Best Picture: Wall-E or Slumdog Millionaire?
posted February 23rd, 2009 @ 16:15 — 14 comments
John Gruber rightfully says that most winners don’t deserve the award and that the “egregious mistakes are clear when viewed through the prism of time.” He says Wall-E deserved to get the Oscar for the best picture this year. Sure, Wall-E was a great movie, but Slumdog was actually a better movie because it bottled something so desperately needed in 2008-2009 time frame.
The credit crisis and the economic meltdown is having a profound impact on people.In a world where our leaders, sports players, industry leaders and icons proved to be false gods with clay feet, Slumdog gave hope and optimism in face of immense odds. John, I think this time the academy got it right. That said, Wall-E Blue Ray has already been ordered, so you know who I am voting for with my dollars.
14 Reactions so far
— Comments RSS FeedLeave your comment
You can login with your Twitter and Facebook account to post a comment.
Or you can simply fill in the form below
I firmly believe that Wall-E deserved the best picture. Not only did appeal to young and old audiences alike, it presented a disturbing message to the world. The shocking realization of where our good Earth is headed to opened my eyes to the plausible future of our civilization. Disney/Pixar gave the world a taste of what could come while also providing an incredibly entertaining story. It binds easy to love characters and an epic tale of the underdog into a masterpiece of emotion and grandeur. I believe that the Best Picture award should go to a work that encompasses the whole age spectrum while still invoking great emotions.
RE – what’s better Wall-e or Sumdog – Wall – e was a little slow (super creative, however, etc.) to get started and the no speaking took getting used to – Slumdog for sure.
Slumdog was a fine movie, lots of fun. But it won’t be the movie we talk about 20 years from now. That will be Wall-E. The first 30 minutes of Wall-E are truly great — unmatched, really, by other films recently (first 10 minutes of “There Will Be Blood” comes close).
It’s funny, while I enjoyed Slumdog, it didn’t even make my top 3 for the year. I thought it was a bit of a creampuff, really. Tasty going down, hard to remember it afterwards.
The kids were compelling, as were their stories, but it was wrapped up a bit too neatly in the end for my tastes. I think we’ll look back on it like we look back on “Crash” now — “That won the Oscar?!” — but perhaps more fondly.
Most under-rated movie for 2008 — “Burn After Reading.” Totally hilarious, I predict it will become a Coen brothers cult fave in years to come.
None. Wall-E is too much in to future to which it is difficult to relate. Then Slumdog is something that is virtually nothing to relate about, except that I have seen movie and the faces in that movie are familiar bollywood faces. Rest I still can not understand what in this world was Danny Boyle thinking when he gave that sum to those kids and then they rent a hotel or something to live in. Now given that it is all fictitious and stuff, HOW can one get an apartment like that? WHO will rent it? If a hotel what is Indian hotel industry based on? Renting to kids with awe full dresses and tons of cash? The English language thrown by the kids all around (I am discounting the heavy British Accent at times). What was that call center depicting? I mean there are way too many things that just don’t go down the throat. Simply because this can not be a reality or is way too much of crap to be accepted as fiction. I also fail to understand what in this movie gave you a feel that it is even closer to a ray of hope in this crises! I mean for god’s sake, if this were to happen in every game show that gives away money then we would be running game shows alone and nothing else. This is a struggle of a guy to find his love and alone that, but how does that give a ray of hope to anyone? I just can’t understand may be you could explain a bit more fully.
My vote – wall E.
Originality – 8/10
Execution 10/10
entertaining – 8/10
I started watching wall-e a while back, but then got bored after 10 mins, however, i was promised that the movie picks up after that, and true enough, i sat and watched it again, and was BLOWN!
The way the character is built, for both the robots is very interesting.
SDM -
Music- 7/10 – enjoyed the music. thats all.
then again – these are my opinions and views!
Oh come on OM. You know slumdog was a better picture. Dvorak.org/blog
WALL-E deserved Best Picture. If the award truly went to Slumdog just because a movie about poverty occurred during an economic downturn then that’s EVEN WORSE because it wasn’t a true win for quality. Slumdog was a great movie, WALL-E was a timeless classic that will be remembered long after everyone’s forgotten who Dev Patel is. We should not reward issues or economy, we should reward filmmaking, which WALL-E was, pure cinema.
Can I say neither?
The credit crisis will be forgotten in 100 years. Global warming, sadly, not so much.
Frankly, I thought Milk was the best picture of the year. It had the best writing and acting as well as brilliant direction. Also, I think that in the long run it will hold up better than Wall-E or Slumdog.
I don’t think Slumdog will go down as an all time bad choice though. It isn’t in the same league as Crash or Titanic.
Looking back over previous Best Picture winners…. if a movie ostensibly celebrating Native American heritage — but that makes a white guy the hero (Dances with Wolves) deserved Best Picture, and if the story of a 16 year-old girl losing her virginity in the back seat of a car (Titanic) deserved Best Picture, then I have no problem with Slumdog getting it.
Wall.E wins hands down for me over Slumdog Millionaire. I am yet unable to understand the hype around SDM.
I also feel that AR Rahman has made much better music in the past. Though I appreciate the recognition that he has got as an individual.
My Vote is clearly for Wall.E
I would also go for Milk above either. I loved Wall-E, found myself in equal parts bored and entertained by Slumdog.
Here is the formula for making a hit popular movie:
Take something people feel really bad about (Poverty or fascism will do)
Nod plenty to how bad it is.
Focus on one character with shining moral values amongst this that the audience will relate to.
Show how that person eventually will be rewarded and receive this honour selflessly.
Tacitly imply that there is justice after all.
Let people leave the cinema feeling good about themselves.
Be sure not to make people think too hard about the actual realities of chosen atrocity.
It worked well for “The Lives of Others” and now also for “Slumdog”…
All I need to do is think of an atrocity of my own to make a movie about and I can be rich too..
ps. i meant to say – Here is the formula for making a hit popular movie “with Art Cred”