So I get up this morning, shuffle around in my robe, take the dog out, pour myself a cup of coffee, fire up the laptop to finish the Oscar Benefit script and peruse the Tubes for film news. And what do I find? That ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is actually co-directed by a woman named Loveleen Tandan:
Oscars 2009: Loveleen Tandan – the unsung hero of Slumdog Millionaire
How did I miss this story? Has everyone known?, (thanks to Kalifilms for the tip-off). A quick look at blogs and mainstream film sites shows she is routinely referred to as the ‘co-director’ of the pic:
‘Slumdog Millionaire Promos in India’
The Ravi Report: ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Gets Ten Oscar Nominations
So one must ask of course, if Danny Boyle wins ‘Best Director’ at the Oscars tonight should Loveleen Tandan go up with him? / Receive her own Oscar? / Receive a 1/3 or 1/2 of Danny’s Oscar?, (sawn in half live by presenter Hugh Jackman in what will instantly become a ‘memorable Oscar moment’?)
Loveleen herself seems to be graciousness personified, (I know I know, this is from Wikipedia – but it’s a good quote, though, of course, always take Wikipedia with a grain of salt as they say: in my entry it used to say I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die):
Tandan’s work as co-director of the film was recognized by the New York Film Critics Online Awards (NYFCCO Awards), which awarded “Best Director” to “Danny Boyle with Loveleen Tandan”.
After the nominations for the 66th Golden Globe Awards were announced, a Chicago film critic launched an online campaign to ask why Tandan, who Boyle appointed as co-director for the film, was not nominated for Best Director alongside Boyle at the Golden Globes. The campaign organizer Jan Lisa Huttner stated: “If she’s co-director during the filmmaking and marketing process, why isn’t she co-nominee when the awards are passed out?” She noted “how rare it is for female directors to be in the awards race.” After finding out about this campaign, Tandan sought to end it, stating, “I can’t tell you how embarrassed I am by this [...] The suggestion is highly inappropriate, and I am writing to you to stress that I would not wish it to be considered.[5] Slumdog Millionaire’s producer Christian Colson says Tandan’s credit is being misconstrued to mean she is on equal creative footing with Boyle. Colson stated that Tandan’s title was “strange but deserved” and was developed over “a Coca Cola and a cup of tea” in order to identify her as “one of our key cultural bridges.”[5]
She sounds like a class act – I know a lot of women who would have a hard time keeping quiet after being referred to as a ‘key cultural bridge’.
Anyway, here’s to you Loveleen Tandan – am sure that your audience, regardless of what they think about Slumdog, will admit the direction of the child actors was superb – and for me, and everyone else I know, the scenes with the children are the standout elements of the movie. If the picture wins an Oscar for Best Director I’m sure Danny will thank ya – but he’d better get ya up on that stage.
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Other posts on the subject: BAFTAS, Oscars, Golden Globes and the persistence of White Male Vision,
Of Slumdog and Loveleen by Kavery Kaul also found via Kalifilms
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(Photo at top adapted from an original found here, photo above from the Ravi Report )
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[...] Random Feed wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptSo I get up this morning, shuffle around in my robe, take the dog out, pour myself a cup of coffee, fire up the laptop to finish the Oscar Benefit script and peruse the Tubes for film news. And what do I find? That ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is actually co-directed by a woman named Loveleen Tandan:Oscars 2009: Loveleen Tandan – the unsung hero of Slumdog MillionaireHow did I miss this story? Has everyone known?, (thanks to Kalifilms for the tip-off). A quick look at blogs and mainstream film sites [...]
[...] The Film Talk wrote an interesting post today on If Danny Boyle Wins for Slumdog Millionaire, Should Loveleen Tandan Get an Oscar as Well?Here’s a quick excerptSo I get up this morning, shuffle around in my robe, take the dog out, pour myself a cup of coffee, fire up the laptop to finish the Oscar Benefit script and peruse the Tubes for film news. And what do I find? That ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ is actually co-directed by a woman named Loveleen Tandan:Oscars 2009: Loveleen Tandan – the unsung hero of Slumdog MillionaireHow did I miss this story? Has everyone known?, (thanks to Kalifilms for the tip-off). A quick look at blogs and mainstream film sites [...]
