Oscar glances in South Africa

SHAUN DE WAAL - Feb 05 2010 06:00

In Proudly South African fashion, we note two Oscar nominations for films related to South Africa, District 9 and Invictus.

The science-fiction action-satire District 9 was directed by South African-born Neill Blomkamp and shot here, with much reference to past and present-day South Africa. It has been nominated for a best-picture Oscar in the new expanded nomination list of 10 movies, and may be in with a chance, though one would imagine Iraq drama The Hurt Locker is the frontrunner.

Invictus, about the 1995 Rugby World Cup and Nelson Mandela's involvement in South Africa's surprise victory in that tournament, garners nominations for both Morgan Freeman (best actor) as Mandela and Matt Damon as François Pienaar (best supporting actor).

Freeman could well get the nod, given his immense standing in Hollywood and the world's great love for Mandela.

Freeman is up against George Clooney as a heartless retrenchment specialist in Up in the Air and Jeff Bridges as a faded country singer in Crazy Heart. Clooney is a leading Hollywood player, with artistic cred too, and this may be his year, while a best-actor statuette for Bridges is long overdue. Still, I'd say Freeman's in the lead.

For my money (and from what I've seen, which is a bit unfair), the best-actress prize should go to Carey Mulligan in An Education, to kick off what will hopefully be a glorious career in the cinema.

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