I like to think of myself as an Art Critic. As a matter of fact, some even call me that. For last couple of years now, I am seriously reviewing everything be it a good game of a spectator sports, a play, a movie or a book. It doesn't matter. Many a time or one can be tempted to say that almost all the time, I find my views synonymous with popular opinion or congruous to my colleagues but when there comes a time of digression, everything goes sour. Such a time I recently encountered when one of my dear friend who is currently working on a book found me heavily opinionated and 'stereotyping'. Then I also copped some tremendous amount of heat on behalf of a 'angry' writer whose first book I openly criticized for going too berserk with concept of 'pure' and 'unblemished' love. That writer asked me for taking down that review from digital space but I obviously refused. I am not one of those art critics who like to double-check themselves every now and then. Neither I have time nor I go too reckless with my views while openly sharing them with my audience for the very first time. What's there is there for real and I don't regret my decisions ever.
I have given a mention of these things above for a reason. Academy Awards for 2016 got concluded yesterday. Everything went according to my prediction but for best film award. Going into the biggest award of the night, The Revenant was looking a firm favorite, almost a lock some felt but De Caprio's persona and his tour de force acting performance for the same overshadowed the movie and Academy in a courageous move awarded 'Spotlight' with the tag. Courageous move for Academy has been heavily criticized this year for not nominating a 'black' performer for any of the major categories for the awards and thus it had to give something to the world for proving its ingenuity and transparency. A movie that challenged the authority of the church, an institute representative of religious inclination of almost every white man, and exposed the child-abusing clergies and priests was a natural fit plus it was undoubtedly beautifully made. It boasted off a very impressive ensemble cast and was deserving every bit as The Revenant. Brie Larson was a surety of best actress norm and Academy didn't shock her. Best supporting actor-Male trophy went to Mark Rylance and I wasn't surprised. A very different Sylvester Stallone was sparring with him but Academy didn't help him land his punches on Mark. Best supporting actor-Female tag was bestowed upon Alicia Wikander. Alicia is a young, remarkable actress but I was very much sure that Charlize Theron of Mad Max fame would get a nod for her bravura, once-in-a-lifetime performance but I believe Academy's condescension towards action-genre films cost her big time. Rooney Mara too was a very strong contender for her marvelous turn in Carol but she too didn't get Academy's favor. So all in all, Academy was quite balancing with its 2016 verdicts as compared to its previous years' 'shock' turns. I wasn't disappointed at all. After years, 2015 proved a year as good for movies as it could get and of all eight nominees of the year for best film category, I could have selected five for sure for the prestigious tag.
Today however I felt fuming over a certain article published in 'The Guardian' by famous movie critic and a very respectable person in my circle, Mr. Peter Bradshaw. He called one of the best picture nominee, 'The Big Short' a smug, shallow film. For those who have followed upon my Oscars guide for 2016 know that this was my pick for best picture tag going into 2016 ceremony. Almost all of America and rest of the English speaking world concurs with the fact that the film is a BIG otherwise. No film and I am counting films as good and great as 'Inside Job' and 'Too Big to Fail' has managed to describe and depict the ramifications and ruins of American Subprime Crisis of 2008 so eloquently and intelligently and it also lets us know that amidst that unprecedented crisis which left almost half of the Europe metaphorically bankrupt, there were some people who actually made hundreds of millions of dollars by 'shorting' and 'betting' in favor of it which nobody else saw it coming. Peter called it a film of no heart for a reason I understand for it tells the story of those personnel who made bagfuls of money while rest of their compatriots were going to the dogs. But it happened, it happened for real and world works that way. No society is equal and almost everyone makes the money at another's expense. These characters ably supported by Christian Bale, Steve Carell and Brad Pitt can be seen warning their bosses and rest of the staff of this incoming crisis but nobody paid heed and thus they had to go all alone. In one particular scene, Brad Pitt can be seen even teary-eyed while rebuking two of his colleagues who were jubilant and over the moon just after Brad made them crack a million dollar deal and in the process made them millionaires while others, he tells them, are being ruined by those cheating MNCs and surveying firms. It didn't win an Oscars, nobody's fault and I'm not whining but saying that it wasn't even a good film was certainly way over the line on behalf of Mr. Peter Bradshaw. Plus Academy is known for its crush over Spielberg, Hanks, Scorsese, Ridley and Brad Pitt and then only a moron could've faulted Academy's decision. For example, check Ridley's The Martian and Spielberg's Bridge of Spies while they shut the shops on films like Carol and Anomalisa. At the end, getting nominated for Academy Awards is all that matters, results are just a worthy trade-off of the process. On the given night, anyone can win and we have seen numerous examples of that. Finally a mention of Leo and Ennio Morricone would do here. One was a survivor of five previous nominations and other a veteran of 500 movies across the globe and all of 87 years old, not to mention his four previous nominations and an honorary Oscars too. Academy recognized their contribution, finally and in doing that taught us the lesson that hard work does pay off. Sometimes it just takes a while.
