Oscar Reality 2012

So here's the thing:

While Billy Crystal was a much, much, much more enjoyable host than last years' grating duo, this year's Oscar theme was.....boring.....

Outfits?  Okay.  Everyone looked beautiful, but aside from JLO's boobs popping all over the place (which I don't count as very unusual), no one wore anything too crazy.   Even this year's worst dressed really weren't that bad!  No one gave any crazy acceptance speeches, there was no heckling from the audience, and the host wasn't too cruel (here's looking at you, Ricky Gervais).  I almost wished Ricky had hosted.  At least then something would have happened!!

And the movies this year!  While I loved some of them, they were definitely a motley group.  The Artist was destined to blow them all away.  It was the only movie I was fully behind.  Tree of Life may be a cinematic achievement, but The Artist is and should be a fan favorite.

Favorite Dress?  Maybe it's just because I love her, but Emma Stone looked amazing in a red Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown.  Appropriate, beautiful, and a great color for her.  She was also really funny when she presented.  Go Emma!

Favorite acceptance speech goes to Octavia Spence from The Help who thanked the academy for putting her up there with the hottest guy in the room.  Christian Bale...yummm...don't care that you're crazy.

Biggest upset was when Meryl Streep beat out Viola Davis for Best Actress.  I mean I know she's Meryl Streep, but Viola Davis was robbed.  She was the best thing about The Help and I think her chance won't come again.

Funniest moment goes to Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrel, with the ridiculous cymbol thing.  Well played.  It's silly, but I totally giggled.

All in all, while I'm happy for The Artist, come on America is this the best we can do?  We need to step it up.  Which brings me into this year's Oscar theme: nostalgia.

Each film is filled with the desire to leave the current time and enter another, most particularly in reference to children.  Midnight in Paris is the perfect example.  The main character desires to live in the 1920s, only to discover that those during that time wish to live in the time before.  Tree of Life is a flashback to a man's childhood while The Artist is an homage to a different era while its main character comes to grips with the changing times.  The Descendants has George Clooney grappling with both his progeny and his ancestors, while Moneyball has Brad Pitt fighting the ways of the old baseball system, yet being tied by love for his daughter.  Both Hugo and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close are about the loss of innocence, and young boys trying to regain a beloved father and a time when things were better.  And War Horse is about war destroying a happier time.  War Horse is a bit of a stretch--but really, so was the nomination.

I'm not sure what this means for our country as a whole.  Even though the economy seems to be rebounding, do we still look back at a supposedly better time?  Will we find, as many of these characters do, that the better time they remembered didn't really exist?  Children seem to be at the base of most of these stories, and are secretly the most powerful.  Perhaps the current generation fears and respects the younger one?

These are just conjectures.  If I wanted to go on, I could ask why the best film here was one by a foreign country and an entirely different society.  If anything, these films are largely confused.  They lack the vision of last year's group.  Perhaps that says more about our society than anything else.

This year, both cinematically and visually, the awards were a bit of a dud.  Better luck next year?

Oscar Expectations 2012

Another year of Oscar ahead of me, and while I've only finished twenty years of movies, I have managed yet again to watch every nominated film!  Collectively, it's a much more motley group of movies this year.  Last year definitely had better films.  But I'm hopeful that this year's ceremony with Billy Crystal as host will be far better than the train-wreck of last year.  Please?

Much more fun was watching the films themselves.  My life has gotten busy, and fitting in nine films in about two weeks was not very easy.  Added to that was the fact that a few of these films were in that limbo between theaters and DVD.  I may or may not have dragged my boyfriend to a small suburban town half an hour outside the city to watch back to back movies in crumbling down theaters.  All worth it!

I've discovered the best thing about this project is watching movies that I might never otherwise decide to see.  And even if I didn't like them, I'm glad I saw them.  And in last year's tradition, regardless of how I feel about them, here they are ranked in order of "winability."  I'll start with the one I know will win and end with the one that can't possibly...

The Artist

Who would've thought that a black and white silent film would be such a hit?  Well actually....falling just above Tree of Life, The Artist is the second lowest grossing film nominated.  Because no matter how much I try to endorse this wonderful film, it goes something like this: "It's romantic, action packed, dramatic, funny---there's great scenery and costumes.  It's incredibly acted, and manages to poke fun at itself in a witty way.  And it's an homage to great classic films.  It's just...it's silent!  Well, I mean, not completely...well, there's some sound...well a little..."  Yup.  Doesn't really describe well.  The minute someone figures out it's silent, no matter how great, they don't want to see it.  Black and white? Maybe.  Silent?  Nope.  Please do!  It's all I've said and more.  It's the fantastic film Hollywood wishes they had the guts to make.  Oh, did I not mention?  It's also French.

