It’s Jamal versus Benjamin!

Mumbai slum kids are pitted against Brad Pitt at the Oscar race

This week’s nominations for the 81st annual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards, popularly known as Oscars, brought a staggering 13 nominations for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, while “Slumdog Millionaire” got 10, with both films shortlisted for best director, best picture and best adapted screenplay. The nominations manifest a momentous achievement for the two films that faced great odds – while “Benjamin Button” took almost two decades to complete, “Slumdog Millionaire” was all but dumped by its original American distributor. “Benjamin Button”, for which Brad Pitt got a nod as the best actor for playing a man who was born old and dies as a child, loosely based on a 1920s short story by F Scott Fitzgerald, remained just one nomination short of “All About Eve” (1950) and “Titanic” (1997), who jointly share the record of 14 nominations. On the other hand, “Slumdog Millionaire”, the tale of a teenage slum dweller’s implausible triumph at India's version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, got 10 nominations, including three for AR Rahman. Other nominations in this category include holocaust drama “The Reader”, the presidential contest tale “Frost/Nixon” and “Milk”, the memoir of revolutionary gay policy-maker Harvey Milk. Talking to TSI, noted film critique Peter Travers said, "Slumdog Millionaire" has hit a chord with people. I am yet to meet someone who says he did not like the movie. The only thing that might go against it is that none of its casts have been nominated.”

On the best actor front, nominations were on the expected lines. However, Brad Pitt is on for a tight race with veteran Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke, nominated for their respective portrayals of a gay-rights activist in “Milk” and an ageing professional fighter in “The Wrestler”. The best female actor nominations bring nod for Kate Winslet. However, she got it for “ The Reader” and not for “Revolutionary Road” that saw a remarkable performance by her. It again signified the Academy’s age-old fixation with holocaust related dramas. Eyebrows were raised in the past when Adrien Brody (The Pianist) was chosen over Daniel Day Lewis’ splendid acting in “Gangs of New York”.

Actor Heath Ledger was posthumously nominated for his supporting role as the villainous Joker in “The Dark Knight”, which bagged eight nominations. If he wins, he will be the only actor (apart from Peter Finch, honoured posthumously for 1976's hit “Network”) to be conferred with the Oscar posthumously. The winner will be announced on February 22 at the Oscar ceremony at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.....Continue