AND OSCAR GOES TO.....

After spending ours and hours in darkness of theater for a full year,everyone looks forward to biggest (you may argue its final choices but beyond doubts its  biggest if not best) award ceremony on planet. Lets have a look at nominations and favorites to clinch ultimate honors.

Best Picture

Nominations     Black Swan,The Fighter,Inception,The Kids Are All Right,Winter's Bone,127 Hours,The King's Speech,The Social Network,Toy Story 3,True Grit

My Pick            The Social Network

Critics' Favorite127 Hours/The King's Speech/The Social Network

Best Direction

Nominations      Darren Aronofsky(Black Swan),David O. Russell(The Fighter),Tom Hooper(The King's Speech),David Fincher(The Social Network),Joel Coen and Ethan Coen(True Grit)

My Pick             Darren Aronofsky(Black Swan)

Critics' FavoriteDavid Ficher(The Social Network)

Best Actor

Nominations      Javier Bardem(Biutiful),Jeff Bridges(True Grit),Jesse Eisenberg(The Social Network),Colin Firth(The King's Speech),James Franco(127 Hours)

My Pick             James Franco(127 Hours)

Critics' FavoriteColin Firth(The King's Speech)

Best Actress

Nominations      Annette Bening(The Kids Are All Right),Nicole Kidman(Rabbit Hole),Jennifer Lawrence(Winter's Bone),Natalie Portman(Black Swan),Michelle Williams(Blue Valentine)

My Pick             Jennifer Lawrence(Winter's Bone),Natalie Portman(Black Swan)-too close to call!

Critics' FavoriteNatalie Portman(Black Swan)

Best Supporting Actor

Nominations      Christian Bale(The Fighter),John Hawkes(Winter's Bone),Jeremy Renner (The Town),Mark Ruffalo(The Kids Are All Right),Geoffrey Rush(The King's Speech)

My Pick             Christian Bale(The Fighter)

Critics' FavoriteGeoffrey Rush(The King's Speech)

Best Supporting Actress

Nominations        Amy Adams(The Fighter),Helena Bonham Carter(The King's Speech),Melissa Leo(The Fighter),Hailee Steinfield(True Grit),Jacki Weaver(Animal Kingdom)

My Pick               Melissa Leo(The Fighter)

Critics' Favorite  Melissa Leo(The Fighter),Hailee Steinfield(True Grit)

Best Animated Feature Film

Nominations         Toy Story 3,How To Train Your Dragon,The Illusionist

My Pick                Toy Story 3

Critics' Favorite   The Illusionist

Best Music (Original Score)

Nominations         John Powell(How To Train Your Dragon),Hans Zimmer(Inception),Alexandre Desplat(The King's Speech),A.R.Rahman(127 Hours),Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross(The Social Network)

My Pick                Hans Zimmer(Inception)

Critics' Favorite   Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross(The Social Network)/Alexandre Desplat(The King's Speech)

Best Music (Original Song)

Nominations         'Coming Home'(Country Strong),'I See The Light'(Tangled),'If I Rise'(127 Hours),'We Belong Together'(ToyStory 3)

My Pick                'If I Rise'(127 Hours)

Critics' Favorite   'Coming Home'(Country Strong)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Nominations          Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy(127 Hours),Aaron Sorkin(The Social Network),Joel Coen and Ethan Coen(True Grit),Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini(Winter's Bone),Michael Arndt(Toy Story3) 

My Pick                 Danny Boyle and Simon Beaufoy(127 Hours)

Critics' Favorite    Aaron Sorkin(The Social Network)

Best Original Screenplay

Nominations           Mike Leigh(Another Year),Scott Silver,Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson(The Fighter),Christopher Nolan(The Inception),Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg(The Kids Are All Right),David Siedler(The King's Speech)

My Pick                  Christopher Nolan(The Inception)

Critics' Favorite     David Siedler(The King's Speech)

My Pick  for other categories...

