Oscar Nominations- At least of them seems more a hype!

I did manage to see the two Oscar nominations, of this year- Argo and Zero Dark Thirty. I thought, in short both are over hyped movies. Why? read on!

Let me first take on the more hyped Zero Dark Thirty. Catherine Bigelow has for quite some time been staking claim; this is not a documentary and is more a feature film from the perspective of the protagonist, Maya (Jessica Chastain). Several classified documents from the CIA seems to have been ravelled through to produce the film. What does not strike with the movie? Quite predictable and each scene spills the outcome of the next. Typically, with films of these genres where the final outcome is know the process is important.

For instance in a movie like "All the President's Men" or "Kennedy" the final outcome is known, the Watergate Scandal and the assassination of President Kennedy respectively. However, in both cases there is a painstaking attempt to make the movie evolve and make viewers run through the process, even though the end made the process look academic in nature. However, what was important, one enjoys the process and that is entertainment, eventually what good cinema ultimately promises. 
 

In both the films, there has been substantial work done in terms of getting the factual aspects in place, considering the sensitivity involved with the concept. The acting is spot on and there is possible no room to find flaws. There are numerous evidences and parts strewn across the move highlighting American cockiness and confidence, which is quite in your face, though. Numerous pre conceived notions and clichés that the move carries, which is of course apparent and too obvious in most Hollywood movies. It works probably better when they are discovering their own society.
 

Nearly 70% of the movie moves in a docu drama style and as it nears the end does one get some possible traces of dramatisation. Each incident or a sub plot looks like a reporting. The Camp Chapman bombing or the Marriott Hotel bombing etc. are examples of such documentary style preludes or interludes in some cases.
 

What stands out? Nothing much to me, except a basket of information and knowledge on how CIA painstakingly goes about information gathering and nailing the coffin. Lessons for Salman Khan (Ek tha Tiger!) or James Bond or Ethan Hawke, perhaps!
 

The other hyped up movie is Argo! Based on the Canadian Caper incident, during the Iran Hostage Crisis of the late 70’s. The movie is a good exercise to cultivate into history about; what many of us were too young to understand. Beyond that, like Zero Dark Thirty, it is a documentary on actually what happened. However, more than the previous one this one has a better build up.

There are some interesting moments built around the movie, moments which stand out are effective and makes for a good cinema, however, they are far and few! For instance, when the protagonist CIA Agent Toni Mendez is driven through the streets of Tehran, the KFC billboard and the rush of veiled women in burquas in front of the outlet is an oxymoron, well captured! However, such instances are rare through both the movies! Both Catherine Bigleow and Ben Affleck need to get back think through such moments that makes classics stand out, especially when working on such a non-fictional genre.
 

I thought there were far better fares dished out from Hollywood that would have been labelled an Oscar nominee. Hollywood fares well when digging into their own (American Beauty, Boys Don't Cry, Million Dollar Baby, No Country for Old Men), graves, stories, incidents or characters (look at the other nominee, Lincoln, a far more matured attempt, but of course you have Spielberg there!) that makes American cinema so watchable. I will come back again after having watched the other nominations, but Lincoln remains right amongst the next “must see” for me. Spielberg, do not disappoint us!