If she's the one responsible for the first 40 minutes-or-so, she should walk away with any prizes the film gets for herself. The rest after that is where the plot veers away from the book and becomes an unconvincing mess. So if it _must_ win (and I fear it must because its reputation now is much bigger than any kind of reasonable appraisal could justify) give it to Loveleen. I know I would (fnarr fnarr)
Danny Boyle is still stuck in incomprehensible, faux-complex Sunshine mode and I have no intention of giving him another benefit of my doubt. From now on, Mr. Boyle, you're in the basket marked “Tim Burton + Neil Jordan… I must… not… succumb… must… never… watch… again… arrgh!”
Neil Jordan – c'mon – what's wrong with Neil Jordan??
Put simply: He's never made a film that I've liked. :)
Slightly more specifically, every time he breaks wind he's lauded for audacity, composition and composure. He makes small films, frequently with big budgets that are as bland as a Sunday night TV Special drama starring Cheryl Ladd and Richard Crenna… and *every* time he does it's like an avalanche of critical applause for months on end before anyone has even seen (or heard) it -And by the time they have, it's too late to complain or even feel duped because the focus and applause has already moved on to the next big thing we're all going to love (dahling).
I'm convinced Neil Jordan (and a select few others) are funded by a government Arts grant that is designed solely to give “Arthouse” a bad name and give justifiable credence to braindead “popular entertainment” and positive reviews such as “Pure Bubblegum -you'll love it!” and “leave the brain at the door -you'll love it!”
His films are like the two-party system of movie-making. They're funded (often) by the same people who fund the blockbusters so they can say “whatdyawant? -ya want Neil Jordan or ya want Frog Trannies III?”
Obviously they cater for everyone in that.
Go on -tell me a good Neil Jordan film! …And I don't mean just lists. I want _proof!_ that you actually like the things!
Tell me I'm wrong. Nobody likes Neil Jordan films, they only believe they do because that's the way they've been reared.
If she's the one responsible for the first 40 minutes-or-so, she should walk away with any prizes the film gets for herself. The rest after that is where the plot veers away from the book and becomes an unconvincing mess. So if it _must_ win (and I fear it must because its reputation now is much bigger than any kind of reasonable appraisal could justify) give it to Loveleen. I know I would (fnarr fnarr)
Danny Boyle is still stuck in incomprehensible, faux-complex Sunshine mode and I have no intention of giving him another benefit of my doubt. From now on, Mr. Boyle, you're in the basket marked “Tim Burton + Neil Jordan… I must… not… succumb… must… never… watch… again… arrgh!”
Neil Jordan – c'mon – what's wrong with Neil Jordan??
Put simply: He's never made a film that I've liked. :)
Slightly more specifically, every time he breaks wind he's lauded for audacity, composition and composure. He makes small films, frequently with big budgets that are as bland as a Sunday night TV Special drama starring Cheryl Ladd and Richard Crenna… and *every* time he does it's like an avalanche of critical applause for months on end before anyone has even seen (or heard) it -And by the time they have, it's too late to complain or even feel duped because the focus and applause has already moved on to the next big thing we're all going to love (dahling).
I'm convinced Neil Jordan (and a select few others) are funded by a government Arts grant that is designed solely to give “Arthouse” a bad name and give justifiable credence to braindead “popular entertainment” and positive reviews such as “Pure Bubblegum -you'll love it!” and “leave the brain at the door -you'll love it!”
His films are like the two-party system of movie-making. They're funded (often) by the same people who fund the blockbusters so they can say “whatdyawant? -ya want Neil Jordan or ya want Frog Trannies III?”
Obviously they cater for everyone in that.
Go on -tell me a good Neil Jordan film! …And I don't mean just lists. I want _proof!_ that you actually like the things!
Tell me I'm wrong. Nobody likes Neil Jordan films, they only believe they do because that's the way they've been reared.