Cannes Film Festival 2013

Did the Oscars get it right for best original song with Adele and 'Les Mis?'

The five contenders yield a few surprises

<p>'Les Miserables'</p>

'Les Miserables'

Credit: Universal Pictures

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After last year’s Best Original Song debacle when only two songs were nominated, the Oscars got their footing back this year with five solid, if somewhat surprising, nominees.

To be sure, Adele’s “Skyfall” was the one song that seemed a foregone conclusion after it was deemed eligible (there was some initial doubt since it pays such a healthy homage to the original Bond theme). But its frontrunner status was due just as much, if not more, to Adele than to 007‘s revived franchise. And don’t presume she’s the frontrunner now: No James Bond theme has ever won an Oscar. Still, the song—written by Adele and Paul Epworth is lush and dramatic and a worthy entry.

The other sure bet was “Suddenly” from “Les Miserables,” the new song, written for the film by the stage musical’s original composers, Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubil, and performed by Hugh Jackman.  It fills a role similar to previous Oscar winner  “You Must Love Me” from “Evita” or nominee “I Move On” from “Chicago,” both of which were added into the movie versions of the plays to give them potential Oscar contenders (and it worked). 

The Academy Awards deemed a staggering  75 songs eligible for contention this year  The remaining three slots, quite frankly, could have been filled by any number of contenders, but went to “Chasing Ice’s”  “Before My Time,” written by J. Ralph and performed by Scarlett Johansson and violinist Joshua Bell, “Life of Pi’s” “Pi’s Lullaby,” written my Mychael Danna and Bombay Jayashri,” and “Everybody Needs A Best Friend,” written by Walter Murphy and Oscar host Seth McFarlane” and performed by Norah Jones.

“Everybody Needs A Best Friend” is a sweet throwback to the big band era with a toe-tapping feel and a sweeping arrangement. The song also appears during a fun montage smack-dab in the film.

“Before My Time” runs over the end credits for “Chasing Ice,” a documentary about photographer James Balog’s effort to tell the story of climate change by placing time-lapse cameras across the Arctic. It’s an appropriately morose, spare, low-key ballad led by Johansson’s more than serviceable vocals, Bell’s always-haunting beautiful playing and the composer himself on piano. While Ralph is no doubt hoping for a repeat of Melissa Etheridge’s win for “I Need To Wake Up” from the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” he’s not likely to win, especially given that the doc didn’t make the cut for best original documentary.

Not to be flippant at all, but I didn’t realize that “Life Of Pi” even had a song in it when I saw it. Maybe I was still too consumed by the meerkat island. It turns out it is a lilting, magical tune by film composer Danna with lyrics by Jayashri, performed by Jaysahri. Given how enamored the Academy is with “Life Of Pi,” it could pull off a big surprise here. It could be this year’s “Jai Ho.”

Though only five songs can be nominated, there were some surprising snubs that I would have expected to fill the slots that went to “Best Friends” and “Before My Time.” Notable omissions include “Learn Me Right” from Best Animated Feature nominee Brave,” as well as any songs from “Django Unchained,” and “Song of the Lonely Mountain” from “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

Both "Skyfall" and "Suddenly" are up for Golden Globes on Sunday. Fellow Golden Globe nominees "For You" from "Act of Valor" and "Not Running Anymore" from "Stand Up Guys."   “Safe & Sound,” from “The Hunger Games,” wasn’t eligible for an Oscar.

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    Evan

    Did the Oscars get it right? No. I loved Les Mis but that's not the most memorable of songs, just a nice play to get an additional Oscar nod. And like you, I had to look up Pi's Lullaby before remembering where I'd heard it. And don't get me started on the Chasing Ice or politically-chosen Ted songs...

    I'd have picked two of the Djangos (Freedom and 100 Black Coffins, the most thematically appropriate songs that I saw on the eligibility list), one from Brave (Touch the Sky), Skyfall, and perhaps The Sambola, which is a dream.

    January 10, 2013 at 1:42PM EST Reply to Comment
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    Jonnybon

    "Pi's Lullaby" plays during the opening credits of Life of Pi and is very memorable!

    January 10, 2013 at 6:10PM EST Reply to Comment
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    Rebecca Smith

    Compared to Adele's song, Pi lullaby is very different and soothing. But, there is a row going on in India about the originality of the lyrics. Still, it could end up as the winner.

    January 21, 2013 at 3:30AM EST Reply to Comment

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