Showing posts with label Slumdog Millionaire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Slumdog Millionaire. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Nicole Kidman bizarre Schweppes ad
Okay, this is just bizarre. French ad for Schweppes is set in India with the young girl, Rubina Ali, from Slumdog Millionaire (who reportedly got paid more for this ad than the movie).
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Pussycat Dolls do Jai Ho
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
A Slumdog Happy Ending
“Azharuddin and Rubina pose with Slumdog director Danny Boyle at the Oscars”
Two of the children in Slumdog Millionaire were cast from the slums of Mumbai. Here are two pictures of their living conditions:
Read the whole article at the Daily Mail.
Boyle and producer Christian Colson told the Daily Mail that Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail and Rubina Ali and their families will be moved to apartments worth £20,000 each in the coming months. But in an astonishing turn of events, officials from the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority - a Mumbai housing association - have now also said they want to gift the children a new flat each. (The Daily Mail)
Producers said they would work with an NGO to find a suitable social worker to liaise with the families to ensure the children’s wellbeing over the next few years.
Boyle said: ‘It is not about throwing cash at the problem – that doesn’t work. It is about investing in the long term. The key thing is to make sure they stay in school.
‘We want the kids to have more than wealth, we want them to have the skills that will set them up for life.’
Colson and Boyle told the Daily Mail the children and their families are looking at new apartments on the edge of the area where they live.
Boyle told the Daily Mail: ‘These are bricks and mortar flats. They will have electricity, running water and good sanitation. They will still be close to their friends and extended family. Their community is very important to them, and they don’t want to move too far away from them.
‘They have looked at a number of places but like anyone choosing a home, it is taking some time for them to agree on a final one.’
The film company has also agreed to pay for a rickshaw driver to take the children to and from school every day for the next eight years – to ensure they attend.
Hat tip: Awards Daily
Monday, February 23, 2009
Ryan Seacrest interviews the Slumdog kids
It's a little awkward when he doesn't realize that the kids don't all speak English, but still very cute.
Jackman Ho!
What a glorious Oscar ceremony last night! Count me in among those who loved Hugh Jackman as host. I adored the opening number (Craig's List dancers! LOL! "I meant to see The Reader!") I was very moved by each major acting award having five past winners honor each of the nominees. Looking at Anne Hathaway's tear filled eyes hearing her acting being praised, you felt that each nominee could feel like a winner in that moment, even if only one could go home with the statue.
The montages showcased all the films of the year by genre, romance, action, and comedy, etc. since those were certainly not all represented in the nominations. I thought that was a nice change up since most previous years montages have been about the history of films. The pace of the show seemed faster, at least to me. There were several funny moments like Steve Martin telling Tina Fey, "Don't fall in love with me." I about died laughing at Ben Stiller's impression of Joaquin Phoenix from Letterman. He got it exactly, but my guests at my party didn't all know what he was referencing. For those in the know, like everyone in the theater, it was a laugh riot. The gum!
The Judd Appatow film for comedies with James Franco and Seth Rogan really had me in stitches because the interspersed scenes from some of the most serious films of the year like The Reader and Doubt with all the other comedies. What a riot!
At least all the women in my media room agreed, we couldn't wait for Hugh Jackman to appear each time. He was fantastic, and I could have seen more banter with the audience from him. I read that he did quite a bit during the commercial breaks, even passing out cookies to the stars in the theater. I'm not sure the big musical number with Beyonce, Zach Efron and the young stars of Mamma Mia will convince the world that the musical is back. I enjoyed it, and can never get enough of Hugh in a top hat. I chuckled that Zach Efron couldn't keep his hat on for his bow.
I held a contest at my party for the most correct on the ballot, but keep myself out of it. I had been reading everything I could before I made my picks, even if I couldn't manage to see everything. I had a great night, getting 21 out of 24 right. I only missed on Foreign film (which was a stunner for everyone), Art direction and animated short.
It was possibly one of the most predictable Oscars, but it still felt great seeing all those little kids on the stage when Slumdog Millionaire won. I won't soon forget the the two older stars of the film, Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, holding the youngest actors in their arms and bouncing them up and down. Speaking of bouncing, who would have expected Danny Boyle to give a Tigger bounce up to the podium to accept his best director statue!
One of my guests said she thought it was the best award show she's ever seen. It was moving, it was funny, and I think the new producers, from the movie Dreamgirls, did a great job. I liked the changes, and hope they bring back Hugh Jackman again. He's a movie star, and a true showman. Bravo!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Jon Stewart says Too Bad There's No Oscars This Year
Jon Stewart slammed The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, pretending to fall asleep before he could finish saying the title.
Then after Dev Patel, star of SlumDog Millionaire came on, he lamented the lack of the Oscars this year:
Later, right after Dev sat down, he said of the Oscars (this year being hosted by Hugh Jackman, not Stewart), "This is the kind of film that I think would be recognized by the Oscars if they were holding them, which they are not because if they were I would obviously be hosting them."
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Golden Globes Reaction
A huge night for HBO, too, with multiple wins for John Adams, Laura Dern for Recount (yeah!), Gabriel Byrne for In Treatment (double yeah!) and shocker Anna Paquin for True Blood! Squee! Fun night!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire - Mini-Review
Slumdog Millionaire is the little movie that could. It seemed to come out of nowhere and has ended at the top of several critics' top 10 lists, and was named best film of the year by the National Board of Review. Danny Boyle, director of Trainspotting, has made an incredible film and may go all the way to an Best Picture Oscar.
This film is the improbable story of a kid from the slums of Mumbai (Bombay) who works at one of those infamous call centers. It's a love story - he doesn't care about the money except as a way to win the freedom of his childhood sweetheart. We see the story through flashbacks to explain how this kid can answer all the questions correctly on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
How can Jamal, a kid from the slums of Mumbai, know the answer to who is on the American $100 bill? One of the flashbacks shows how Jamal and his brother hustle as tour guides at the Taj Mahal, to tourists from all over the world, and especially gullible Americans.
This is a wonder of a film. A true gem. I don't want to spoil much more of the plot. This a film you should see and experience yourself. You will see it among the best picture nominees, and it may go all the way. I cannot recommend it highly enough to you. Four stars.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Slumdog Millionaire Trailer
Slumdog Millionaire is a movie you've probably never heard of, but I have been hearing rumblings about for weeks as an Oscar prospect. It seems to be a sensation among critics and receiving a storm of praise from everyone who has seen it on the festival circuit. This film is by Danny Boyle who was the director of 28 Days Later, Millions, and Trainspotting. If it's as special a movie as they say, it will be one to mark for the Oscar race. Until I saw this trailer, I had no clue what the film was about at all and certainly never expected it to be about Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in India! Limited release starting Nov. 12.
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