Since we each have our own criteria for evaluating movies, it is no surprise to have differing opinions -- even regarding a movie as creative and vibrant as "Slumdog Millionaire".
That being the case, "Slumdog" may not win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Even so, the movie already has made a remarkably positive impact on its viewers, and I'm in the group that believes "Slumdog" deserves, on the merits, to be selected as the Best Picture of 2008.
Wall Street Journal critic Joe Morgenstern has described "Slumdog Millionaire" as "the film world's first globalized masterpiece." I had the same impression watching the movie -- that it is the first real international movie that can be understood and appreciated by virtually anyone, yet is sophisticated enough to please most of the snobs and has the integrity to muffle most of the cynics.
The national Alliance of Women Film Journalists gave "Slumdog" their 2008 awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Most Unforgettable Moment, and the Cultural Crossover Award. The Screen Actors Guild recently gave "Slumdog" its award for Best Cast.
Among other groups, so far, giving "Slumdog" their recognitiion as the Best Picture of 2008 are the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, the Boston Society of Film Critics, the British Independent Films Awards, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Detroit Film Critics Society, the Florida Film Critics Circle, the National Board of Review Awards, the New York Film Critics Online Awards, the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, the Phoenix Film Critics Society, the San Diego Film Critics Society, the International Press Academy, the Washington D. C. area Film Critics Association, and the Golden Globe Awards.
On the negative side, there are protests in India regarding the use of the word "dog" in the title of the movie.
It will be interesting to see the outcome of the Best Picture competition when the Academy Awards are presented on February 22.
Hook 'em.
That being the case, "Slumdog" may not win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Even so, the movie already has made a remarkably positive impact on its viewers, and I'm in the group that believes "Slumdog" deserves, on the merits, to be selected as the Best Picture of 2008.
Wall Street Journal critic Joe Morgenstern has described "Slumdog Millionaire" as "the film world's first globalized masterpiece." I had the same impression watching the movie -- that it is the first real international movie that can be understood and appreciated by virtually anyone, yet is sophisticated enough to please most of the snobs and has the integrity to muffle most of the cynics.
The national Alliance of Women Film Journalists gave "Slumdog" their 2008 awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Most Unforgettable Moment, and the Cultural Crossover Award. The Screen Actors Guild recently gave "Slumdog" its award for Best Cast.
Among other groups, so far, giving "Slumdog" their recognitiion as the Best Picture of 2008 are the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, the Boston Society of Film Critics, the British Independent Films Awards, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Detroit Film Critics Society, the Florida Film Critics Circle, the National Board of Review Awards, the New York Film Critics Online Awards, the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle, the Phoenix Film Critics Society, the San Diego Film Critics Society, the International Press Academy, the Washington D. C. area Film Critics Association, and the Golden Globe Awards.
On the negative side, there are protests in India regarding the use of the word "dog" in the title of the movie.
It will be interesting to see the outcome of the Best Picture competition when the Academy Awards are presented on February 22.
Hook 'em.
