And The Oscar Goes To...

This was published in the newspaper The Hans India 

The 92^nd Oscar Awards are all poised to razzle-dazzle with big guns of film fraternity stepping on red carpet and setting it ablaze with haute couture and love-struck eye-candy on their arms. As anticipation builds and the entire film fraternity holds its breath, expectant winners will soon start searching their coat pockets for that much-awaited speech to deliver. Agree or not, this is one occasion that makes actors, actresses, and directors’ sweat profusely and others’ heart beat faster, while pulling the rug under some. But, on the whole, turning everyone misty-eyed as Oscar Awards are announced. Come 9^th February 2020, Oscar Awards will telecast to global crowds, pegging it as the most-watched showbiz event in the world.

The 92^nd Oscar Awards is sure to throw surprises in many ways.  With a great deal of riveting movies lined-up for a spread of awards across different categories, this year’s entries are all top-notch that deserve a watch. Nonetheless, there are apprehensions that some directors are overlooked and few are conveniently ignored for ‘POC’ factor coming into play. So much so that this year’s Oscar Nominations are shrouded in controversies. Commenting on Nominations, one reputed international newspaper puts it as “Very male, very white”.

If we look beyond these happenings, we can marvel at the diversity of movies that took centre-stage. The Best Picture award alone has seen varying movies eyeing for the top slot. ‘Joker’, ‘Ford v Ferrari’, ‘The Irishman’, ‘1917’, ‘Little Women’, ‘Jojo Rabbit’ ‘Marriage Story’, ‘Once upon a time in Hollywood’ are movies that vouch for riveting screenplays and gripping storylines. Each excels in its own sphere of work; as a result, putting a finger on the winner proves to be a lot dicier. The Irishman story zigzags across time spaces, while Ford V Ferrari is so sublimely shot that one feels transported to the 1960s;  topping as the icing is  the pulsating grand finale at ‘Le Mans’, which is surely enough to kick up the adrenaline high. ‘Once upon a time...in Hollywood’ takes you back to hippy era – long hair, floral shirts, bell-bottoms and the likes, all these, with the added quintessential Quentin Tarantino’s directional touch.  What comes as a curve ball in this category is the surprise entry ‘Parasite’.  Directed by Bong Joon Ho, this is the first South Korean film to be nominated for Oscars. Although no actors were picked for Oscars, the movie does script a first in the categories of ‘Best Picture’, ‘Screenplay’, ‘Editing and Production Design’. It created ripples with its Oscar history! Bollywood has been trying to win a slot here, but unfortunately couldn’t make much headway.

Best Actor category

The category has witnessed few Hollywood’s bigwigs clashing, Joaquin Phoenix for ‘Joker’, Leonardo DiCaprio for ‘Once upon a time...in Hollywood’, and Antonio Banderas for ‘Pain and Glory’, while Adam Driver for ‘Marriage Story’ and  Jonathan Pryce  for ‘The Two Popes’ are not stepping down either from putting up a fight. And if anything, to deduce from the number of Oscar nominations received and netizens crying praise for best performances, Joaquin Phoenix will have the last laugh. Hang on! There’s also talk that Leonardo DiCaprio and Antonio Banderas are in that who-will-win-the-Oscar race.  But gloomy clouds loom large over them!

Best Actress category

Its clear five actresses have their eye on the Oscars’ Best Actress Award this year. Cynthia Erivo in ‘Harriet’, Scarlet Johansson in ‘Marriage Story’, Saoirse Ronan in ‘Little Women’, Charlize Theron in ‘Bombshell’, and Renee Zellweger in ‘Judy’, all have put their best foot forward and now have their fingers crossed. Each of these movies’ storyline is different, calling for actresses who would don the role with panache and overwhelm audiences. Based on their acting prowess alone, movie-lovers are craving in their hearts for Cynthia Erivo or Scarlet Johansson to grab the Best Actress award. While Cynthia’s movie ‘Harriet’ is a biopic that underscores the liberation of hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad, Scarlet Johansson’s ‘Marriage Story’ is all about traversing the difficult waters of bicoastal separation and imminent divorce. However, which actress will walk away with the Golden Man in her arms is a question that will probably ring in our heads for some time.  

