"Awards, do we need one?, I believe so"

Awards at this juncture of time wherein I have pretty much watched all the movies nominated (and the once which deserved and got snubbed and the blatantly ineligible kinds), I have dilemma on having such an award in first place. Most of the art lovers do their work on the basis of one and only thing sub consciously or consciously which is their self satisfaction and conviction. Some while work for the future, want to make a living out of it and beat them up to achieve the fame and fortune will at certain point know that it is a mirage for the happiness but a great motivator. But on the other side, I eagerly expect the awards too. Mainly for the celebration of the films and the chance to see the real stars and appreciate and applaud as a distant fan and movie lover to their contribution to the art in many different ways. The most recognized and popularized one has the Academy Awards while there are numerous others too but Oscar is the best night for the stars and the fans.

While the usual way is the guessing who will win but I want to do something else. I am going to write a little bit what I feel about the nominations and as it go the winners as well. But mainly it will also accommodate the people who got snubbed too. Even before that the mentioning of the movie “Into the Wild” will be pretty high since it is my best movie of the year and hence bear with the repetition of it.

“Atonement” is a very well made film and I purely enjoyed the ending of its tragic lost souls and the characteristic of story telling which with perfection got transferred from the book (I have not read it though but get the essence of how it would be) to the screen. It did not stand out for me as many other good movies did. “Juno” and “No Country for Old Men” has been universally endorsed as the best films by many but my heart weeps for “Into the Wild”. This is one movie which achieved many levels not alone in grasping the character of the lone wolf Christopher McCandless but the art of capturing by Sean Penn is mystifying, emotional, comical and enthralling life experience. “Michael Clayton” is a better movie than “Juno” and “..Old Men” which had a terrific screenplay and masterful story telling with three character studies performed to match the material. “There will be Blood” comes as my second best movie of the year with P.T. Anderson scoring once again by his style and pure artistic zeal he has over the films. With Daniel Day-Lewis is proclaimed unofficially as the winner for the Award, it is Anderson’s vision in to this piece of a story telling which he has exercised in every movie of his will give me happiness if it gets its reward. “Magnolia” missed the opportunity and this would be a good deserved recognition for him.

Apart from “Into the Wild”, the other movies which missed its part to be on lime light are the “Rescue Dawn”, “Away from Her” and yes “Hot Fuzz”. I do not know when there will be a great common perception towards making a comedy and drama is going to be no different. Why cannot we celebrate comedy? Is a serious and tragic tone for a film is an unwritten rule to appeal for artistic glory? In this tale of spoofs, it did a tribute to the genre which entertain tons of general audience who have been seasoned to view the ridiculous action blockbuster see something a style working in multiple dimension perfectly. And with sincere acting from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, this is one of many films over the past 80 years would have missed the awards miserably.

“Zodiac” is one another forgotten master piece which solely got completely eliminated from the race due to its time of its release. So now it is unwritten rule number two that release at the end of the year so that people would not forget it.

I should not blindly blame the Academy because they have the onus task of selecting and sadly marking one as winner since everything this year is well talented, executed and achieved films. It would be great if they could at least have a segment of the good films which came this year and that would make many people to go and view those. Award movies are another marketing tool to increase the DVD sale and rentals. But in the business of money making many forget the true nature of this craft and ingenuity of these people.

With this let me get into the nominations and my picks!

Best Picture of the Year
- Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, There will be Blood

Ashok’s Award – “Into the Wild”. When you see some one so idealistic and yet tragic, reckless human all put together in a wonderful pieces in a pitch perfect supporting cast and beautiful artsy film, it is absolutely fantastic. My heart will weep for this film which will not reach as much as other nominees.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
- George Clooney for “Michael Clayton”
- Daniel Day-Lewis for “There will be Blood”
- Johnny Depp for “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
- Tommy Lee Jones for “In the Valley of Elah”
- Viggo Mortensen for “Eastern Promises”

Ashok’s Award – I would give two awards - Emile Hirsch for “Into the Wild” but trust me, Daniel Day-Lewis is hands down the best for this category. Period.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
- Cate Blanchett for “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
- Julie Christie for “Away from Her”
- Marion Cotillard for “La Vie En Rose”
- Laura Linney for “The Savages”
- Ellen Page for “Juno”

Ashok’s Award – Julie Christie for “Away from Her”. In her brilliance portrayal of an Alzheimer affected person, Christie gives some one who is losing herself and unknowingly hurting her husband who is deep pain and craves for attention from her. And what the heck is Cate Blanchett’s name for “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” doing out in this nominee list?

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
- Casey Affleck for “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”
- Javier Bardem for “No Country for Old Men”
- Philip Seymour Hoffman for “Charlie Wilson's War”
- Hal Holbrook for “Into the Wild”
- Tom Wilkinson for “Michael Clayton”

Ashok’s Award - Hal Holbrook for “Into the Wild”. If tears does not cups up in your eyes when Holbrook tries to convince Chris McCandless played by Emile Hirsch to stay, then you got to talk to some one about your attitude towards fellow human beings. Alright, I kind of went too much with that but this is one category which is quite tough to pick one as with for any other. Affleck was annoyingly brilliant in “….Coward Robert Ford”, stone cold representation of evil by Javier, cleverly and acerbic open CIA executive by Hoffman and the guilt filled character played by Wilkinson deserve the award. I would have loved to have Gordon Pinsent been nominated for “Away from Her”.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
- Cate Blanchett for “I’m Not There”
- Ruby Dee for “American Gangster”
- Saoirse Ronan for “Atonement”
- Amy Ryan for “Gone Baby Gone”
- Tilda Swinton for “Michael Clayton”

Ashok’s Award – I have not seen “I’m Not There”, so please forgive me for eliminating Blanchett. I would go for Tilda Swinton even though Amy Ryan through her character did a wonderful job of pissing off many people in “Gone Baby Gone”.

Directing, I would go for P.T. Anderson while screenplay written directly for screen it is definitely for “Michael Clayton”. Writing from previously produced or published, I would go for “Away from Her”.

Alright, I have not addressed all the awards and categories, but I do need to thank Oscar Awards for setting all the movie lovers to take a stand to choose something single which is cruel and also gives something to write. The awards have begun and let me relish the evening.

P.S: I need to come back and edit the content, as I am impatient right now to check out. Ok, do not laugh, I do read once or twice.