'Slumdog' vs. 'Wall-E' for best song No clear frontrunner among Oscar nominees By JON BURLINGAME
For the third time in the past 20 years, music-branch voters chose only three tunes as best song nominees. Two are from the same movie, and two of the singers are world-class world-music recording artists. There is no clear-cut favorite this year, unlike, say, eight years ago when Bob Dylan's win for "Things Have Changed" was a foregone conclusion, or the year of "Titanic" and its ubiquitous Celine Dion song. What happens Feb. 22 depends several factors. First, the "Slumdog" phenomenon: Both of the key songs in "Slumdog Millionaire" are nominated, both co-written by leading Indian composer A.R. Rahman (who is also nominated for his original score). The soundtrack album is rising fast on the charts, so a "Slumdog" win would not surprise. But which song? Will voters remember that it was "Jai Ho" that was performed as an elaborately choreographed, Bollywood-style dance number in the Mumbai train station at the end of the movie? "Jai Ho," with Indian lyrics by poet Gulzar, may be the most talked-about musical moment from year-end films. And Oscar voters, excited about the prospect of seeing the number re-created on the telecast, may be thinking about that when filling out their ballots. If it wins, it will be only the second foreign-language song to do so (after 2004's "Al otro lado del rio" from "The Motorcycle Diaries"). But Rahman's collaboration with London-born, Sri Lankan-raised Maya Arulpragasam -- better known to the pop world as M.I.A. -- on "O... Saya" may resonate with younger voters for its pounding rhythms, electronica sound and rap-style vocals. That song's used earlier in the film, as police chase poor youngsters from an airport tarmac through the streets. "Slumdog's" competition is the song from the end of the Disney-Pixar movie "Wall-E," co-written by Thomas Newman (also nominated for his score) and Peter Gabriel. The nom is Gabriel's first despite having composed scores for such films as "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "Rabbit-Proof Fence." Eight of the past 20 song statuettes have gone to tunes from animated movies (all Disney pics but one). And nine of the past 20 have gone to popular artists (including Gabriel's ex-Genesis bandmate Phil Collins, for "Tarzan," another Disney toon). Also, Gabriel's human-rights and environmental activism would seem to coincide with the politics of many Acad voters. And, in recent years, voters have spread the Oscar wealth among multiple pics. A "Slumdog" score win could translate into a "Wall-E" song win. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117999867.html?categoryId=3275&cs=1
