Daily Loaf

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Now, we continue our countdown to Oscar night with a look at a major award up for grabs on Sunday. (Yesterday was Best Actress.) Today, we break down:

BEST DIRECTOR
Nominees: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon; Gus Van Sant, Milk; Stephen Daldry, The Reader; Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Vegas odds: Another clear favorite, with every $10 bet on Doyle netting only $1 profit if he wins. Fincher is still in the running at 5-1. Van Sant (20-1), Howard (20-1) and Daldry (30-1) would all deliver sweet rewards if they paid off.

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I have a natural and somewhat unexplained affinity for all things having to do with India. I’ve also really liked British director Danny Boyle ever since he made zombie attacks (in 28 Days Later) and heroin addiction (in Trainspotting) seem so aesthetically cool.

So, naturally, when my dad told me about a new Boyle movie called Slumdog Millionaire about a poor Indian kid who ends up winning a million dollars, I was interested.

I wasn’t even deterred by my grandma, who had no problem telling me once she found out I wanted to see the movie that it was the “worst movie of the year.” I love her dearly – but guess what, grandma? Slumdog took away the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture- Drama – and three additional Globes – on Sunday, proving that more than a few people disagree about it being the worst movie of the year… Read the rest of this entry »