Oscar Surprises!

 ‘Joker’ did spring a surprise! With it getting 11 nominations, the intensity of competition from this movie in different categories is appealing too. Todd Philips’ story of the clown prince of crime is garnering rave reviews. When premiering at Venice Film Festival, the movie received an eight-minute standing ovation and a Golden Lion award. On different plateau, though the craze for comic book films has been raging across the globe, Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t been able to win much appreciation in the form of Oscars. However, this time ‘Avengers Endgame’ got a nomination in the Best Visual Effects Category striking a bit of solace in the hearts of its makers. Scarlet Johansson bagged two nominations. Best Actress for ‘Marriage Story’ and Best Supporting Actress for ‘Jojo Rabbit’. She is the only 12^th Actor to receive two nominations.  

Oscar Snubs

Like 2015, that tipped the balance in favour of “White”, many journalists and artists opine that this time too there’s a noticeable tilt. #OscarSoWhite2020 is actually trending. Consequently, this year’s Oscar nominations are caught in disagreements as there were a few snubs that didn’t go well with movie-lovers. The Best Director category nominations featured only males, turning a blind eye on women directors who shot some very interesting movies. Greta Gerwig’s directional flick “Little Women” got the nomination for Best Picture, but was snubbed for the Best Director, while Celine Sciamma was ignored for her riveting direction of ‘Hustlers’.

Jennifer Lopez was snubbed for the Best Supporting Actresses Nomination even though she seemed a clear-front runner. Vulnerability fills the hearts of moviegoers as they assumed she might even win an Oscar for her terrific acting skills. She was earlier nominated for BAFTA, Golden Globe, Critic’s choice and many others, but unfortunately, for reasons best known to the Oscar jury, she was given a pass. A case of ‘POC’?! Talking of POC, Eddie Murphy’s triumphant return through comedic acting in the Netflix Biopic “Dolomite is my Name” didn’t win any nominations either.

Whatever the reason for fame or critique, all said and done, Oscar Awards is still as much a heart-throbbing event as it was many years ago. The event consistently rolling on is gathering more glitter. With global connectivity touching new levels, the reach of Oscar tentacles spreads further, it’s not a surprise that we are celebrating the 92^nd Oscar Awards - wonder how many still to go?! Anyways, no complaining!

Click on the link below to access the article on e-paper

https://epaper.thehansindia.com/2535911/SUNDAY-HANS/Sunday-Hans#page/1/1

Make Merry with Movies

This was published in The Hans India, a reputed daily in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

This festive season is all about goodwill, compassion and cheer, which the western world, aptly captures in its rich radiance. Add to this, carols resonating in snowy streets; bearded -Santa ringing the bell by the corner, shops studded with green hollies, golden and silver bobs, and brightly lit Christmas trees. Wow, the works can put the spring in the walk. For those who still haven’t gotten into the Christmas spirit yet, no worries. There are countless movies streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime that instantly catapult you into festive celebrations.

These flicks carry a glowing halo of compassion; love and sharing that elevate the very spirit of Christmas to greater heights. Some plots are so intense the viewer easily sheds a tear or two. Themes are typically romantic sorts, yet, there’s a spirit of kindness and love that pervades the screen and plays on the heart, communicating that little things done right during Christmas time can change the very course of their lives. 