Tree of Life

As much as it pains me, this is actually an incredible film.  I don't think I liked it very much, but after reflection, this is a film that is entirely unique.  Rather than a traditional linear plot, the plot is cyclical, weaving back and forth through the main character's memories, his present life, and the history of time.  There are no typical character roles, and sometimes the actors seem superfluous to the crazy that is going on around them.  The film reminded me of the beginning and end of 2001 Space Odyssey combined with The Sound and the Fury.  While nearly every other word in this film is an annoying whisper, and it does fulfill on the fears I had from its trailer (it's a pompous, pretentious, piece of showy art),  I can't help but enjoy the ride.  After awhile, I got used to the style and enjoyed the experience of being inside someone's head.  And the sequence describing the earth's beginning was different from anything else I've ever seen.  In conclusion, it is a completely unique film that will stand the test of time.  And you should totally watch it on some kind of hallucinogen.

The Help
Despite the difficult topic of race, this film is entertaining and heartwarming.  It is well acted, and a perfect portrayal of an era.  From the costumes to the scenery, this film shows a (somewhat glorified) version of a difficult time.  However the sometimes slavish devotion to a hit novel manages to make this film overlong--a few edits may have made it drag less.  In addition, it does not commit to the topic of race enough.  It skims the surface, and spends more time on gags and pretty costumes.  This film is supposed to give voice to the help, but I wish I had seen more of them, and less of the uppity white girls we love to hate.  While entertaining, it doesn't dig deep enough to give true weight to this film.  So while I enjoyed it immensely, and it is, by the way, the top grossing Oscar nominee, I don't think it will win.  But Viola Davis might for Best Actress!

The Descendants

And speaking of movies that dragged...thank god this film was made in Hawaii.  I forgave the slow, plodding pace because I got to pretend I was on one of the many fabulous beaches they showed.  In addition, the story was compelling enough to make me want to know more.  And of course there's George Clooney, whom I just love to watch, no matter what.  Fantastic actor.  And the others don't do too bad themselves.  The girls aren't too bratty and overplayed and his relatives aren't too "stereotypey islandy."  Really though, this is George's movie and thank God for that.  The plot twists and turns kept me guessing, the acting kept me engaged, and the scenery was...well...wow.  I need to go to a beach ASAP.  Even though it felt like it was much, much longer than it should have been, I did enjoy the film.  Not as much as some that followed, but between the weighty material and the acting chops, this movie is pure Oscar bait.

Moneyball
This is a guy's movie, no doubt about it.  It's about baseball statistics, with no romantic story line, or really any women at all.  Any women watching this movie should go into it with those expectations.  Despite the few female characters, I really liked this film.  Brad Pitt has the perfect foil in Jonah Hill.  Unlike many of the other nominated films this year, I never felt like it was dragging on.  Which is something considering it is a film entirely about sports.  There was always something catching your attention and moving you forward, and the scenes with the girl who plays Brad Pitt's daughter were a welcome relief from the spitting and sweating of the team.  Smart, funny, and engaging, this film was a surprising win for me.  It doesn't have the expected "good feeling" ending you get with most sports films, and I liked it the better for it.  Just don't expect any great romance...

Midnight in Paris
This is the best film that probably shouldn't be on here.  I love, love, love this film!  It's every English major nerd's favorite dream.  And the actors playing major historical characters are brilliant, and manage to subtlety wink at the audience at the same time.  It has the witty/off-kilter humor that is always part of Woody Allen's films, but even if you aren't an Allen fan you should like this film.  However, as entertaining as it is, it is not the stuff of Oscar films.  It's sweet, funny, but ultimately just another Woody Allen film.  I definitely loved it but I don't think it's the best film I've ever seen.  It's this high on the list because of Woody Allen.  Famous directors always get a bump.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Okay, so Hugo got better reviews and has the more famous director.  But this movie is so much better.  I mean, I definitely sobbed through most of it, but it is a 9/11 movie.      The main character, a young boy with some kind of social disorder, is both irritating and entertaining, and ultimately, extremely lovable.  Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks both take a back seat, but make their few moments worthwhile.  Max von Sydow plays the silent, absent grandfather to Oscar acclaim, but I really thought that his young co-star stole the show.  Despite the almost graphically horrifying, wrenching scenes, I enjoyed, and was engaged by, every minute of this film.

Hugo


So this movie got the better ratings, the better director, and the bigger Oscar chops.  But it's probably my least favorite of all the films.  Which is sad because I really wanted to like it.  But is this a movie for children, or adults?  The first three quarters of this film dragggggeedddd.  And when it finally picked up, it became much more of an adult film than a child's.  I think that's the problem.  This movie floats between an adult's film and a child's film, and doesn't really settle on either.  Plus the kid is creepy.  Sasha Baron Cohen is the only relief, and every minute he wasn't on film I got bored again.  Scorsese reverts to his biggest problem--he's so in love with his films that he can't bear to clip them.  Hugo could have been a great movie with some serious editing.  It's a beautiful film to look at, especially in 3D (which I don't always like) and a tribute to the early age of film.  But if you want to see a film tribute...go see The Artist.  It's much better.

