It's not mine. Just something I got from the e-mails that I really feel that I would to sahre. xD

WIDE ANGLE – Huzir Sulaiman

The Malaysian Political Oscars!
Our political situation is like something out of a movie – so here are
the awards. The envelope, please…

The Wide Angle Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences,
headquartered for no particular reason in Skudai, presents this year's
Malaysian Political Oscars.

The most widely watched television event in Malaysia, the Political
Oscar telecast reaches over 1 billion viewers, some of whom are dead,
some of whom are 130 years old, and most of whom are registered at the
same address.

How does it work? Members of the academy (all Malaysian taxi drivers
who despite being allegedly the worst in the world at driving taxis
are remarkably good at political analysis) vote on these awards, and
the results are tabulated by the auditors of some large accounting
firm who would rather do this sort of thing than real accounting work,
which might explain the state of the economy.

Here are the nominees and winners.

Best Supporting Actor
It is a crowded field this year, with many stellar performances from
both veterans and newcomers.

The nominees include private investigator P. Balasubramaniam in
Missing; Pusrawi's Dr. Mohd Osman in Rear Window; Zaid Ibrahim in Gone
in Sixty Seconds; and Raja Petra Kamaruddin in An Inconvenient Truth.

But the Best Supporting Actor Oscar goes to Penang Umno leader Ahmad
Ismail for his controversial performance in Pride and Prejudice.

Despite his recent success, which led to him being cast in Under Siege
and Raging Bull, Ahmad has flatly refused roles in the films Anger
Management and Atonement.

Best Supporting Actress
For her critically-acclaimed performance in Minority Report, this
year's Best Supporting Actress Oscar goes to Sinchew Daily reporter
Tan Hoon Cheng.

Interestingly, immediately after that film completed principal
photography, Tan was the unwitting star of Catch and Release, a film
that may or may not have been directed by Syed Hamid Albar, depending
on which version of the studio press kit you read.

Tan spent just 18 hours on location, before quitting, citing creative
differences.

Best Cinematography
For his impactful camera work in the V.K. Lingam vehicle The
Conversation, the Oscar for Cinematography goes to Gwo Loh Burne.

(Although The Conversation was shot some time ago, due to his refusal
to be credited for many months, Gwo Loh Burne could not be given the
award earlier. When he finally came forward, this legal thriller was
re-released in some markets as The Burne Identity.)

The Conversation beat out Entrapment, starring Chua Soi Lek, which
also features an anonymous cinematographer.

Best Foreign-Language Film
Agricultural Study Tour, a Taiwanese sleeper hit, was shot entirely by
coincidence, supposedly with no director and no funding.

Nonetheless, a sequel, Exile on My Taiwanese Farm: Peeling my Taugeh
might be filmed next year with some of the original cast.

Best Original Screenplay
Jumper, written by Anwar Ibrahim, wins this year's award. Although the
film suffers from a cast of unknowns, whose number seems to fluctuate
from scene to scene (though always at least 31), the script is
undeniably original and exciting. It also has the potential for
numerous sequels, which will prove profitable for the actors.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Written by a team of in-house screenwriters from the
Attorney-General's Studios, The Accused, starring Anwar Ibrahim, is
allegedly adapted from instructions given by political superiors. A
remake of the 1998 flop, but with many of the same actors and
production team.

Best Actress
Seputeh Member of Parliament Teresa Kok was competing against herself
this year with sterling performances in a slew of releases: Election;
Woman on Top; Supergirl; and, in cinemas until last Friday, the black
comedy Enemy of the State.

She wins the Best Actress Oscar, however, for her most famous role,
Miss Congeniality, which has earned her praise from audiences and
critics alike.

Best Actor
The big stars of yesteryear dominated the Best Actor category this year.

Nominees include S. Samy Vellu in Gone With The Wind; Dr. Mahathir
Mohamed in V for Vendetta; and both Najib Tun Razak and Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi in the comedy Trading Places.

The winner, however, of the Malaysian Political Oscar for Best Actor
is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for his flawless, nuanced, masterful
performance in Eyes Wide Shut.

Best Picture
The nominees for Best Picture in the Malaysian Political Oscars are
all gripping epics.

They include the moving story of the many members of Parti Sosialis
Malaysia, The Magnificent Seven; the Khairy Jamaluddin biopic Million
Dollar Baby; the Hindraf saga, Out for Justice; and the tale of
Gerakan in the Barisan Nasional, The End of the Affair.

The winner for Best Picture, however, is the story of the MCA's
struggle against the Internal Security Act, Look Who's Talking Now.

Lifetime Achievement Award
For his astonishing film career spanning many decades, and including
both commercial hits and small but critically-acclaimed art-house
movies, Anwar Ibrahim wins the Lifetime Achievement Award.

His roles, in chronological order, include: Wild at Heart; The Young
Guns; The Great Debaters; Sleeping With The Enemy; The Insider; The
Sweet Smell of Success; Reversal of Fortune; Cast Away; The Accused;
The Cell; Cry Freedom!; Into the Wild; Back to the Future; Mission:
Impossible; The Perfect Storm; and, most recently, Eastern Promises.

Depending on the outcome of contract negotiations, Anwar's next movies
may include The King and I; Top Gun; and Great Expectations.

Alternatively, he may take roles in Crash; The Departed; and The
Forgotten. That's the thing about show business – you never know what
the big stars will do next!

That's all for this year's edition of the Malaysian Political Oscars.
See you on the red carpet next year!


Copyright (c) Huzir Sulaiman 2008. All rights reserved.

Labels: Malaysia, Movie, Oscar, Politics

# posted by Akatsuki Ayumi | 11:52 PM |