Showing posts with label Oscars 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oscars 2012. Show all posts

March 27, 2012

The Iron Lady - Movie Review


“The Iron Lady” starring Merrill Streep is every foot of the film a fitting tribute to the living legend of Margaret Thatcher – the western world’s first Head of State not seen since the days of Queen Victoria. A brilliant screenplay by Abby Morgan and telltale direction by Phillida Lloyd apart from a mesmerizing portrayal of title role by Merrill Streep make this a delightful story of Britain’s ...most famous Prime Minister since Winston Churchill and Lloyd George. What makes the movie memorable is the intelligent use of pause and play and rewind buttons in the retelling of Maggie’s life – with snatches of her youthful exuberance, her iron-clad will, her quintessential feminity and yet, a lifelong struggle against the efforts to undermine her from self-righteous men in public life all captured in semi-documentary and anecdotal style.
I have always thought that Margaret Thatcher is the one lady who started the movement of privatization before it engulfed the whole of Europe, Eurasia including the erstwhile USSR, France, Germany and eventually the Asian Tigers – China and India. What shaped her fertile imagination to embrace Free-Market Economics was brought out well as of all the salient epoch-making events that punctuated her life – the Trade Union dismantling, the privatization of the Steel Industry, the epic swift battle to reclaim the naval base of Falklands from Argentina (which used to be a hit amongst school students of the 1980s – remember “Time” cover story – The Empire Strikes Back!), the battles of wit she waged in the British Parliament, her uprighteous and stubborn demeanour to never give up despite her deposing…The reels move on at lightning speed never failing to sizzle even when Maggie lapses into momentary brooding.
There are other human moments and enormous attempts to ensnare with proper British blood traits – Maggie’s and her hubby Dennis’s lifelong attempts to quiz each other and search for what’s the good word, Maggie’s nonchalance about bringing her children in any privileged manner but that of a commoner, and she continues to this day as they show at the beginning and the end how she buys milk from the grocery store and cares for the country when London was bombed in 2007. Merrill rightfully won the Oscar for portraying a true-to-life Margaret Thatcher – it’s a story that inspired several women in western society and might do so to leaders in every part of the world – either stand on principles or make no attempts hide it if you can’t. There are some other defining moments brought out with the dignity of a stiff upper lip – like when Margaret Thatcher is counseled by the doctor on her health checkup and she says, “All the young care for is about the emotions of the old people, but do they know its about ideas and thoughts too.” Makes a powerful statement about the things one should get old with. Recommended for all parental and grand-parental viewing for dollops of inspiration.

February 26, 2012

And the Oscar goes to...

3.5 inches high, 6.75 pounds, tin and copper, with gold plating. A rough sketch of  a figure holding a sword hanging on the reel of a film. Not the best of designs but since 1927, its the hallmark of recognition and respect. It is probably the best-known statue in the world, known as the Oscar, because Margaret Herrick, the Motion Picture Academy of Arts (MPAA)'s first Librarian, named it as Oscar because it resembled a lot like her uncle Oscar. Monday mornings in India on 27th Feb-1st March are something to look forward to  - Its the night of Oscars telecast live in this part of the world, thanks to Star Movies. An awards ceremony that celebrates the achievements of cinema the Hollywood way, the night of limited dance and song, of solemn remembrances, of a brief snapshot of the non-Hollywood cinema seen through the prisms of "Foreign Language" category. The night of all-colour men and women dressed in Black and White and Red array of shining, coal-black, shining costumes. The night which has epic commentary on how Hollywood breathes life into the annals of society through its movies of the year.
I always admired the preciseness, grand scale of executions, class and charishma that underlines the Oscar awards. Only the best talent who usually vie with one another - screenwriters, costume designers, animators, editors, sound recordists, stage and setting designers, actors and actresses, playwrights and lyricists, writers and comedians - all of them get together, give their best flat foot forward, lend their voice, pen, nerve and sinew to make it the spectacle that counts. Somehow, the humor that comes out of this one night, according to me, is enough to drive you to raptures of laughter. Its like the night when the wit and received wisdom of PG.Wodehouse, Groucho Marx,  Erma Bombeck and  Woody Allen pillorie the pale lines off your face.
Talk about the comperes, I grew up catching up of the best comedians and standup-champions chaperone the Awards nights - from Bob Hope to Woody Allen, Billy Crystal to Eddie Murphy to Robert Downey Jr. Over the years, the Awards represent an assemblage of talents coming together to give the best glimpse of the Industry' united strength - although it is never the case because all folks can't be satisfied. I remember Bob Hope the great humorian who lived till the age of 100 - he started the whole tradition of hosting the funny side up. He never won an Oscar and rubbed it in at one of the Awards Ceremonies: "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Academy Awards, or as it's known in our house, Passover."
Tonight (or tomorrow morning for us in India), you have some of the best contemporary actors competing for the top honours - the likes of Brad Pitt ("Moneyball") and George Clooney ("The Descendants") and the classic legends like Merryll Streep. Sophistication and class, subtety and style  - you can expect to see a harvest of all of these in the Awards ceremony especially with Billy Crystal - Oscar Awards Host for the ninth time - replacing Eddie Murphy. Contrast this with the crassness of the Filmfare Awards - OMG! Come on, Oscars, lights on!

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