War Horse

So I expected to hate this movie.  As one of my best friends said so eloquently, "I know World War I isn't as sexy as World War II, but did they have to add a horse?  Why not just make a film about the war??"  So with my expectations pretty low, I was pleasantly surprised.  Mildly surprised.  Okay it wasn't the worst movie on here (see Hugo).  The main character is almost creepily obsessed with his horse, and his high pitched whining (the boy's, not the horse's) really started to grate.  But it was filmed like Gone with the Wind, with sweeping panoramas liberally painted over with bright colors.  I was entertained throughout the film, and despite myself, really wanted to see the damn horse get through.  But Best Picture?  Sorry Spielberg...I think not....

That's it!  As far as the other categories, I think Viola Davis in The Help will get "Best Actress," although My Week with Marylin's Michelle Williams may give her a run for her money.  "Best Actor" is anyone's game, with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Jean Dujardin all contenders.  "Best Director" will probably go to The Artist, but should go to Tree of Life. My prediction?  The Artist will sweep pretty much everything, with a few bones tossed out to the remaining films above.  Fingers crossed for a Bridesmaids win in pretty much anything--that's guaranteed to be an interesting speech.

I have my thoughts on this years theme...but that will have to wait!  Got to start cooking.....

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards!

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences really tried to shake things up this year.  I had heard this before, and it didn’t come as surprise.  What did surprise me was my reaction to it.  I didn’t mind the changes.  In fact, this was my favorite Academy Awards to date!  Read on for my break down of the night.

Recent History:
The Academy has not done so well in recent years.  According to the Los Angeles Times, the Awards show reached an all-time low in 2008 with only 32 million people watching.  This was the year that No Country for Old Men won, which I think contributed to the sense of apathy.  While it may have been a good movie (never seen it) it is certainly not a crowd pleaser.  The Academy was getting a little artsy on itself, and the public was losing interest.  So this year the Academy switched things around, picked hosts with a track record of pleasing a wide spectrum of viewers, asked winners to cut short their thanks (the lowest rated part of the show) and expanded category nominees to 10 choices instead of only 5. 

The result?  A 14% increase in viewers from last year, with 41.3 million people watching.  This is the highest number of viewers in 5 years.  I think there will be some people, including myself at first, who will see this as selling out.  Especially choosing movies that are more appealing to wider audiences rather than those that were strictly critical successes and staging large scale musical opening numbers.  But if you read my earlier post about the creation of the Awards and the Academy itself, you’ll see that the reason it was created was “to improve the image of Hollywood to the public.”  Well that, and to beat down the unions.  The original Awards were an attempt at PR for Hollywood, as well as recognition for all those in the industry who had made any great achievements throughout the past year.  And that’s exactly what this ceremony was.  A return to what the true purpose of the Academy Awards is.  It was never meant as a highbrow ceremony aimed at those who had achieved the most "intellectual” movie of that year.  Not that we should sacrifice quality, but Louis B. Mayer, father of the Academy, purposefully fought against movie winners that weren’t crowd pleasers.    The Academy even dropped the award for best “Artistic Production.”  They were far more concerned with the best production itself. 

Bottom Line:  If you want artistic, go to Sundance.  I don't mind the musical numbers.

My Favorite Changes:
I have to say that I love the fact that the speeches this year were kept short and sweet.  The Academy asked the nominees this year to keep their speeches short and to save us the long lists of people that we neither know nor care about.  Thank your mom, fine.  Thank your associate producer’s best friend’s boyfriend?  Not interested.  Nominees were told that they would have time immediately after their award was given to go backstage and talk into the brand new “Thank You Cam,” which would then be broadcast on http://oscar.go.com.  The nominees, surprisingly, for the most part agreed.  They kept their speeches short and heartfelt, choosing to focus more on the emotions involved in winning an award than specifics.  (see Sandra Bullock below)

Another thing I appreciated?  For the best actor and actress categories, instead of showing clips of their nominated films, the Academy decided to choose one person for each actor/actress and have them give a short speech on that particular nominee.  For example, co-star and friend Stanley Tucci spoke for Meryl Streep, saying that she had better enjoy this now, because he was going to start a campaign for the Academy to put a cap on the number of nominations allowed per actress.  Cute.

Funniest Moment:
Who doesn’t love Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin?  As a comedy team they did a fantastic job, from the opening act to the small quips along the way.  (What was with the George Clooney stare though?)  I loved their jibes at Meryl Streep and other Hollywood bigwigs.  My favorite moment with them had to be their appearance in a two person snuggie. 