Best Editing                                            Jon Harris (127 Hours)

Best Cinematography                            Roger Deakins(True Grit)

Best Art Direction                                  Robert Stromberg and Karen O' Hara (Alice In Wonderland)

Best Sound Mixing                                 Inception/The King's Speech

Best Sound Editing                                 Richard King(The Inception)

Best Short Film(Live Action)                 Na Wewe/God Of Love

Best Short Film(Animated)                    Let's Pollute

Best Visual Effect                                  Hereafter/Iron Man 2

Best Foreign Language Film                 Outside The Law/Biutiful

Best Make Up                                        Rick Baker and Dave Elsey (The Wolfman)

Best Costume Design                            Johny Beavan (The King's Speech)

Best Documentary Feature                   Waste Land

Best Documentary On Short Subject    The Warriors Of Qiugang

WEEKLY MOVIE GUIDE (what to watch and what to miss in Cinema)

YEH SAALI ZINDAGI

Genre               Thriller                   
Release Date     4/02/11    
Director            Sudhir Mishra          
Duration           122 minutes

Cast               Irffan Khan, Chitrangada Singh, Arunoday Singh, Sushant Singh, Aditi Rao, Saurabh Shukla

Pluses      Irffan & Chitrangada are very good,writing by Manurishi and Sudhir Mishra is impeccable and direction is bang on,climax is refreshing

Minuses   Music as well as performances by Prashant, Saurabh and Sushant are repetitive,treatment is too dark

Verdict     3/5 (if you love 'twisted storytelling' you will like it)

UTT PATAANG

Genre       Comedy/Thriller      
Release Date   4/02/11     

Director    Srikanth Velagaleti   
Duration  110 minutes

Cast         Vinay Pathak,Mahie Gill,Mona Singh,Saurabh Shukla,Sanjay Mishra,Govind Namdev,Murli Sharma

Pluses     Vinay Pathak in role of 'Ram',Editing & direction is tight,climax is different

Minuses   Background score by Sanjoy Chaudhary is too loud(irritating),Mahie Gill  and Saurabh Shukla overact,Mona Singh,Sanjay Mishra & Murli Sharma are repetitive

Verdict   2.5/5 (want to support new wave cinema only then watch it)

UNITED SIX

Genre       Suspense/Thriller                 

Release Date   4/02/11              

Director    Vishal Aryan Singh   

Cast         Parvathy Omanakuttam,Daisy Bopanna, Mahi, Pooja Sharma, Isha Batwe and Luna Lakhar

Pluses       I failed to find one!(except you see six girls in skimpy clothes)

Minuses    Everything 

Verdict      0.5/5 (if you want to sleep well in multiplex,go for it)

SANCTUM

Genre       Thriller                            

Release Date   4/02/11                       

Director    Alister Grierson

Cast         Rhys Wakefield, Allison Cratchley, Christopher Baker

Pluses       3D viewing,good idea

Minuses    Everything else from acting to writing to direction is diappointing

Verdict     1/5 (if you want to see how a good story idea can be turned into nightmare even in 3D,watch it)

OSCAR NOMINATED MOVIES

THE FIGHTER

Genre       Drama/Biography   
Release Date      10/12/10 (USA)    
Director    David O Russell      
Duration             115 minutes

Cast         Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo

Pluses      Brilliant direction and writing (based on true story of boxers),Christian Bale gives best performance of his lifetime and so do Melissa and Amy

Minuses    Hardly any (Editing could had been better)

Verdict      4.5/5 (don't miss it and climax will make you cry for sure)

TRUE GRIT

Genre      Drama/Adventure           
Release Date  22/12/10(USA) 

Director   John and Ethan Coen          
Duration 110 minutes

Cast        Jeff Bridges,Matt Damon,Josh Brolin,Hailee Steinfeld

Pluses      Great layered writing,smart direction,impactful performances by Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Brolin

Minuses   Unnecessary slow at places,predictable climax

Verdict    3.5/5 (if you like Coen Brothers' style,i endorse them,you will like it but nowhere near their past efforts i.e. 'No Country For Old Men','Fargo','Burn After Reading' and 'The Man Who Was Not There')

Note        Must watch for all who keep crying that Indian Film Industry is copycat and Hollywood is original as this is a 'photocopy' of our very own timeless classic 'Sholay'

(will review new colour version of 'Hum Dono' in couple of days in a separate column as it deserves a better space)