Watching the Oscar ceremony is always a highlight of my viewing year, even if great dollops of the proceedings are a colossal bore. However I'm not sufficiently keen to force myself to stay up all night to allow for the time differential; I record it on the hard disc and watch it at my leisure the next morning. This year's 80th celebration felt a little subdued (maybe it's the hangover from the writers' strike) and the usual compilations lacked some verve; however, there were still some fine moments and I was especially pleased that the Coen Brothers did so well, taking best adapted screenplay, best director, and best picture. I was a little afraid that "There Will be Blood" might get in the way of their overdue recognition. Pity they didn't win best editing as well, since it would have been amusing to find out how the nominated editor would accept his award, since he doesn't exist and is only the said brothers under a pseudonym.
I was not unpleasantly surprised to find that the acting awards -- Day-Lewis, Bardem, Cotillard, and Swinton -- duplicated those at the BAFTAs, and while the male accolades were expected, the female ones were something of a shock to those anticipated. I do wonder how the American Academy feels to see all of the acting Oscars going to non-American actors, and even if favourites Christie and Blanchett had won, there still would have been no U.S. talent taking the top prizes. For one very small moment I did hope that Johnny Depp might just have pipped Day-Lewis to the post since his roles are a lot more fun, but perhaps he plays too tongue-in-cheek to be taken seriously by the Academy voters. Still I hope that his day will come.
The remainder of the awards seemed to be business as usual -- and since I've not yet seen the nominated documentaries nor foreign films, I don't know whether the best man won as it were. The only other award that might have pleased me would be to have seen Ruby Dee take best supporting actress; it would have been a sentimental choice as she is a grand, old lady, but it was never really on the cards.
1 comment:
Nearly as much a travesty as the BAFTA awards but done with a lot more glitter.
Marion Cotillard may have provided an excellent imitation of Edith Piaf but this is surely much easier to do than to create a character as did Julie Christie who should have won.
I look on Daniel Day Lewis as the Laurence Olivier of the film world - quite possibly brilliant but emotionless. From the clips I have seen, he is repeating his
performance in 'Gangs of New York' in a different costume and with different words which is not great acting, is it? Probably Depp but any of the others were
more deserving.
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