How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
Ah, Oscar season — when every moviegoer becomes a Tisch film student. From the time of nominations to the actual ceremony, constantly using words like "brilliant" and "miraculous," the aftermath of the Academy Awards usually divides people into two opposing camps. I don't consider myself among the passionate fans, because any organization that waits until 2006 to give Martin Scorcese an Oscar cannot consider itself a voice on art. However, I do find myself enchanted by the anxiety and majesty of the ceremony. Although the Academy tends to revolve around one major blockbuster ("Slumdog Millionaire," "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King", "The Departed", etc.), this year's events could prove to be one of the most epic Oscar battle royales in history.
By now, almost every person on Earth can identify a Na'vi from "Avatar" in a split second, the masterpiece considered to win at this year's Oscars. The film's "Titanic" effect, or the withdrawal of Hollywood from its James Cameron addiction, are blatant and generally accepted by most viewers. The brilliant use of technology to construct Cameron's literally breathtaking 3-D world will most likely be admired for generations to come. The technical assets and legacy of the movie easily give "Avatar" the audio, visual and cinematographic awards without a second thought. However, the dialogue of the movie undermines its sensual appeal.
The film's plot — white man is an outcast, joins natives, learns a new culture, falls in love, then defends natives against the white invaders — is really original, Cameron. I can't recount the number of times throughout the movie I said, "I called that," simply because I watched the trailer on IMDB a year ago. How do you say "Not Best Picture material" in Na'vi language?
The second juggernaut on Sunday will be "Inglourious Basterds." Although Quentin Tarantino and the rest of Hollywood don't exactly get along, his reinvention of Nazi Germany was simultaneously badass and barbaric. Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz both give beautiful performances and the editing and screenplay behind the film are equally remarkable. Unlike "Avatar," the Tarantino twist, similar to his "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs," added a sense of anxiety and awesomeness to the adventures of the Jewish soldiers who kick ass and take names the entire movie. Also, Eli Roth shoots Hitler to pieces. What's not to love about that? For these reasons, "Inglourious Basterds" should be a main contender for Best Picture, as well as Tarantino for the direction.
If "Inglorious Basterds" is to win Best Picture, it will have to go head to head with Kathryn Bigelow's glorious melodrama, "The Hurt Locker." Even though the movie is not supposed to be political, it would be hard to ignore the message behind awarding the Best Picture award to a film that displays the horrifying experience of the Iraqi conflict. "The Hurt Locker" is our generation's "Apocalypse Now." A Best Picture/Directing award would solidify that.
With so many strong contenders, it's hard to say what will happen on Sunday evening. The unusual amount of mystery adds to the excitement of the season and the Oscars ceremony. For better or worse, we certainly have some surprises coming this Sunday and, no, I am not talking about Sandra Bullock's performance in "The Blind Side."
