It may one day become known as the Recession Oscars. Hollywood seemed to make a nod to tough economic times by rewarding the low-budget Iraq war movie The Hurt Locker with the coveted Best Picture prize at the expense of its mega-budget sci-fi rival, Avatar.
It was a case of putting blue-collar ahead of blue-skinned.
Sociologists said rewarding Avatar with the best film nod at Sunday night's ceremony might have jarred with the mood of a public fearing for the future of their jobs and homes in light of the global economic slowdown.
Other signs of belt-tightening at last night's 82nd Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles were harder to spot as Tinseltown's A-listers shimmied their way up the red carpet in designer frocks and dazzling jewellery.
The win was also interpreted as a sign that America was now preparing to draw a line under its seven-year involvement in Iraq.
Despite missing the Best Picture prize, Avatar scooped three trophies for visual effects, cinematography and art direction, while The Hurt Locker took six, including Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow, the first woman to hoist the prize.
The Hurt Locker, a gritty war drama that was filmed in Jordan, tells the story of a team of bomb disposal officers who defuse improvised explosive devices on the streets of Baghdad.
Avatar, meanwhile, is a 3D spectacular set on a distant planet where human mercenaries battle tall, good-looking humanoids with tails over access to a valuable mineral.
Both stories have antimilitaristic themes.
James Paul Mirrione, the associate professor of theatre and drama in the faculty of humanities and social sciences at UAE University, said: "It could become known as the Recession Oscars or it might be better as the Sombre Oscars.
"Avatar is an antimilitaristic film but it is also a fantasy film while The Hurt Locker is an anti-war film. I would think that the sombreness of The Hurt Locker is more in line with the feelings of many people in America at the moment. That sombreness comes from the situation in Iraq and also the financial situation."
The win echoed the 1986 awards, when Platoon took Best Picture glory, which was interpreted by many as indicating America's readiness to come to terms with the Vietnam War.
What is surprising about The Hurt Locker is how quickly it came out.
"If the Vietnam War is anything to go by, it would normally take at more than a decade before film-makers would attempt to tackle an issue as divisive as a war," Mr Mirrione said.
The dean of the faculty of humanity and social sciences at UAE University, Donald Baker, underlined these sentiments. "I would say that the mood in North America at the moment is quite sober, thanks to the state of the economy both north and south of the border."
He said extravagant spending in such an economic climate could have drawn the ire of cinema-goers.
"The war in Iraq has been going on for many years now. It is not surprising that the frustration with the war is now filtering into films. Films are the probably the major form of artistic impression in the last century and that art is reflecting popular feelings."
The Hurt Locker is also an odd film to win Best Picture, with no stars, said Mr Mirrione, although it probably also benefited from "underdog syndrome".
The rivalry between Bigelow and her Avatar counterpart, James Cameron, had particular spice as the couple used to be husband and wife.
Bigelow's US$11 million (Dh40m) war story is quite at odds with its more expensive rival, which cost a staggering $230m to produce, making it the most expensive movie ever made.
And while The Hurt Locker has achieved much critical acclaim it has failed to earn the colossal sums reaped by Avatar.
The sci-fi epic has become the highest grossing film of all time, earning Dh7.3 billion - around a tenth of the Dh73 million gross revenue raked in by the gritty Iraq thriller, making The Hurt Lockerr the lowest grossing best-picture winner in the modern era.
While Avatar features Sigourney Weaver, The Hurt Locker has a cast of new faces. David Shepheard, the director of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, said:
"The academy chose to reward filmmaking in the truest sense of the word, rather than what Cameron thinks filmmaking is going to become.
"Avatar was a phenomenal film and it exceeded most people's expectations. It obviously had stiff competition this year though. The two films are at different ends of the spectrum, both in scale and in cost."
Bigelow was only the fourth woman to be nominated for Best Director, following Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation in 2003, Jane Campion for The Piano in 1993 and Lina Wertmuller for Seven Beauties in 1975.
"There's no other way to describe it. It's the moment of a lifetime," Bigelow said. "It's so extraordinary to be in the company of my fellow nominees, such powerful filmmakers, who have inspired me and I have admired, some of them for decades."
The film also won an Oscar for Mark Boal's original screenplay, based on his time as a journalist embedded with a bomb disposal unit.
Mr Shepheard said: "Hurt Locker was shot in the Middle East and it shows that the region can promote itself as a place where successful films can be made."
There were few surprises in the acting categories, with the Hollywood heavyweight and five-time Oscar nominee Jeff Bridges scooping Best Actor.
The actress Sandra Bullock, best known for roles in romantic comedies and action films, won Best Actress for a dramatic turn in The Blind Side, only hours after she received a prize in the spoof "Razzie" awards, for worst actress in the romantic comedy All About Steve.
The male and female supporting-actor winners went to the Austrian Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds and the US comedienne Mo'Nique for Precious.
That the Argentine film Secret in Their Eyes won the best foreign language award was met with surprise. Many expected the prize to go to the latest film by the Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, The White Ribbon, which won the Palme d'Or at last year's Cannes Film Festival, or to the French prison drama A Prophet.
The critically acclaimed Pixar film Up bagged two awards, for Animated Feature and Original Score.
The awards ceremony took place at the Kodak Theatre and was presented by the actors Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, the first time it has been dually hosted in 23 years.
For the first time since 1943, 10 films competed in the Best Picture category, instead of the customary five.
For Inside the National's video highlights click here
At the Oscars slideshow: click here
chamilton@thenational.ae
ogoode@thenational.ae
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
ENGLAND WORLD CUP SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Six things you need to know about UAE Women’s Special Olympics football team
Several girls started playing football at age four
They describe sport as their passion
The girls don’t dwell on their condition
They just say they may need to work a little harder than others
When not in training, they play football with their brothers and sisters
The girls want to inspire others to join the UAE Special Olympics teams
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Quick%20facts
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Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
Persuasion
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarrie%20Cracknell%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDakota%20Johnson%2C%20Cosmo%20Jarvis%2C%20Richard%20E%20Grant%2C%20Henry%20Golding%20and%20Nikki%20Amuka-Bird%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 3
Gayle (23'), Perez (59', 63')
Chelsea 0
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
