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Eric
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Post by Eric »

Big Magilla wrote:I think it was the terrorist attacks in Mumbai that got the Slumdog Millionaire juggernaut going.
Please to cite the juggernaut of reviews and year-end-list blurbs that mention the Mumbai massacre.
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Post by Big Magilla »

I think it was the terrorist attacks in Mumbai that got the Slumdog Millionaire juggernaut going.

Bollywood and Bollywood influenced films, after being mostly ignored in the U.S. for decades, have been gaining attention here in the last few years. I think there's a general consensus, whether conscious or not, that's it's time to honor one. And, yes, it does fit in with the inspirational winners of the FDR era Penelope mentioned at this time when we are in the worst economic straits since then with a hopeful new leader of the free world coming into power.

Personally I prefer The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but that seems to be an either love-it or hate-it movie. Slumdog is a film that for the most part even those who don't love it seem to at least like. And everybody likes Danny Boyle.

The film is on a roll. Will it last until Oscar? Probably.
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Post by rudeboy »

Penelope wrote:A large portion of Dances With Wolves was in a different language.

As was much of The Godfather Part II.
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Post by Penelope »

The Last Emperor was the only film that I can think of that had large chunks of non-English dialogue.

A large portion of Dances With Wolves was in a different language.

but even during and at the end of World War II and during the Great Depression, they never really favored comedies over Dramas. They always went with what felt right at the time. So why reverse that trend now? Could they not, instead, go for something innately Hollywood?


It isn't so much comedy (and, clearly, I don't think anybody considers Slumdog to be a comedy), but rather that they did tend to go for films that were "inspiring" or tributes to the spirit of persevering: The Life of Emile Zola, You Can't Take it With You, How Green Was My Valley, Mrs. Miniver.

But, beyond that, not a one of the best picture winners from that era could be considered downers; even the most serious films--The Lost Weekend and The Best Years of Our Lives--end happily.




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Post by OscarGuy »

Reading these thoughts and thinking on another level, I wonder a couple more things.

Will the Academy really reverse its long tradition of ignoring minorities in film? The Last Emperor is really the only film that I can think of that had a cast (or least characters) that was entirely non-English. Maybe they think of India still as a former British Colony.

The other trend is films with foreign languages in them. Again, The Last Emperor was the only film that I can think of that had large chunks of non-English dialogue. But is Slumdog really a The Last Emperor-style juggernaut? It's not a art direction/costume design kind of film, so it really can't compare easily.

Some are saying that because of the recession, the Academy will want to reverse its trend of honoring films with a depressing nature, but why? Sure it seems like a good thought, but even during and at the end of World War II and during the Great Depression, they never really favored comedies over Dramas. They always went with what felt right at the time. So why reverse that trend now? Could they not, instead, go for something innately Hollywood? If The Dark Knight is nominated, could it, and not Slumdog Millionaire, be benefited more by the current state of economic unrest?
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Post by rain Bard »

bettestreep2008 wrote:Although it is far superior to Curious Case and Frost /Nixon - and it is as good as Milk - it is VERY RARE for a film predominantly in a foreign language to win Best Pic!
"Predominantly" is a stretch. There's an awful lot of English spoken in Slumdog Millionaire- it must be at least 50% of the dialogue, maybe even more like 75%. A common complaint nitpick about the film in fact is that it's unlikely for Mumbai street urchins to learn English so well, so young.

As for Okri's question, I do think one factor in Slumdog Millionaire's success is that Hollywood filmmakers see honoring the film as a way of welcoming South Asian actors and flavors into the fold. It's roughly equivalent to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in that way, only because it can plausibly use a lot of English dialogue it's got an even greater potential level of Oscar success.

Look for Dev Patel to co-star with Tom Cruise or somesuch in the Last Moghul in a year or so.
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Post by bettestreep2008 »

Slumdog will NOT win Best Picture at the Oscars!

Although it is far superior to Curious Case and Frost /Nixon - and it is as good as Milk - it is VERY RARE for a film predominantly in a foreign language to win Best Pic!

I think Curious Case will win - cos it is almost 3 hours long, has pretty scenes and is one of the most BORING films I have ever seen!

And since the Academy has chosen to honour other boring and non-worthy films in the past - I am pretty sure Curious will not only win - but it may do a Forrest Gump and win 5, 6 or 7 awards!

For me - Milk or Slumdog are the only worthy Best Picture winners this year.

Curious Case will just follow a travesty of bad choices by the Academy;- RainMan, Shakespeare in love, Gladiator, Beautiful Mind, Million Dollar Baby and the overrated crapfest No Country for Old Men!
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Post by Eric »

Me neither. Got about 10 minutes in and shut it off.



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Post by flipp525 »

Eric wrote:Can't bring myself to actually watch Beautiful Mind or Return of the King (which, if it's even remotely in the same ballpark as the first one, would easily rank next to the bottom, just ahead of Crash).
Not only have I never seen Return of the King, I've never even seen The Two Towers.
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Eric
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Post by Eric »

Sigh, we gonna do this too, huh?

No Country for Old Men
Million Dollar Baby
The Departed
Slumdog Millionaire (presumptive)
Chicago
Gladiator
Crash

Can't bring myself to actually watch Beautiful Mind or Return of the King (which, if it's even remotely in the same ballpark as the first one, would easily rank next to the bottom, just ahead of Crash).
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Post by Penelope »

OscarGuy wrote:I'm wondering how many people in Hollywood would feel the same way. Good movie, but hardly a Best Picture kind of film. It isn't even in the top half of the best best picture winners this decade. LOTR, MDB, Chicago, The Departed and I might even rank No Country above it at this point. No, it's no Crash, Beautiful Mind or Gladiator, but it's not near the achievement of the first three I listed.
Well, I'd rank Slumdog Millionaire FAR above LOTR, M$B and The Departed.
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Post by Hollywood Z »

OscarGuy wrote:Could it be all this appreciation is more for recognizing the Bollywood style than the actual quality of the film?
An interesting thought, didn't Bollywood also have to shut down due to the economy or something to that nature? Given the academy's previous stances on supporting minorities, this would be a golden (no pun intended) opportunity for them: a feel good indie film from previous indie filmmakers that they've passed over before (Beaufoy for a win and Boyle for even one nomination).
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Post by Okri »

Really? You think the sweep for Slumdog is due, in part, to Hollywood giving a tribute to Bollywood?

I can buy them thinking the film is overrated and going elsewhere (maybe The Dark Knight or WALL.E if they get nominated) but the other thought seems like a huge stretch, and a way to dismiss the love for a film.
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Post by rain Bard »

yes.
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Post by Okri »

No.
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