Amazing.

have to give it up as well to Neil Patrick Harris.  Boy, does that guy know how to make a comeback.  Another opening musical number for an awards ceremony, but instead of seeming overdone, it came off as fresh, funny, and self-deprecating.  And let’s not forget Tina Fey and Robert Downey Jr.’s presentation or even Cameron Diaz and Steve Carrell.  Both deserve a nod (and not just because I’m secretly in love with RDJ).

But hands down, the absolute funniest moment of the night goes to Ben Stiller.  There are no words.  So I will show this clip.  My friends and I were literally rolling on the couch with laughter.

Incredible.   Perfect timing.  Good job Ben.

Most Awkward Moment:
Does anyone know who that woman is that jumped onto the Thank You speech for “Best Documentary?”  We all thought we had another Kanye moment on our hands.  Why is it that the award for "Best Documentary" almost always turns the podium in a radical, uncomfortable soap box?  I most enjoy the look of chagrin on the director's face.  See for yourself:

Still have no idea.  Weird.  Get off the stage, crazy lady in the purple satin mumu.

Most Heartwarming:
I am SO happy Sandra Bullock won for "Best Actress".  I really thought she deserved it.  I got a little nervous when Oprah came out and spoke for newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, because obviously Oprah has the golden touch.  But to my happy surprise, the award went to the person I thought deserved it. 

Beautifully done.  Funny, sweet, and heartwarming, this speech is also pure Sandra Bullock.  Fantastic dress too, by the way.  Quite possibly my favorite.  While I don’t know if this role was the most serious or the most taxing, Sandra Bullock became her character in The Blind Side.  I just hope she tackles more roles like this in the future.

Worst Academy Award Moment:
What was up with the dance troupe?  I’m sure that they’re a very good dance troupe.  But almost every number seemed the same.  I get Fantastic Mr. Fox…but how do you turn The Hurt Locker into a dance?  It was weird.  And lest we forget…why?  This is “Best Original Score,” not America’s Best Dance Troupe.  It was long, repetitive, and completely unnecessary.  I’m not even going to show a clip.  That’s how pointless it was.  I appreciate all the changes, but bring back the best song performances.  I actually enjoyed those.  And leave the dancers at home.

Saddest Moment:
Obviously this is always when they do the tribute.  For John Hughes in particular, I was especially sad.  Ferris Buehler’s Day Off was part of my childhood.  For a lot of people of my generation who aren’t particularly film buffs, seeing that montage was a great way for them to realize just how many great movies he was a part of.  I wouldn’t have minded knowing exactly who every person giving the tribute was, although I will mention that Macaulay Culkin’s presence riveted every girl I was in the room with.

Notable absences include:  Farrah Fawcett, Bea Arthur, Gene Barry, and former Oscar nominee Richard Todd.  The excuse given for the first three was that they were mainly television actors, and the salute to Farah Fawcett at the Emmy’s was more appropriate.  Really?  So that’s why Michael Jackson was honored?  Because of his incredible and Oscar-worthy performance in The Wiz?

Best and Worst Dressed:
Well I’m not People magazine, but I did have my favs.  Rachel McAdams, Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz rank as some of my top dresses.  And though I wasn’t a fan of Meryl Streep’s dress, it did grow on me.  It seemed very her.  And designed by Project Runway alum Chris March!  Let’s be honest, Meryl could wear a potato sack and still be fabulous.  I think everyone was going in a very 1940s direction, apropos of the whole “old Hollywood” idea.  I think I like the Kathryn Hepburn/Lana Turner look.

Less impressed?  Jennifer Lopez-stop trying to have a comeback.  You look like you’re pooping pink organza.  I’m also less and less in favor of Miley Cyrus.  She looked like she was wearing a gold 1980s Madonna wannabe top.  Also, you can’t be a Disney star and show that much cleavage (plus tan lines).  Zoe Saldana would have looked less like a pom-pom if the dress hadn’t flared as much, and Sarah Jessica Parker looked cute from the front, but bizarre from the back.  What’s with those silver flowers?

The guys, as usual, don’t really count.  Sorry!

Finally…
A good time was had by all, even though the ceremony did begin to drag towards to end.  But with good stars, great writing, and a bathroom break during the dance troupe, my friends and I really enjoyed watching it.  And eating the wings.  JL’s feta puffed pastries were pretty great too.  Sorry WW, but I think we’ll have to try again with your cake balls.  I liked the wine though!

I’ve also decided that next year I’m putting money on the winners.  After all this researching, I’ve become eerily good with my predictions.  But I would have lost everything on Best Picture and Director.   I thought James Cameron would win “Best Director” for Avatar, and Precious for “Best Picture.”  Much to my surprise when The Hurt Locker won both!  It think it’s great for feminism and everything, but whether the movie deserves it remains to be seen.

Thanks it for now!  Comment please and get ready for The Broadway Melody..and sound…