‘Slumdog Millionaire’: A Leftist View of a Globalized World

Well after its phenomenal success of eight Oscars, four Golden Globes, seven BAFTA’s, and $350 million at the boxoffice, “Slumdog Millionaire” has managed to stay alive. As much an amazing longshot victor as its hero, an urchin from the Mumbai slums cum tea server at a phone call center who wins a fortune in an Indian version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?,” “Slumdog” has kept making news in ways deeply rooted in its own depiction of the world.

Recently the film’s British director Danny Boyle, serving as jury president of the 12th Shanghai Film Festival, confided during a panel discussion that on “Slumdog” he had shed the patronizing, “imperialist” mentality, relying heavily on a local Indian crew. Boyle also observed that while it was “regrettable” that Beijing imposed censorship restrictions on its filmmakers, he’d nonetheless love to work in China, as it would be a “challenge learning Mandarin.” Boyle neglected to mention that on “Slumdog” he’d skipped the challenge of learning Hindi, necessitating an Indian co-director, and also skipped the patronizing practice of paying Western wages, and the low pay for local child actors would fuel most of the subsequent controversies. (more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", Amitabh Bachchan, BAFTAs, Bandra, Bollywood
Posted Jul 27th 2009 at 6:52 am in Culture, Politics, Religion, Reviews | 19112630 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/eazlant/2009/07/27/slumdog-millionaire-and-topdog-fantasies/%E2%80%98Slumdog+Millionaire%E2%80%99%3A+A+Leftist+View+of+a+Globalized+World+2009-07-27+13%3A52%3A03Edward+Azlant

And the Oscar for Best Non-Sexual Nudity goes to…

The film industry in Hollywood is the most rewarded vocational field in the world. Having been a part of the “Big Hollywood” launch team, I followed roughly forty-eight award shows this year. Generally, I would characterize them as slightly self-aggrandizing. By the way, I’m not confused; awards are nice (consult my bio), but why are there so many award shows? The people who win awards are rarely underappreciated.  Take Kate Winslet for example, one of Hollywood’s most overrated actresses.  I always feel I’m watching her act. Peter Mayhew was more organic as Chewbacca than Winslet as a suburban housewife in the off-putting “Revolutionary Road.” But Hollywood seemingly invents awards to celebrate Winslet and her ubiquitous bare breasts.

What irritates most is that while the shows may differ, the awards are roughly the same.  In sports, there’s only one MVP, one Rookie of the Year.  Yet every year, we are bombarded with the Oscars, the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, and the BAFTAs.  Not to mention all those snooty little film festivals in upscale ski towns. (more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: ashton kutcher, award shows, BAFTAs, Beyonce, big hollywood
Posted Mar 3rd 2009 at 3:17 pm in Entertainment | 7174690 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/amarlow/2009/03/03/and-the-oscar-for-best-non-sexual-nudity-goes-to/And+the+Oscar+for+Best+Non-Sexual+Nudity+goes+to...2009-03-03+23%3A17%3A44Alexander+Marlow

Overlooked: The Top 10 Best Performances of 2008 that you may not have heard about!

The Academy Awards for 2008 have been handed out, and the “popular kids” have Oscars on their mantles, but the dirty little secret about winning awards is that you’ve gotta campaign for them. Thousands of dollars were spent by the distributors and filmmakers behind Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight), Milk (Focus Features), The Reader (Weinstein) and other assorted winners and nominees, but not all performances received that sort of big money backing.

I am an unabashed lover of the acting craft. I see virtually every movie, large and small, that passes through the US marketplace, and, taking nothing away from Sean Penn, Kate Winslet, Penelope Cruz and Heath Ledger, not all of 2008’s best performances have been recognized. I’m not going to be obvious here. Clint Eastwood was snubbed for Gran Torino, but he received lots of acclaim for the role including being named Best Actor by the National Board of Review. My goal is to highlight 10 performances from last year that have received virtually no acclaim in the US. Many of these roles can be found in hardly-seen, under-appreciated movies that came and went without much notice. Each and every one of these movies deserve a spot in your Netflix (or Blockbuster) cue. (more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: "Traitor", 2008, academy awards, acting, alan rickman
Posted Mar 1st 2009 at 2:10 pm in Celebrity News, Entertainment, Featured Story | 7013043 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/smason/2009/03/01/performances/Overlooked%3A+The+Top+10+Best+Performances+of+2008+that+you+may+not+have+heard+about%212009-03-01+22%3A10%3A58Steve+Mason

Oscar odds: SLUMDOG, Rourke, Winslet, Cruz are favorites, but Penn, Streep and Tomei are live underdogs!

