http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=6964#more-6964
At the Oscars, it will take in a cake walk: Picture, Director, Screenplay,
Score.
It should also take: Score, Editing (although we haven’t heard from the ACE).
It may take, if it’s a sweep: Sound, Sound Editing and Song.
That would give it nine Oscar wins. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise me
Can’t Stop This TrainAuthor: Sasha Stone
8 Feb
AP Photo
The excitement in the air was palpable as every time anyone mentioned anything
to do with Slumdog Millionaire, cheers and applause erupted from the hall.
This was a time for celebration and everyone seemed happy at the BAFTAs, even
the losers, locked into the loser-cam for their painful ten seconds of fake
smiling. The star of the night was Mickey Rourke, who has a kind of magnetic
giantness about him, like he’s physically too big for the room. He seemed
almost like a live action figure stepping into the land of the animated. And
he was funny. Accidentally but unmistakenly funny. He brought the house down,
very nearly upstaging the special guest of the night, Mick Jagger.
AP Photo
The big question now will be how close with the Oscars match the BAFTAs. In
the past few years the actors have matched up well. But who’s to say in the
time between then and next week that feelings might have changed. Will the
sound, cinematography and score all go Slumdog’s way?
Original Screenplay is a best guess at best at this point; there is no telling
which way that one will go. The BAFTAs say In Bruges, the WGA says Milk. But
there is Wall-E and Frozen River and even Happy-Go-Lucky waiting. It is more
wide open than any other category, and especially so since it’s usually easy to
predict it.
AP Photo
Penelope Cruz seems to have taken the lead in the supporting actress race but
that one is also anyone’s game, since Kate Winslet cast such a strong shadow in
the thick of the race, taking things over from the frontrunner Cruz. Now, Cruz
has bobbed back up to the surface, aided by a newly invigorated Harvey
Weinstein, who stood very plainly on camera as Penelope won. Kate Winslet gave
her a hug on the way up. Weinstein was having a good night.
The big question of this race isn’t whether Slumdog will win but how much will
it win. With the loveable and absurdly talented Danny Boyle there, sincere and
humble, with his son standing up and cheering in the middle of his speech, “I
love you, dad!” You want to just wrap yourself up in a pile of mewling kittens
it’s so goddamned cute, all of it. So yeah, no stories of poverty porn or
unpaid child actors are going to derail this one. This train is on the fast
track and most people aren’t going to complain. Slumdog took a total of 7
BAFTA awards.
At the Oscars, it will take in a cake walk: Picture, Director, Screenplay,
Score.
It should also take: Score, Editing (although we haven’t heard from the ACE).
It may take, if it’s a sweep: Sound, Sound Editing and Song.
That would give it nine Oscar wins. At this point, it wouldn’t surprise me.
The BAFTAs didn’t particularly want to spread the wealth that much, the actors
went ass over elbow, it’s all over but the shouting. Slumdog should take at
least seven Oscars. At least.
But it’s hard to not think about Rourke, who made everyone laugh with almost
every line of his speech. It was perfect for the occasion, it might have
perked up some bored awards watchers, and it gives Oscar voters something to
look forward to. On the other hand, there is Sean Penn in one of his best
performances. It’s a tough call that one.. If speeches matter, if the BAFTA
matters, Rourke has it in the bag.
If Rourke wins, and Slumdog and Kate Winslet - it will be a season of happy
endings. Rourke back from the brink, Kate Winslet finally winning and Slumdog
Millionaire and its scrappy, deserving crew - collecting award after award in
an unprecedented march to the finish
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