page one (fashion review)

Because I threw a wild party last night and because Oscar season (even the shortened end of February kind) is a long long trek, I'm running on fumes at this point. So you're getting the rest in list format. Please share your feelings about this year's Oscars on the blog and remember: THE FILM EXPERIENCE happens all year round. So don't abandon the site and blog (It's daily!) just because the Oscars are over. There's lots of interesting and fun stuff coming this spring.

OK. Back to the show...

Gwynnie wonders if she'll ever get a second nomination

Most Shocking Thing About the Show: It ran super long but it flew by. Well produced this time with several actually funny moments and interesting celebrations of film artistry. So how come it felt fast?

Somebody hands her... a tambourine

Ellen DeGeneres is why it felt fast. She was just what a host should be: funny, relaxed, and even though her comedy often relies on spinning in circles verbally, she kept up the pace. I love that she found a way to confront the current wave of hatred, homophobia and racism even though she usually steers clear of controvesy as a comedian.

Jodie needs to wake up... now

Speaking of Power Lesbians... Jodie Foster looks less comfortable in a dress than Melissa or Ellen do in suits. Discuss. Also with Ellen hosting and Melissa winning and their girlfriend and wife (respectively) getting camera time and Patricia Field nominated for Costumes it was quite the year for women who love women, wasn't it?

Is it just my imagination or did Jodie used to be way more daring with her fashion choices? This dress was so plain...

Cuaron applauds for someone or another. But it really should be
this man himself getting the standing ovations

Biggest Disappointment of the Night: There was a lot of hype about how "international" the Oscars were this year and it was certainly a good year for Mexican filmmakers at the movies. Still, when it came to Oscar the two most deserving Mexicans were snubbed: Alfonso Cuaron wasn't even nominated for masterfully guiding Children of Men and his cinematographer Emmanuel "F***ing Genius" Lubezki was defeated in the cinematography category: A real shame since his work on that film was the best this category has seen in the past few years.

Catherine Deneuve: still a goddess. Ken Watanabe: still a handsome bloke.

Clips & Montages: The Academy still hasn't figured out how to utilize their themed montages. They're often quite good but the producers don't seem to realize that they take up time and there are always too many of them. Making the nominated actors clips super short to compensate was not wise. Not wise at all. Disrespectful would be a more appropriate adjective.

Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson do a reasonably good job of pretending they're friendly.
But their vocal pyrotechnics tell a different story

"It's a Mother F***ing Sing-Off" All five of the nominated songs had good performances attached. All three Dreamgirls looked fantastic in shades of red. But I found the Dreamgirls medley hilariously histrionic. Neither Beyoncé nor Jennifer Hudson seemed remotely interested in singing the actual melodies. It was like a vocal chord deathmatch instead. There were so many runs and flourishes they made Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston power ballads sound like carefully enunciated Julie Andrews showtunes. We didn't hear the songs but it was still fun to hear the battle.

Eva Green smolders. Also asks makeup artist for smoky eyes.

Split Decision: Watching Emily Blunt and Anne Hathaway do a comic routine with Meryl Streep in her seat falling back into Devil Wears Prada character was the funniest moment in the whole broadcast. Unfortunately this bit took place as part of the Costume Design segment. It's so tacky to have people connected to a nominated film announce the category in which their film is nominated. So so tacky. See also Jack Nicholson announcing Best Picture when he's got a major role in one of them.

Helen Mirren, having officially wrestled the "sexiest 60something" title from
Charlotte Rampling, celebrates her victory in Los Angeles

Queen of the Universe Helen Mirren wins. Millions curtsy. It seemed like the whole night was about her. How mind altering must that drug be: A billion people watching and worshipping your fabulousness for hours on end. Now would be a good time for a Helen Mirren retrospective at the movie theaters methinks.

"You giving to me?"

Has anyone ever looked happier than Marty Scorsese when he finally won one of these damn things? Hollywood done right this year. That's the happiest ending I've seen at the Oscars in many many years.

The Winners
Best Picture: The Departed
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Best Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Best Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen
Best Editing: The Departed
Best Original Screenplay - Little Miss Sunshine
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Departed
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Foreign Language Film - The Lives of Others
Best Cinematography: Pan's Labyrinth
Best Costume Design: Marie Antoinette
Makeup: Pan's Labyrinth
Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth
Visuals Effects - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Sound Mixing: Dreamgirls
Sound Editing: Letters from Iwo Jima
Best Original Song - I Need to Wake Up, Inconvenient Truth
Best Original Score- Babel
Best Animated Feature: Happy Feet
Documentary - An Inconvenient Truth
Documentary Short - The Blood of Yingzhou District
Live Action Short: West Bank Story
Best Animated Short: The Danish Poet

 

Awards Page Index