Thank you for your attention!!!
I have given a mention of these things above for a reason. Academy Awards for 2016 got concluded yesterday. Everything went according to my prediction but for best film award. Going into the biggest award of the night, The Revenant was looking a firm favorite, almost a lock some felt but De Caprio's persona and his tour de force acting performance for the same overshadowed the movie and Academy in a courageous move awarded 'Spotlight' with the tag. Courageous move for Academy has been heavily criticized this year for not nominating a 'black' performer for any of the major categories for the awards and thus it had to give something to the world for proving its ingenuity and transparency. A movie that challenged the authority of the church, an institute representative of religious inclination of almost every white man, and exposed the child-abusing clergies and priests was a natural fit plus it was undoubtedly beautifully made. It boasted off a very impressive ensemble cast and was deserving every bit as The Revenant. Brie Larson was a surety of best actress norm and Academy didn't shock her. Best supporting actor-Male trophy went to Mark Rylance and I wasn't surprised. A very different Sylvester Stallone was sparring with him but Academy didn't help him land his punches on Mark. Best supporting actor-Female tag was bestowed upon Alicia Wikander. Alicia is a young, remarkable actress but I was very much sure that Charlize Theron of Mad Max fame would get a nod for her bravura, once-in-a-lifetime performance but I believe Academy's condescension towards action-genre films cost her big time. Rooney Mara too was a very strong contender for her marvelous turn in Carol but she too didn't get Academy's favor. So all in all, Academy was quite balancing with its 2016 verdicts as compared to its previous years' 'shock' turns. I wasn't disappointed at all. After years, 2015 proved a year as good for movies as it could get and of all eight nominees of the year for best film category, I could have selected five for sure for the prestigious tag.
Today however I felt fuming over a certain article published in 'The Guardian' by famous movie critic and a very respectable person in my circle, Mr. Peter Bradshaw. He called one of the best picture nominee, 'The Big Short' a smug, shallow film. For those who have followed upon my Oscars guide for 2016 know that this was my pick for best picture tag going into 2016 ceremony. Almost all of America and rest of the English speaking world concurs with the fact that the film is a BIG otherwise. No film and I am counting films as good and great as 'Inside Job' and 'Too Big to Fail' has managed to describe and depict the ramifications and ruins of American Subprime Crisis of 2008 so eloquently and intelligently and it also lets us know that amidst that unprecedented crisis which left almost half of the Europe metaphorically bankrupt, there were some people who actually made hundreds of millions of dollars by 'shorting' and 'betting' in favor of it which nobody else saw it coming. Peter called it a film of no heart for a reason I understand for it tells the story of those personnel who made bagfuls of money while rest of their compatriots were going to the dogs. But it happened, it happened for real and world works that way. No society is equal and almost everyone makes the money at another's expense. These characters ably supported by Christian Bale, Steve Carell and Brad Pitt can be seen warning their bosses and rest of the staff of this incoming crisis but nobody paid heed and thus they had to go all alone. In one particular scene, Brad Pitt can be seen even teary-eyed while rebuking two of his colleagues who were jubilant and over the moon just after Brad made them crack a million dollar deal and in the process made them millionaires while others, he tells them, are being ruined by those cheating MNCs and surveying firms. It didn't win an Oscars, nobody's fault and I'm not whining but saying that it wasn't even a good film was certainly way over the line on behalf of Mr. Peter Bradshaw. Plus Academy is known for its crush over Spielberg, Hanks, Scorsese, Ridley and Brad Pitt and then only a moron could've faulted Academy's decision. For example, check Ridley's The Martian and Spielberg's Bridge of Spies while they shut the shops on films like Carol and Anomalisa. At the end, getting nominated for Academy Awards is all that matters, results are just a worthy trade-off of the process. On the given night, anyone can win and we have seen numerous examples of that. Finally a mention of Leo and Ennio Morricone would do here. One was a survivor of five previous nominations and other a veteran of 500 movies across the globe and all of 87 years old, not to mention his four previous nominations and an honorary Oscars too. Academy recognized their contribution, finally and in doing that taught us the lesson that hard work does pay off. Sometimes it just takes a while.
Thank you for your attention!!!
Comments
Post a Comment