Sailesh Ghelani rambles on about his thoughts on cinema’s biggest awards ceremony, The 84th Academy Awards 2012

Yes, the Oscars are here and I’m a tad late with this little ramble but nevertheless I will ramble. Did you know that in the last seven years the Golden Globe Award winners for Best Picture haven’t matched the Academy’s choice? But they do say the Globes are a good barometer for what will transpire in most other categories at the Oscars.

Uggie and Jean Dujardin in The Artist

By that logic, The Artist may not win top honours (Best Picture) on the Big Night, but George Clooney may well win for Actor in a Leading Role (The Descendants). I’m not sure Clooney deserves it however. Some say there are one or two brilliant scenes of him in the film. The one where he’s running down the road awkwardly – to confront his best friends about his wife’s affair – in those Hawaiian slippers being one such scene. Oh come on! Brad Pitt did a fair bit more getting into his character for Moneyball and though some Indian critics have commented he’s like the ‘Indian Shah Rukh Khan’ (all looks and personality but no acting) I think that’s utter baloney. Brad’s done some outstanding work and he is well-deserving.

But The Artist‘s Jean Dujardin won Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy at the Globes (Clooney winning for Best Actor in a Drama) so maybe it is between the two of them. Poor Gary Oldman (nominated for Actor in a Leading Role) from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has conceded with a laugh that he won’t win, it’ll be the English-challenged Dujardin who wins gold. And that’s a shame considering Oldman has never won and certainly deserves the honour. Mexican new-face Demián Bachir (A Better Life) has also been nominated but is, how they say, the Dark Horse.

Speaking of horses, that horrible epic film by ‘Executive producer on almost every other film’ Stephen Spielberg is up for Best Picture (War Horse). If it or The Tree Of Life win I will be losing a bit of respect for the Oscars.

Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady

And hey good old Meryl Streep is up for yet another Oscar for her take on Britain’s foremost Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. The film has gotten mixed reviews but her performances usually make even dog turd look like gold. I mean she’s been nominated 17 times (2 wins) at the Academy Awards and 26 times (8 wins) at the Golden Globes. Maybe they should just have a mould of her as the statuette now!

Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer in The Help

I don’t think Michelle Williams was that good in My Week With Marilyn so Actress in a Leading Role could also go to popular nominee Viola Davis for The Help. It’ll be a real coup if Dragoon Tattoo girl Rooney Mara causes an upset.

Michelle Williams in My Week With Marilyn

Michel Hazanavicius, director of The Artist and American icon Martin Scorsese, director of Hugo seem head-to-head for Best Director. And frankly none of the other three: Alexander Payne (The Descendants), Terrance Malick (The Tree Of Life) or Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) have fared that well at the other awards ceremonies so it’s a face off.

George Clooney in The Descendants

In my opinion Supporting Role awards should go to Kenneth Branagh (My Week With Marilyn) and Octavia Spencer (The Help) but then I haven’t seen some of the other films so this opinion may not be a reliable one, unfortunately.

As for Music (Original Score) I’d say The Artist‘s Ludovic Bource is pretty much a guaranteed win considering his score has made what could have been an okay film a delightful one.

I haven’t covered all the categories since I haven’t seen all the films but I just thought I’d give you an idea of what to expect and what I think after watching a good amount of films in my humble capacity as ‘film reviewer’ (I don’t like the monicker ‘critic’) in Mumbai.

Let’s catch up again after the awards on Tuesday 28th February (India) and review the Oscar ceremony with everyone’s favourite host Billy Crystal, back after last years disastrous Anne Hathaway/James Franco hosts. Ohh and I so hope The Artist’s doggie star Uggie features on stage, don’t you?