81st Annual Academy Awards

The result was pretty much the expected, but the truth is many are relieved that it eventually ended the way it did, that is sans any major surprises. All said, th the cast and crew of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE were left feeling like a million bucks, bagging 8 of the 9 categories it was poised for.

Slumdog Millionaire wins the coveted Best Picture Award, while a jubilant Danny Boyle picks up the Best Director nod. Slumdog also goes onto win other awards for screenplay, music and cinematography making it definitely the movie of the year.

It also was an emotionally charged evening in several ways. Kate Winslet finally breaks the Oscar jinx (after 5 previous unsuccessful bids) and wins the statuette for her performance in THE READER while the politically charged Sean Penn got his spotlight yet again for his show in MILK. Also we had Heath Ledger being honoured posthumously for his portrayal of Joker in the Supporting Actor catergory, with his parents receiving the award on his behalf. Spain also had enough to celebrate about with Penelope Cruz bagging the best supporting actress.

It is also marvellous that the Indian contingent had a lot to cheer about this particular Oscars. Musical genius A. R. Rahman gets that prestigious Oscar statuette that he was always destined for, not once but twice on the glitzy night. However even before he took centerstage, Rasool Pookutty had accepted the Sound mixing award graciously.

Obviously when it comes to Oscar, the question remains

Best Film:WINNER:Slumdog Millionaire

NOMINEES:The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Best Director:WINNER:Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

NOMINEES:Gus Van Sant - Milk

Stephen Daldry - The Reader

David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin ButtonPenelope Cruz

Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon

Best Actress:

WINNER:Kate Winslet

NOMINEES:Angelina Jolie - Changeling

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

Meryl Streep - Doubt

Melissa Leo - Frozen River

Best Actor: WINNER: Sean Penn - Milk

NOMINEES:Richard Jenkins - The Visitor

Mickey Rourke - The WrestlerFrank Langella - Frost/Nixon

Brad Pitt - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Best Supporting Actor:WINNER:Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

NOMINEES:Josh Brolin - Milk

Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt

Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actress: WINNER:Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

NOMINEES:Amy Adams - Doubt

Viola Davis - Doubt

Taraji P Henson - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Best Original Screenplay:WINNER:Dustin Lance Black - Milk

NOMINEES:Courtney Hunt - Frozen River

Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky

Martin McDonagh - In Bruges

Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter - Wall-E

Best Adapted Screeplay:WINNER:Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

NOMINEES:Eric Roth and Robin Swicord - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

John Patrick Shanley - Doubt

Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon

David Hare - The Reader

Best Animated Feature:WINNER:Wall-E

NOMINEES:Brad Pitt Kung Fu Panda/Bolt

Best Animated Short Film:WINNER:La Maison De Petits Cubes - Kunio Kato

NOMINEES:Lavatory LovestoryOktapodi

Presto - Doug Sweetland

This Way Up.

Achievement In Costume Design: WINNER:The Duchess - Michael O'Connor

NOMINEES:Australia - Catherine Martin

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Jacqueline WestDanny Boyle

Milk - Danny Glicker

Revolutionary Road - Albert Wolsky

Achievement In Make-Up: WINNER:The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Greg Cannom

NOMINEES:The Dark Knight - John Caglione Jr, Conor O'Sullivan

Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Mike Elizalde, Thom Floutz

Achievement In Cinematography: WINNER:Slumdog Millionaire - Anthony Dod Mantle

NOMINEES:Changeling - Tom Stern

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button - Claudio Miranda

The Dark Knight - Wally Pfister

The Reader - Chris Menges, Roger Deakins

Best Live Action Short Film:WINNER:Spielzeugland

NOMINEES:Auf Der Strecke

Man on On The Asphalt

New Boy The Pig

Achievement In Music (Original Song):WINNER:Slumdog Millionaire - Jai Ho by A.R. Rahman and Gulzar

NOMINEES:Wall-E - Down To Earth by Peter Garbriel and Thomas Newman

Slumdog Millionaire - O Saya by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragsam

Best Foreign Language Film:WINNER:Departures (Japan)

NOMINEES:Der Baader Meinhof Komplex (Germany)

The Class (France)

Revanche (Austria)

Waltz With Bashir (Israel)

Best Documentary Feature :WINNER Man on Wire

NOMINEES: The Betrayal, Encounters at the End of the World, The Garden, Man on Wire, Trouble the Water

Best Film Editing: WINNER: - Slumdog Millionaire-Chris Dickens

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button-Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall

The Dark Knight-Lee Smith

Frost/ Nixon Mike Hill, Dan Hanley

MILK - Elliot Graham

Best Sound Mixing WINNER: Slumdog Millionaire -Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce, Mark Weingarter

The Dark Knight - Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, Ed Novick

Wall E - Tom Myers, Michael Semanick, Ben Burtt

Wanted - Chris Jenkins, Frank Montano, Petr Forejt

Best Sound Editing WINNER: The Dark Knight - Richard King

Nominees : Iron Man - Frank Eulner, Christopher Boyes

Slumdog Millionaire - Tom Sayers

Wall E - Ben Burtt, Matthew Wood

Wanted - Wylie Stateman

Best Documentary - Short Subject WINNER: Smile Pinki
'The Conscience of Nhem En'
'The Final Inch'
'The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306'