On Sunday, the Academy Awards will be handed out at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and there are some clear favorites. Slumdog Millionaire, the feel-good Danny Boyle Mumbai opus made for just $14M, is a heavy favorite to win Best Picture. It’s hard to imagine Slumdog missing out on Hollywood’s biggest prize, having won the Golden Globe, the BAFTA Award and just about everything in between.

But, in the world of gambling, you always want to look for value. What are the films and performances with longer odds that would be worth a wager on Sunday? My purpose here is to establish a betting line for each of the six major categories, and then find the value bet in each category.

(more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: academy awards, alexandre desplat, Amy Adams, amy ryan, angelina jolie
Posted Feb 15th 2009 at 6:29 pm in Entertainment, Featured Story, Steve Mason's Box Office | 5191848 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/smason/2009/02/15/oscar-odds/Oscar+odds%3A+SLUMDOG%2C+Rourke%2C+Winslet%2C+Cruz+are+favorites%2C+but+Penn%2C+Streep+and+Tomei+are+live+underdogs%212009-02-16+02%3A29%3A27Steve+Mason

Is He Really That Crazy? Why Would Mickey Rourke Defend George W. Bush?

After years of suffering the downside of a career in an industry that is famously vicious and unforgiving, Mickey Rourke is now back near the top. Last night he won the Golden Globe for “best actor in a drama” in “The Wrestler.” (Guess that means I gotta go see it.)

But would the Euro-waiters, otherwise known as The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who vote for Oscar’s overinflated pre-cursor take back their votes knowing that Rourke is guilty of filmdom’s ultimate sin: Defending the President of the United States, George W. Bush?

And will Hollywood’s partisans pull back their forthcoming Oscar votes for not toeing the “Bush is Evil” line?

(more…)

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: george w. bush, Golden Globes, jamie kirchick, Mickey Rourke, oscars
Posted Jan 12th 2009 at 9:29 am in Celebrity News, Entertainment, Featured Story, News, Politics | 16137181 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/abreitbart/2009/01/12/is-he-really-that-crazy-why-would-mickey-rourke-defend-bush/Is+He+Really+That+Crazy%3F+Why+Would+Mickey+Rourke+Defend+George+W.+Bush%3F2009-01-12+17%3A29%3A38Andrew+Breitbart

Your Not-So-Ultimate Golden Globes Wrap-up

Some quick thoughts on the snoozefest known as the Golden Globes:

The big question, of course, is always how the Globes will affect the Oscar voters. My guess – somewhere ranging from “not at all,” to “completely and utterly.” And I’m kind of an expert on these things, so you can quote me on that.

There was pretty much no political posturing, except for Laura Dern, who bless her heart just couldn’t help herself. Dern of course won Best Supporting Actress for the HBO film Republicans Bad, Democrats Good. Or some such.

Kate Winslet winning two acting awards is pretty damn impressive, if you’re the kind of person who finds that sort of thing impressive. If you’re not, you probably weren’t impressed at all.

Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle looks an awful lot like Bradley Whitford as Danny Tripp in Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip. (Other than the five of you who actually watched Studio 60, you’ll have to google to see just how dead on I am here.) (Sorry, the four of you. I’m actually the fifth.)

After American Beauty and Revolutionary Road, I think it’s fair to ask: what the hell did the suburbs ever do to Sam Mendes?

Shouldn’t Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull disqualify Steven Spielberg from receiving any lifetime achievement awards for awhile?

Ricky Gervais should be hosting every awards show Hollywood produces.

How much hell to pay will there be for The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky flipping off Mickey Rourke? And I guess we’re now saying “balls” on network prime time television!

It was nice to see Mickey Rourke win Best Actor. Which I guess was the whole point of giving him the award.

Colin Farrell was a jittery winner. Question of the day: nerves, or meth?

Farrell also said – with all the fake modesty he could muster – that the votes must have been counted in Florida. Nothing like an eight-year-old callback!

And lastly: For this I missed 24?

Email this to a friend | Print | Share on Facebook | Tweet this |

Tags: academy awards, Balls, Golden Globes, oscars
Posted Jan 11th 2009 at 8:43 pm in Celebrity News, Entertainment | 1586173 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/alevy/2009/01/11/your-not-so-ultimate-golden-globes-wrap-up/Your+Not-So-Ultimate+Golden+Globes+Wrap-up2009-01-12+04%3A43%3A28Andy+Levy