Oscar Wrap!

Sorry I'm a day late with this. The way Academy Award buzz goes, everyone's probably over it now. But the house is being remodeled right by the office and I couldn't get this out yesterday.


The OSCARS! As predicted by almost everyone, Slumdog swept just about everything it was nominated for. It wasn't my favorite movie of the year (as I've said before, I felt this was a year with a lot of good films, but not very many great ones), but I won't deny that is was fun and inspiring, and well-acted. So while I would have preferred Milk (one of the only movies that really stuck in my gut) I can't really begrudge Slumdog for it's success. Probably because all of the cast and crew involved look so grateful and thunderstruck and excited to even be at the Academy Awards, let alone sweeping the prizes. Seriously, those kids? So adorable and did such a great job in the film. And Dev Patel and Frida Pinto just seem like really sweet, humble people. Can't help but be happy for them. So, well done, Slumdog Millionaire.

How about Hugh Jackman? Where has he been hiding all this charismatic musical talent? I know he's done stuff on Broadway (even hosted the Tony's) but I was not expecting to be so charmed. I couldn't understand everything in that opening number, but it was still really fun to watch, and he was by far the best belter in the 'ode to musicals' number. I just wish we had seen him a little bit more. He seemed to disappear for long stretches of time, where at previous shows, the host was around for just about every segment. I would have loved to see a little more off-the-cuff Jackman humor. Definitely wouldn't complain about having him back again.

As for the other changes in format, I'm really torn. Like just about everyone else, while I didn't mind Queen Latifah singing during the memorial montage, why was it filmed so disastrously??? The camera kept cutting to her instead of just focusing on the images. I couldn't read several of the names and that seems a rather huge guffaw when they're supposed to be being honored. The many montages were at least fresh (they didn't roll out the usual images of Charlie Chaplin, Singin' in the Rain, or Gone With the Wind) and celebrated films from this year, but they were still too long and often drew attention to films that were better left forgotten (Space Chimps?) We're supposed to be celebrating the best here, people! However, as someone who loved Pineapple Express, I really enjoyed the short film of Seth Rogen and James Franco watchind and commenting on movies in character. Right on spot!

With the format for the Acting Awards presentation, again, not sure. I like the look in theory, having 5 former winners come out and really honor each of the nominees. That made it feel like a real honor to be nominated, even if it was just glorified ass-kissing. In some cases, it really worked - Shirley McClaine to Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard to Kate Winslet, Robert De Niro to Sean Penn - the tributes seemed honest, heartfelt and touching. But in many of the other cases, the presenter was so clearly reading off the telepromter, not speaking to the nominee, that the format felt rather stiff. And they took so long! I don't know. I missed seeing clips of the performances.

I did, however, love the way the presented the Best Picture nominees. Rather than role out a clips package for each film throughout the broadcast, scenes from the nominees were mixed with clips from former Best Picture winners and nominees that had similar subject matter, tone, themes or dialogue that applied. Like cutting Frost/Nixon with clips of All the Presidents Men and Apocalypse Now, or The Reader with other May-December romances from The Graduate and Lost in Translation as well as WWII/Holocaust material from Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List. They mixed Milk with Norma Rae, Braveheart, and Network's infamous "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore." Benjamin Button went with Shakespeare in Love, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and A Beautiful Mind. And my favorite bit was editing relating the theme of destiny in Slumdog Millionaire with similar scenes from Forrest Gump, Casablanca and Million Dollar Baby. Can you tell that this technique was my favorite? Here's video if you want a refresher:




Onto the fashion. TOO MUCH WHITE! I think I said this last year too. I like color. I want more color. That said, most of the white/silver/cream/"barely mint"/pale pink dresses were lovely. My favorite whites were Taraji P. Henson and Anne Hathway, and I loved Natalie Portman for using a daring color and looking fabulous.


Favorite of the Night: Kate Winslet. Are you surprised? Of course not. Truth is, I don't even really like the dress, and from certain angles the hair looked too severe. But when I saw her in motion, no one looked lovelier. She had a Grace Kelly thing going and put all together, she was the Queen of the Night for me. I feel really bad about some of the bashing I've read about her speech. At the Golden Globes, she won twice, was completely shocked and teary, and it came off fake to a lot of people. I can't believe that of her. I choose to believe that she was genuine. I don't remember her speeches at the SAG's or BAFTA's so I don't know if she acted "surprised" at those occasions either. But I felt that her speech at the Oscar's was completely charming, genuine and heartfelt. There's a difference between being surprised and being overwhelmed. I didn't see any fake emotion, or overdone blubbering, or false surprise. But she just won an Academy Award after having lost 5 times before, and after having dreamt of it most of her career; isn't the lady allowed to be overcome a bit? To cry a little? I thought she seemed very happy, grateful, humble and excited and none of it seemed false or overdone to me. And I was watching for that too. The whistle to her dad was great.

On the male side, did you all see Robert Downey Jr.? Wowza! That man is hot! Look at the cleanup between the Golden Globes and now. And he's 44! WTH! Beautiful man.




Love this man! ------>










Side note: I have fallen in love Tilda Swinton and the wonderful, bizarre things she wears. I read Go Fug Yourself daily and they freaking love her. They have decided that she should just go by SWINTON (in caps) because she's so freakishly odd and unique, and that moniker just tickles me to no end. Elizabeth and I have taken to shouting it whenever we see her. On anyone else, this ensemble is crazy, but on SWINTON it is freaking fabulous. (Check out all the things Go Fug Yourself has to say about SWINTON here.)


That's all for me this year! Here's hoping next year is much better and that I'm feeling more inspired to write about it. I missed doing my Oscar buildup and lists, but really just couldn't muster up the CARE this year. Please enjoy the SWINTON!