In a nutshell: Oscar song nominees
A breakdown of the tunesmith contenders
"DOWN TO EARTH""Wall-E" Music: Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman Lyrics:
Peter Gabriel Oscar pedigree: Eight prior noms for Newman, first for Gabriel
Awards to date: World Soundtrack Award; Golden Globe, Broadcast Film Critics
and Grammy nomsPlacement: End credits Challenge:
"The whole issue of the end credits was, we're back on Earth and it's
still pretty bleak. Now what? Pixar decided to do a whole montage on
how mankind restores itself," says Newman. Resonance: "In a way, (the song is)
kind of a rallying cry. (The result was) joyfully surprising."Advantage: Fun,
relevant song from Pixar film; animated-movie songs often win; could benefit
from split "Slumdog" vote. Handicap: "Slumdog" juggernaut could wipe out its
chances.
"JAI HO""Slumdog Millionaire" Music: A.R. Rahman Lyrics: Gulzar Oscar pedigree:
First nom for both Awards to date: Broadcast Film Critics nomPlacement:
Bollywood-style musical finale in Mumbai train station Challenge: "Danny shot
the song with another temp track. I could see all the moves and I figured out a
way to sync it," says Rahman.Resonance:
"'Jai Ho' is like a blessing: 'Be victorious.' We felt that it would be
the right thing, the right energy. He ended the film, and this was like
an encore." Advantage: Upbeat, infectious finale is like frosting on the cake
of a feel-good movie. Handicap: Voters may not remember which "Slumdog" number
is which, possibly splitting vote.
"O ... SAYA""Slumdog Millionaire"Music and lyrics: A.R. Rahman and Maya
Arulpragasam Oscar pedigree: First nom for both Awards to date: None Placement:
Children playing on airport tarmac and subsequent police chase.Challenge:
"We wanted to tell people that this is a film which is completely
different from all other Indian films. We want to take you for a ride,
in a positive way," says Rahman. Resonance: "I heard
M.I.A. three years ago; her energy was a surprise to me. So when Danny
suggested M.I.A., I was very excited. I thought this was probably the
right film to do." Advantage: M.I.A. lyric and vocal make this the most
contemporary sounding of the three songs, possibly appealing to younger voters.
Handicap: See "Jai Ho"
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117999864.html?categoryid=3275&cs=1
