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Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films in London Feb 18 2009

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Waltz with Bashir (2008)
The Reader (2008)
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Rachel Getting Married (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Wendy and Lucy (2008)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Frozen River (2008)
Milk (2008)
Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Changeling (2008)
Doubt (2008)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

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The 2009 Oscars: Time Out's reaction

'Slumdog Millionaire', 'Benjamin Button' and 'Doubt' are all in the running for prizes at this year's Oscars. Tom Huddleston offers his two cents on the nominations

So, the Oscar nominations are finally with us, and we can all finally get to arguing about which films blatantly don’t deserve the honour, and which great films were outrageously overlooked.

There’s plenty of fuel for both arguments. Despite an unusually wide-open field this year, the Best Picture category is as predictable as ever: three worthy literary dramas that don’t deserve the nod (‘Frost/Nixon’, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘The Reader’), one rebellious, politically charged biopic that should win but won’t (‘Milk’) and one solid, entertaining old-Hollywood epic that’ll probably pull in the undecideds, and win by default (‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’). The exclusion of far worthier titles from consideration is lamentable, but hardly unexpected: this happens not because the films aren’t good enough, but because they just don’t fit the Oscar template, being either too small (‘Wendy and Lucy’), too big (‘The Dark Knight’), or too childish (‘Wall.e’). Oscar snobbery is alive and well.

The Best Director category, as usual, reflects Best Picture precisely, leaving no room for those welcome little surprises which result in occasional nominations for directors like David Lynch and Woody Allen. But if the Academy are looking to reward ‘Slumdog’ without handing over the big kahuna, it seems likely Danny Boyle will carry this one, and perhaps he deserves to: whatever the script’s flaws, his dedication to making the film on the real streets of Mumbai deserves recognition. But it’d be even nicer to see Gus van Sant take it.

The acting categories are a bit more interesting: our money’s on Mickey Rourke to take home Best Actor to complete his meteoric comeback, and a more worthy recipient you couldn’t hope to find, though, again, Sean Penn’s lead in ‘Milk’ was pretty astonishing. It’s also nice to see hard-grafting journeyman Richard Jenkins finally recognised. Best Actress-wise it’s an open field, with Winslet the obvious frontrunner, but Angelina Jolie nudging up on the inside. Melissa Leo doesn’t stand a chance in the still-unreleased ‘Frozen River’, though Anne Hathaway might just sneak a highly justified upset for her remarkable turn in the otherwise snubbed ‘Rachel Getting Married’ (not even Original Screenplay, which has to sting).

There are some interesting nuggets further down the list: there’s no doubt Heath Ledger has Supporting Actor sewn up, and deservedly so, but it’s nice to see a nomination for indie stalwart Michael Shannon. The Original Screenplay category acts, as usual, as a mop-up of otherwise overlooked gems, and provides the only love for Mike Leigh’s divisive ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’; it’s also nice to see ‘In Bruges’ slipping in under the radar. Despite being snubbed in the animation category (where it wouldn’t have stood a chance against ‘Wall.e’), ‘Waltz with Bashir’ seems to have the Foreign Language category in the bag, provided Cannes fever doesn’t infect the jury and swing it to the (arguably more deserving) ‘The Class’.

Perhaps the most outrageous exclusion of all is the absence of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The Wrestler’ in the Best Song category, which is instead dominated by two selections from AR Rahman’s agonising ‘Slumdog’ score. Still, at least we know there’ll be at least two perfectly timed toilet breaks during the five-hour ceremony.

Author: Tom Huddleston

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User comments on this story

pennyarrow said...

to be clear - Frozen River is unreleased in the UK. It was released last year in the US. You're right That Melissa Leo won't win but if the award was for acting ability then she would walk it. and I've seen ALL the contenders' performances. Posted on Jan 26 2009 20:31

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usman khawaja said...

tom
if filming oa flawed mediocre movie with an incoherent script deserves an award
then what about the good ones which also were shot on a street
sequestrp express
city of god
salaam bombay
and even comorrah
tho it was a docu drama
and i can name another dozen who are better then the rotten boiled sausage by boyle Posted on Jan 25 2009 13:40

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usman khawaja said...

when is the last time i liked a movie and it surprised me when it won actually
far less get nominated
CRASH
NOW TOM EXPLAIN THAT PARADOX
since then i have not even noticed the nominations as they are only a fancy dress ball for overrated overpaid spoilt brats
please god do not bless these ignoble wastrels for wasting alot of time and money on trashy art
this year i really dont care at all as all i liked was kristin scotts act in an average french movie which is ignored as the script was flawed and the best two tell no one and funny games are not even being considered
good for them as they do not deserve to be reduced to a scornful trashy heap Posted on Jan 25 2009 13:35

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Chinch said...

People... I encourage you to get a grip. May I remind you that actors select actors who are incontention, Directors choose directors, etc. This is a formula for glad-handing and backstabbing. Sublime moments in film history have been overlooked by the academy and it makes them no less notable. Cary Grant never got an Oscar, until they noticed they ignroed him. Hitchcock never received an oscar for any of his films. Altman, Bergman, Fellnin, Kubrick, Rosellini, etc. Bill Murray was overlooked for a sublime perofmrance in Rushmore, and Rushmore itself was completely unfete-ed. I do not love them any less. All the Oscars are good for is rooting against movies you don't want influencing the next decade of films. So I'm delighted Wall-E, Batman, and Gran Torino were utterly negelcted in the tradition of other critical darling that I hated: Big Fish, Little Miss Sunshine. I wish them all empty-hands. Posted on Jan 24 2009 20:08

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Pete said...

Springsteen's song will be released on his album due out next week. I think that makes it ineligible for the original song oscar. It's a shame as it's a great song and would've also provided a bit more variety in the live performances on the night. Posted on Jan 24 2009 17:07

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Technoguy said...

I'm glad Dark Knight was not awarded for direction or film being the ungainly monster it is,but it does deserve awards in the technical fields it has gained
nominations in.Best film or direction should go to Boyle
for Slumdog.Best actor between Penn and Rourke
and could it be anybody but Winslet for actress?Best
original screenplay should go to McDonagh(In Bruges).
Gomorrah has been sadly overlooked in best foreign
and adapted screenplay.Waltz with Bashir or Persepolis
deserve awards.I'm sure Benjamin Button will gain
some kind of award in screenplay or cinematography. I
know it will all be a great anticlimax and don't think it adds an iota of difference to what films will last. Posted on Jan 24 2009 01:17

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A. Figueroa said...

As with any other Oscar nomination ever: WHO DOES CARE? Most Oscars nominations are as undeserved and unfair as the award itself. there are heavy politics from most of big and small studios to give maximum exposure to the nominees and besides: there is more life to films than the over-valued and over-publicized USA cinema. Posted on Jan 23 2009 10:33

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Larry said...

How could Clint Eastwood and Gran Torino be so totally ignored? Posted on Jan 22 2009 19:13

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Richard D James said...

The comment by Pradeep is so idiotic, it makes me weep. How can you compare a song you haven't heard? The song by Springsteen could be the most moving piece of music ever written. Posted on Jan 22 2009 18:00

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Pradeep said...

i havent heard the song from the wrestler but i m pretty sure that it cannot be better than the brilliant A R Rahman score for slumdog...sorry mate...i think u r totally out of sorts and have got it totally wrong.. Posted on Jan 22 2009 17:31

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