Monday, March 8, 2010

They sent Avataar to the Hurt Locker!

First of all, enough has been said about The Hurt Locker - its reels reek with inaccuracies and every veteran has denounced it. But it is an entertaining movie.
The Oscars produced a much anticipated upset. A big one. Just to put it in perspective, The Hurt Locker hasn't been seen in India yet. Not released officially. I saw it unofficially ;) But very few have seen it at all. Avataar, on the other hand, was huge here. Liked by many. Many were sure it would sweep them golden boys clean

But the Academy chose a low budget film over a five-year in making masterpiece.

The last time I remember something remotely similar happened was when Private Ryan lost to Shakespeare!

I think The Hurt Locker is much more gripping and a lot unpredictable than Avataar. It does not have a definite story line. But its characters definitely develop over the course of the movie. The central character, SSG James, is like a cowboy, and I am almost certain they took some inspiration from some John Wayne movies! He is in his own world, even when he is among his team. He instills a fear in them , for he will do what they don't even think about doing.
The movie never comments on the war itself; it is essentially about one man's addiction to war, to action. It is as if the war is a prerequisite for his existence.
Avataar's storyline was quite well developed but became apparent very soon. I was honestly not that impressed with the movie. Taken individually, the visual effects and the new camera techniques introduced by Cameroon are pretty impressive. But I do not usually like a film for just one aspect and for the same reason, don't dislike it for any one either.
So after an hour and half through Avataar, I was pretty sure how it was going to end. I am not discrediting the filmmaker here. I was interested in the plot at that point, but I knew how it would broadly unfold. I was not on the "edge" of my seat , to put it in more tangible word
The Hurt Locker had me on the verge of my bed! I was pretty sure this crazy boy was going to be blown away in the end. Or be shot at by some unseen sniper. But that didn't happen...The script is one of the tightest I have experienced, and quite unpredictable.

The Hurt Locker is an action/thriller/war, while Avataar is a Drama/adventure/romance mix, and I like action/thriller/wars, that are well directed and well acted!
And I am guessing the Academy thought on similar lines too!