Oscar awards, 2013, as Arbitrary as they can be...??

Saw Lincoln, one more time yesterday and was in raptures. Hope to see the film again and again. 

Was very confident that Lincoln would win the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screen Play, Best Picture and Best Director.

Needless to say quite disappointed, especially very 

upset about Tony Kushner not winning the the Best Adapted Screenplay for Liincoln. Not recognizing Kushner's work is unpalatable.

As far as Steve is concerned, I only hope he is immortal and  can direct for as long as he can. That would be our greatest blessing. 

Having Michelle Obama come and address for the best picture, for hardcore Lincoln fans like me, was a sad and bad joke!!!!!

After the disappointment, just checked with Wikipedia about the measures taken  by the Academy to maintain standards and fairness....(For your consumption.......But do the measure really reflect the fairness in results, the history is replete with unfair results???.)

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), a professional honorary organization, maintains a voting membership of 5,783 as of 2012.[22]

Academy membership is divided into different branches, with each representing a different discipline in film production. Actors constitute the largest voting bloc, numbering 1,311 members (22 percent) of the Academy's composition. Votes have been certified by the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (and its predecessor Price Waterhouse) for the past 73 annual awards ceremonies.[23]

All AMPAS members must be invited to join by the Board of Governors, on behalf of Academy Branch Executive Committees. Membership eligibility may be achieved by a competitive nomination or a member may submit a name based on other significant contribution to the field of motion pictures.

New membership proposals are considered annually. The Academy does not publicly disclose its membership, although as recently as 2007 press releases have announced the names of those who have been invited to join. The 2007 release also stated that it has just under 6,000 voting members. While the membership had been growing, stricter policies have kept its size steady since then.[24]

In May 2011, the Academy sent a letter advising its 6,000 or so voting members that an online system for Oscar voting will be implemented in 2013.[25]

Ammerin Aadhi Bhagawan

Why this Kolaveri, Kolaveri Di?

Lemmings are arctic rodents, which decide to jump of a cliff in hordes and decide to end their lives. This is a random inexplicable phenomenon.

After the extraordinary Paruthiveeran, it is extremely sad to see some real hard work(both by the actors and technicians) wasted and drowned by a torrent of violence and an unimaginative screenplay.

Aamir's effort reminds you of the Lemming.

It may be  a good idea that many of our directors who spew violence with such venom, may benefit with a visit to a Psychiatrist.

Lincoln

What happens when the world's greatest director and the world's greatest actor come together?

Results in a movie that is extraordinarily evocative and sublime.

What hits you hard is not what  you see on the screen but what really went behind the screens.

The clarity of Spielberg is stunning. 

The biopic does not focus on Abe's life but a slice of his life.

The drama behind passing the 13th Amendment in the US constitution which will abolish slavery.

We therefore get to see the empathy and the emotional intelligence as a human being, the deep convictions, the Machiavellian instincts of a politician, the shrewdness of a practising lawyer, the vision and responsibility of a leader, the strategic intent,  the awareness of the powers available at his disposal and the urgency to get through with the amendment.

Daniel Day Lewis(DDL) Converts Speilberg's vision into reality. DDL, must have literally starved his way into the role. With sunken eyes and  no fat around the cheeks, with a drooping shoulder, a calm voice that resonates from deep below, DDL recreates Lincoln with authenticity that blanks out any images of the angry characters in either Left Foot or There Will be Blood. Yes there is the occasional regrettable slap or the pounding of the table exerting himself as the President, but, DDL breezes through a historic personality emoting a innumerable emotions with extraordinary ease. 

Most importantly this is a must watch for every student and professional. This is an object lesson in communication. Whether it is the vocabulary, diction, effective usage of words, putting forward a point of view, debate or disagreement.

To understand this movie completely, multiple viewings are recommended.

This movie is strictly for the serious and discerning movie goer!! This is not for time pass movie goers..

Special 26

Blame it on the Genre, Special 26 just misses the special grade as you probably can guess the ending.

However credit to Neeraj Pandey, for making this unpretentious, taut and fun filled narrative.

It was a joy to see the ensemble cast of Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpayee, Akshay Kumar and Jimmy shergill breezing through their roles.

Kadal - Mani Rathnam's Film

Made with Care and served with taste

With the kind of bashing kadal has received at the press, went to see Kadal with very low expectations.

However to the credit of the film maker, this story of love and forgiveness has been shot with thought and beauty. You can feel a strong literary undercurrent. The principal characters have been etched with clarity. While enough care has been taken to set up the drama, it is in the resolution of conflict is where the director could have faltered(Screenplay?)

With a large ugly nose, Asymmetrical little eyes, a very uncommon face, Gautham could even look ugly, but when he smiles, his innocent face lights up with radiance and beauty. Thanks to Mani, Gautham is a sensational find and literally explodes on the screen. Whether it is guilt, remorse, hatred, fear or just amazement, he kind of breezes through like a master. Watching Gautham assist in the delivery of child with myriad emotions running through his face was a delight.

Gautham is ably supported by Arjun and Arvind Swamy.

The other 'Wows' for the movie are stolen away by the entire technical crew and our dear Rahman.

Wait for 'Anbin Vasale' as the credit scrolls down and savour the beautiful procession!!!!