Over Hyped Oscar Nominations

Arrival was the most awaited movie, which was chosen by American Film Institute and National Board review as one of the top ten movies of 2016.

 It is nominated for eight Oscar Nominations under major titles like Best Picture, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Production Design, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Adapted Screenplay, an obvious reason why the movie caught the hype. This sci fi movie has been rated 8.2 by IMDb. The movie focused about lives of another planet entering into Earth, seeking help of humanity; where they award Amy Adams gift of seeing future. It is through this future, present is survived and tackled.

UK based newspaper The Guardian rated this movie as third best movie of 2016, after all it has got some good story to present. For those interested in science fiction, aliens coming on earth will rather make this movie more attractive. It has been regarded as thought provoking, intelligent and hyper realistic movie by one separate mass as well. Showing how the world can turn out selfish and proving the power of linguistics, Arrival also highlights the moves that human on earth are taking. Explaining, how human tribe would turn out to be necessity thousands year later to entire galaxy, it has been trying to show the feelings that human minds have on seeing aliens as well. A simple misunderstanding in language and huge consequence is warned to human tribe by the movie in general.

There were questions like why Amy Adams was kept out of Oscar Nominations. However, the movie disappoints those who had been watching Interstellar, or Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It clearly seems that the movie has at least some influence from them, and relationship between Present and Future has been mentioned earlier too. There exists positive side, where Amy decides to follow the track of present, despite knowing the bad future, indicating the present scene cannot be changed. However, one can feel that they had close encounter with something great, but later realize there were something lagging - or the movie was over rated.

Well that was not it, La La Land turns out to be the talk of the town at present. Getting into 14 categories of Oscar Nominations from Best Picture to Best Actor to both male and female category, this musical movie has raised everyone's ear alert. The movie has presented realistic story of aspiring actress Emma Stone and jazz musician Ryan Gosling; how they fall into love, how they achieve their dream. It presents the story of someone struggling to achieve their dream, and how they can get misguided, frustrated. And music in between must be the reason why The Gurdian called this movie a 'musical masterpiece'. Keeping love affair aside, and ambition above, the movie also presents how love affair contributed in achievement of ambition thereby. After all 8.7 IMDb is not something that has to be underestimated.

 

The movie ignores the part showing human gets that deep into their ambition, where they completely forgets their love. Ambition can make someone busy, but there has to be some reason behind that will completely ignore their love, which seems to be kept hidden in the movie.  After the movie was nominated under same number of category as that of Titanic, the movie was then started comparing with Titanic. After watching entire movie, one can sense the movie as something out of Bollywood early 2000s concept. Although La La Land does not have happy ending, it brings satisfaction.

There are good and catchy tracks in the movie; however the story line is plain and simple enough and the fear lies if it actually breaks the record of Titanic? If it does, maybe people will re watch Titanic getting back to past and compare it with La La Land. On doing so, the reviewers will have their voices, which is yet to be heard.

It's unpredictable how critics choose nomination lists. It is still okay for both of these 'popular' movies to make into Oscar Nomination lists. They deserve it too. But, at the same time, I believe these movies are being over hyped, and much huge craze is created for something simple. It's again difficult to predict who actually makes it this Oscar. Will these two 'popular' movies - La La Land or Arrival actually get the Best Picture Award? If they do, maybe these hypes will count as one important role. If the movies are not yet viewed, expecting that huge probably won't be wise idea. On finding it average or good, disappointment wont surround and then.

 Published in The Rising Nepal's Friday Supplement on February 3, 2017.