Comments on The 81st Academy Awards Nominations

Kudos to the Academy for Recognising "Slumdog Millionaire" for the cinematic gem that it is;

Promotional art for Slumdog Millionaire

In particular, the nominations for;

Danny Boyle - Achievement in directing,

Anthony Dod Mantle - Achievement in cinematography,

A.R. Rahman - Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

and

A.R. Rahman (Music) & Gulzar (Lyric) - Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

Kudos ALSO for recognising the cinematic vision of David Fincher and Co. for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button";

Promotional art for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

In particular, the nominations for;

David Fincher - Achievement in directing,

Eric Roth and Robin Swicord - Adapted screenplay

and

Brad Pitt - Performance by an actor in a leading role

And for "The Dark Knight" there were categories that, try as they might, the Academy could NOT have gotten away with had they ignored them;

Promotional art for The Dark Knight

In particular, the nominations for;

Wally Pfister - Achievement in cinematography (if only for making IMAX cool again)

and

Heath Ledger - Performance by an actor in a supporting role (if only for making Jack Nicholson's performance merely a memory and defining the true cinematic Joker)

However...

All the nominations combined do NOT make up for that fact that Christopher Nolan SHOULD have been nominated for the cinematic marvel (no irony intended) that is "The Dark Knight"!

Christopher Nolan - overcame the bat nipples but not the Academy!

Nominations for The Dark Knight should have included (at the least);

Christopher Nolan - Achievement in directing

and

Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer - Adapted screenplay

Heck I'd even say that a nomination was even due for;

Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard - Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

I am truly torn... Fincher and Co., along with Boyle and Co., are masters at what they do...

BUT the Academy should quit whatever the heck they're smoking and ALSO recognise that Nolan is the MAIN reason why The Dark Knight was nominated for all the technical awards...

Too late now...

Note to the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: You tried to look like you tried... BUT you failed... miserably!

We WON'T be won over by a sympathy nomination, for Nolan, in the years to follow for a none comic book related nomination - at least I won't!

Unless it's a really good film... which knowing Nolan it probably will be... DAMN!

God gave us free will...

So why are DJs trying to pull the strings?!?!?

Image from Getty Images

Shouldn't we each be responsible individually as long as we're not infringing on others?

I mean... We were told about the "free will" provision... and each given a rulebook weren't we?

If we're not each held to account individually then, since they're pulling the strings and keeping us in line, do they take all the responsibility (I don't mind NOT taking all the credit as long as I'm not stuck with the responsibility/aftermath either)? Hmmm... But the way of the DJs suggest - not so!

This is a lose - lose situation for most... if not all!

AND... not really in line with the whole "Humans have free will" line of thought... or is that a crock of bull?

heh heh heh... Sorry if I made your head hurt... woke up this morning with a migraine... so think of this as my version of Karma! ;o)

WHY IS NO ONE (REALLY) SAFEGAURDING THE CONSTITUTION?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

[Disclaimer: This is a RANT. For saner entries please scroll down, browse 'What was said before' OR move on to some other blogs.]

Who is really looking out for the public interest and protecting
the constitution?!?!?

Nobody seems to be interested in putting out the, proverbial, fire!

The judiciary are (obviously?) over-stepping their bounds in a 'hunger for power'... the executive, apparently, pays no heed to the 176 page "guideline" to governing the Maldivian people  (I say this because they seem to treat it as such - especially as it were a crappy set of guidelines)... the legislature seem too busy because they're, mostly, acting out their their weekly soap opera!

Oh and yea... it seems that being the Forth Estate (media), in the Maldives, is a spectator sport!

Apparently in a democracy the people get the government that they deserve - boy we must have s@#$*@#d up BIG TIME in a past life!

That's it... that's all I gotta say on the subject... F$#@!!! OK that was it! SERIOUSLY! Now you can move along to more eloquent blogs and blog entries.

"Peace on earth and goodwill toward man"

The title is a quote from the movie "Sneakers" (1992) starring Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, David Strathairn, Dan Aykroyd, Mary McDonnell, River Phoenix and Ben Kingsley (among others)

The selective quote is (mainly) from "Whislter" (David Strathairn).

The situation is this - The FBI (or similar govt. organisation) is negotiating with a team of "security consultants". The FBI is asking each "consultant" what they want before the team of "consultants" will agree to hand over a device that the FBI need desperately.

And thus goes the conversation;

Whistler: I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man. 

Bernard Abbott: Oh, this is ridiculous. 

Martin Bishop: He's serious. 

Whistler: I want peace on earth and goodwill toward men. 

Bernard Abbott: We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing. 

Martin Bishop: You're just gonna have to try. 

Bernard Abbott: All right, I'll see what I can do. 

Whistler: Thank you very much. That's all I ask.

P.S. Bernard Abbott is played by James Earl Jones and Martin Bishop by Redford.

I found this piece of dialogue to be HILARIOUS when I first watched this movie... But if every one of us thought like Whistler we'd surely be in a better place - wouldn't we? Idealism... hmmmm...

Oh and by the way - STILL find it hilarious BUT it has more meaning to me now...

Why now? Not sure. BUT I remember, during early January 2009, being in Sri Lanka and seeing some residents of Colombo running around on the streets waving Sri Lankan flags and celebrating amid exploding fire crackers...

Painting from RICHARD CARDONA PAINTING, PRINTS, & DRAWINGS.
Mainly cos I got stuck deciding on an image to go with the post... Lennon kinda seemed appropriate... but do feel free to suggest other/alternate images/art/etc.

They were (rightly?) celebrating the Sri Lankan Army's success in the war against the LTTE... But somewhere in there I couldn't help but think "Why are they celebrating the loss of human lives?". In all honesty, they must have just been celebrating a victory - but that victory caused a hell of a lot of lives, Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Buddhists, Men, Women, Children... human beings...

If we HAVE to choose a side... maybe we should choose humanity... the sanctity of human life - forget race/religion/[insert other denomination(s) here]...

Think this might solve all the conflicts? If the "buck" stopped at loss of human lives? Idealism again...

I should stop that... shouldn't I?

Alejandro González Iñárritu is a genius!

Alejandro González Iñárritu behind the lens

He's proven himself a master storyteller with the likes of Amores perros (2000), Powder Keg [part of the BMW Films - The Hire] (2001) and 21 Grams (2003).

The man is an artist - an auteur in the truest sense of the word.

Promotional art for Babel

I know I'm a tad late to the party BUT I have to say this. I need to say it;

In Babel (2006) Iñárritu gives us an almost lyrical story born of a masterful script (Guillermo Arriaga) supported by sublime music (Gustavo Santaolalla) and emotive cinematography (Rodrigo Prieto) - to say nothing of the subdued, exceptional, performances by a brilliant cast.

True to his style, there are still the consistent, more-bitter-than-sweet, seemingly-unrelated-at-first interconnecting, storylines... but truer still, is the manner in which he presents this - an exquisite masterpiece.

If you are a fan of any of Iñárritu's previous efforts, or of film in general, and you've still not seen this - you're in for a treat when you do...