
• Underdogs - Amy Adams (Doubt)

Best Animated Feature

• Will Win - Wall - E
• Should Win - Wall - E
• Also in Race - None
• Underdogs - Bolt, Kung Fu Panda

Best Foreign Language Film

• Will Win - Waltz with Bashir (Israel)
• Should Win - The Class (France)
• Also in Race - All other nominees
• Underdogs - None

Best Original Score

• Will Win - A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)
• Should Win - Alexandre Desplat (Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
• Also in Race - James Newton Howard (Defiance), Danny Elfman (Milk)
• Underdogs - Thomas Newman (Wall E)

Best Cinematography

• Will Win - Claudia Miranda (Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
• Should Win - Claudia Miranda (Curious Case of Benjamin Button)
• Also in Race - The Dark Knight, Slumdog Millionaire, Changeling
• Underdogs - The Reader

Best Art Direction

• Will Win - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Should Win - Revolutionary Road
• Also in Race - Changeling, The Dark Knight
• Underdogs - The Dutchess

Best Costume Designing

• Will Win - The Duchess
• Should Win - Revolutionary Road or Australia
  
• Also in Race - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
  
• Underdogs - Milk

Best Film Editing

• Will Win - Slumdog Millionaire
• Should Win - Slumdog Millionaire
• Also in Race - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Milk
• Underdogs - Frost / Nixon

Best Make Up

• Will Win - The Dark Knight
• Should Win - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Also in Race - Hell Boy II - The Golden Army
• Underdogs - None
  

Best Sound Editing

• Will Win - Slumdog Millionaire
• Should Win - Wall -E
  
• Also in Race - The Dark Knight, Iron Man
  
• Underdogs - Wanted
  

Best Sound Mixing

• Will Win - Wall E
  
• Should Win - Wanted
• Also in Race - The Dark Knight, Wall E
• Underdogs - Slumdog Millionaire
  

Best Visual Effects

• Will Win - The Dark Knight
• Should Win - Iron Man
• Also in Race - Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Underdogs - None

Best Original Song

• Will Win - Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionaire)
• Should Win - O Saya (Slumdog Millionaire)
• Also in Race - Down to Eath (Wall E)
• Underdogs - None

Awards Count

• Slumdog Millionaire - 6 / 10
• The Dark Knight - 3 / 8
• Milk - 2 / 8
• Curious Case of Benjamin Button - 2 / 13
• Wall E - 2/8
  

Hopefully my predictions will match. What do you think?

India's Box Office - This week

Ghajini or Jumbo? Read and find out!



This week, two movies were released - the very first is Ghajini and the order is Jumbo. Ghajini, as we all know, is much more in the buzz as compared to Jumbo. As a result, it was sure that Ghajini make more money than Jumbo.
One interesting thing is that Jumbo is the re-dubbed version of Thai film, Khan Kluay.


Ghajini stars Aamir Khan, and Jumbo starts (voice of) Akshay Kumar. People were waiting for Ghajini since a long time and promotion of Jumbo started just few weeks ago. It is sure that Jumbo will have to pay for its 'poor promotion'. In the other side, Ghajini is having a viral marketing campaign. If you visit a multiplex, you can easily find statue of shirtless Aamir and big Ghajini posters.

Boxoffice experts say that Ghajini will make upto 90 crores in its very first week. Whereas Jumbo, targeting only little audience, will make around 30-40 crores.

As per critics are concerned, Ghajini is having generally favorable reviews. Jumbo, being praised for its dubbing, is also having fair reviews. Overall I'll say, Ghajini rocks all the way!

Buzz Comment: Nokia's answer to iPhone

Nokia 5800 Xpress Music

Almost after 6 months after the release of Apple's iPhone in India, Nokia is also now in the competition. The 'war of touchscreen' will take a new turn after Nokia's most awaited phone - the multi-touch- Nokia 5800 Xpress Music.

The buzz about this phone is that it has Carl Zeiss 3.2 Megapixel camera with auto-focus with 2-LED flash, a big 128 MB internal memory with 32-GB maximum expendable micro SDHC card slot, 3.2 inch wide multi-touch screen (just like Phone's) and VGA call camera in front.

What about the price? Well, the speculative price of this phone is around Rs. 17000 to 21000. 5800 has much more features than iPhone, and also it has relatively low price rate.

Anything bad about the phone? Well, answer is that this phone is not 3G (US version has support for 3G). Even though, this phone makes a great deal. Nokia 5800 Xpress Music will make Indian market debut in first quater of 2009.

Keep checking your phone stores folks!

Buzz Review : Revolutionary Road

''The Unending Misery"
Lets start my very first movie review with very much anticipated movie, "Revolutionary Road" starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet. Directed by Sam Mendes, this film deals with problems faced by Connecticut Suburbans, Frank and April Wheeler. The couple's life becomes more bitter each day and finally results in an unending misery.

The Titanic couple made there comeback after 11 long years. Kate Winslet plays April Wheeler, mother of two children in her early 30's. Leonardo plays Frank Wheeler, the unhappy husband.
Both April and Frank were married with their own will and soon after some years of their marriage, arguments between them increase each day. April is a theater actress. Frank works in a firm called 'Knox'.

Frank is discontented with his job. Basically he doesn't knows what he really wants to do as a job. He had a dream of living in Paris, assuming that his and his family's life will change as soon as they shift to Paris. After knowing this, April decides that she will sell their house and some property to go to Paris. Frank also becomes very happy after April takes interest in going to Paris.

But soon the things changed. Frank's firm, having a lot of profit due to Frank, doesn't wants him to resign. His firm offers him a big amount of money. As a result Frank gets in a sticky situation. He has to choose whether to go to Paris or stay here and get large amount of money.

Meanwhile, April gets more and more interested in Paris. She always thought that their life in Revolutionary Road is nothing but just 'shallow emptiness'. She raises her dreams each day.
One day she gets to know that she is pregnant. Not wanting a baby, she tells Frank that they could have kids after settling in Paris. But Frank now wants to stay. He tells her that he wants the child and he doesn't wants to go to Paris.

Shattered and totally distressed, April becomes more rude and unfair towards Frank. There relationship becomes more sour each day. Their bitter arguments developed a wall between them - A wall of fights, enviousness and no love. And finally one day, April, alone in the house tries to abort her child herself. Due to some complications and blood shortage, she dies. Frank gets all alone, still loving her wife with his children.

Now, the story is a bit complicated. But still the awesome acting of both Kate and Leonardo saves the day. Their quarrels and fights are so realistic that it feels that you are eavesdropping in someone's house. Sam Mendes direction is commendable. He made this melodrama as best as he can. Music by Thomas Newman is very good. The main theme very well played throughout the movie. Cinematography is the best part of the movie. One of the best photography of 2008.

I have only one complain about this movie. And that is it has slightly boring scenes and slow pace. Sometimes it feels that you are watching a TV movie. But still, beautiful cinematography and due to some great actors, Revolutionary Road is must watch. Not for just Leo-Kate fans, but for everyone who loves American drama.

out of 5

Hey... what's the current buzz!

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