And the winner for Best Picture is...

February 16, 2009 2:00 AM

What did you think of Slumdog Millionaire? Was it too much, or showed how life can be sometimes. Hurry, you just have a few more days left before the Academy Awards...
posted by hadjiboy (16 comments total)

I preferred Alien.
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 2:10 AM on February 16

All of the above.
posted by crossoverman at 2:12 AM on February 16

Sorry crossoverman, didn't know you did a post on the same topic a few days ago... that pre-post thing really need's to be fixed, or I need to be spending more attention to Mefi.
posted by hadjiboy at 2:21 AM on February 16

Heh. All three Slumdog posts have been framed as questions.
posted by bunglin jones at 2:45 AM on February 16

Many of the reviewers seem to be puzzled by the mixture of realism and fantastic elements, like in the first FPP link. Actually, this is a standard mixture in Bollywood, and hence (probably) deliberate on Boyle's part.
posted by Gyan at 2:45 AM on February 16

t_v_h_c -> If it doesn't win, we'll have to wait til next year's Alien vs. Slumdog. There's a sure contender.
posted by mannequito at 3:00 AM on February 16

@Gyan: It's also standard-issue Boyle.

I just saw SDM last night. Good stuff, but I actually prefer Boyle's underappreciated Millions. Not enough people have seen that movie.
posted by Edgewise at 3:47 AM on February 16 [1 favorite has favorites]

I keep looking for a rat's butt but I cannot find one to give.
Such a burning question - like a social disease.
posted by hooptycritter at 5:10 AM on February 16

I've been wavering on whether or not I want to see it. This NPR interview tipped me over to the "no" side, for now.
posted by fuse theorem at 5:13 AM on February 16

"Slumdog" is a solid piece of film making that features some inspired photography. Apart from that, the film is much overhyped and certainly not deserving of a best picture nod. To me, it's just another instance of run-of-the-mill entertainment cinema - cinema that's all too easily digested and that doesn't leave you with that lingering mental afterglow that is the hallmark of a good film. Now if you'd asked about "Revolutionary Road"... but alas, you didn't.
posted by oxidizer at 5:33 AM on February 16

fuse theorem: "9I've been wavering on whether or not I want to see it. This NPR interview tipped me over to the "no" side, for now."

It's not the best movie ever, a little "overhyped" as oxidizer says, but it's a very entertaining flick, most of the time, I don't ask more from a flick.
posted by zouhair at 5:47 AM on February 16

I just saw it last night, mainly because I was avoiding discussions about it in order to prevent spoilers, and I had already had a few (although they turned out not that relevant).

I thought it was pretty entertaining, but it seemed like a light, sappy kind of movie, just really well done. It did not seem like an amazingly powerful film like I'd expected.

I enjoyed it quite a bit, but I wouldn't call it an Amazing movie. On the other hand, Titanic won as well best picture as well.
posted by delmoi at 6:38 AM on February 16

You know, I watched it last night and looked for 1000 reasons to criticize it, but the truth is, I couldn't. Perhaps it is not worthy of Best Picture, but it was a wonderfully told story with great acting all around and innovative (at least to me) cinematography.

Spoiler alert?
The movie has less than 2 hours to tell a story that spans about 2 decades so a lot is going to get glossed over.
End spoiler alert (if it even was one)

People are going to complain about it, sure. But people like to complain about everything.
And others are going to automatically assume that the movie reflects typical life in India.
So let them.

This is a story. About people. Not a historical account of a nation. Not a sociological study about a society or a culture. It is simply a story.

The Godfather was a story - it doesn't reflect all Italians living in New York. But you are going to get people flocking to Little Italy and expect to see what they saw in the movie. My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a story - and I'm sure a lot of Greek people are being asked about Windex.

The same goes for any movie that is "foreign" to the audience. That's humanity for you. Let the story be a story.
posted by bitteroldman at 6:49 AM on February 16 [1 favorite has favorites]

Well, the Academy owes Boyle for overlooking The Beach.

(yes, that was sarcasm)
posted by Joe Beese at 7:19 AM on February 16

the film is much overhyped and certainly not deserving of a best picture nod.

There was only one American film worthy of an oscar nod this year and it was the one that didn't get one: The Wrestler.

I've seen all the nominated pictures except Benjamin Button and it was a very disappointing year for USA films.

Revolutionary Road was extremely weak when compared to the book. The performances were fine but far from what I expected given the source material. Michael Shannon's performance was terrific but the two leads weren't so great, I didn't think.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 7:29 AM on February 16

I'll see your The Beach and raise you Sunshine. That movie is awesome!
posted by P.o.B. at 7:44 AM on February 16