 The flick “Christmas Inheritance” is one shining example of Christmas bliss. At first, you feel the whole story is thrown out of the window when actress Ellen Langford (Eliza Taylor) embarrasses her billionaire father with her inappropriate behaviour. Her father is livid with rage. To make up for him, she takes a tour to Snowfalls to deliver a letter to Uncle Zeke. The journey is a complete turnaround for her. The little place, where she seeks shelter, and Jake Collins (Jake Lacy), the Inn manager, teach her the deep significance of love and sharing during the Christmas. She relishes her stay, though it means working as a waitress. But, will the billionaire heiress agree to dance with the flow or give up the quest?! Snuggle up, get cuddly, and punch the remote button. Off you go to Snowfalls!

Talking of festive spirit, “A Christmas Prince” is a movie that sweeps you off your feet. The plot revolves around prince Richard of Aldovia, who is all but a prince. Prince Richard (Ben Lamb) actually shies away from accepting the royal crown and plans to abrogate. The tabloids run stories of his escapades with the ladies, though none of them are actually true. To uncover his secrets, a young reporter (Amber) stealthily sneaks into the palace as an imposter, but she is in for a total shock. It’s a story that will pull on the heart strings, and throw you around with unexpected twists. The story is intricately laced with charming misgivings, misunderstandings and mismanaging of things!  Cozy up with a mug of hot chocolate and ready up for a sentimental upswing. That’s not all; the movie has sequels that are as much delightful. A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding and A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby. Since the first movie was a raging success, it gave way for two more, making it the Christmas trilogy.

 “A wish for Christmas” is another amusing pick. What starts off as a mere wish to be brave, puts Sara Thomas (Lacey Chabert) on an adventure run along with Peter Williams (Paul Greene), her boss! However, the Christmas wish of “bravery” stands true only for 48 hours. While the time ticks fast, she starts taking bold initiatives. But wait! Where’s the pulling of the heart factor?! Yes! You don’t get hit in the heart until the father and son relationship sneaks into purview. Both are swords drawn. No backing. Will they embrace the Christmas spirit and forgive each other? Will Sara Thomas play a role in one of them waving the white flag of truce?! Steady yourself. We aren’t telling a wee bit on how the movie swings. Grab your remote and head for the TV to discover on your own.

“The Knight Before Christmas”: It’s something like a takeoff on Kate & Leopold, but what makes this intriguing is the Christmas background it is set in. When the old Crone tells Knight of Norwich, Sir Cole (Josh Whitehouse): you shall see things undreamed of – flying steel dragons and horses, magic boxes that make merry, Sir Cole is perplexed. But when time-transported from the medieval age to present-day Ohio, he discovers that dragons are planes; the magic box is the TV. The funny part is when Brooke (Vanessa Hudgens) hits him with her car but she is the one who is struck by his medieval chivalry. Sir Cole too gets zapped at the amazing new-age gadgets. What spices up the movie is his peculiar old English juxtaposed with today’s English - queerly playing on one’s mind on language dialect quotient!

All these flicks have beautiful Christmas carols interspersed within them, putting us in the thick of Christmas revelry.  Songs such as “Deck the Halls with Boughs of Holly”  “Silent Night” “Joy to the World” “Feliz Navidad” “O Come All Ye Faithful” and others light up the Christmas mood straight away. The backgrounds decorated in snowy whites, crimson reds and bottle greens, these movies are where you can pick an idea or two on decorating home. Yeah! These movies could be really enriching.

Although Netflix has a hoard of Christmas-themed movies and series, Prime too has its own collection that takes you to the North on a Polar Express, where the kids would love to jump on it. Then, there’s “It’s a wonderful life” “The most wonderful time of the year” “Prancer” and a whole lot more! The list seems to be growing year on year. That’s because Christmas is all about spreading love, cheer and good will. Well, these movies sure carry the essence of these and light up the hearts with hope! It’s the season of giving. Nothing can warm the heart of a person, who gives lovingly and cheerfully to others! Three cheers to the spirit of Christmas!   

Please click on the link below to access the Hans India e-paper

https://epaper.thehansindia.com/2474804/SUNDAY-HANS/Sunday-Hans#page/1/1