Word on the street is that the 2010 Academy Awards, aka this year's Oscars, was at best a snoozefest and at worst, well, the worst. Viewership was down, one of the "young, hip" co-hosts that the Academy put forth in an attempt to capture a younger demographic appeared to be heavily sedated or suffering from boredom, and it took a Billy Crystal cameo to resuscitate the show at its midpoint. The only good part of the whole show was the first 5 minutes, which ABC is milking here.
Can someone explain to me how James Franco got the reputation of being this deep, brooding, intelligent guy, when he wears that goofy, clueless look at all times? I spent the evening wanting to smack the smirk off his face. Anne Hathaway meanwhile, was beautiful in dress after dress, but she looked like a deer in the headlights throughout the show. Is this the same woman who was so hilarious on Saturday Night Live in November?
As I predicted in my previous post, the stuffy film about the royal family ran away with the big prizes. Again, I wasn't the only one who felt that The King's Speech was good, but maybe overrated. Comedian Bill Maher tweeted "Great movie, but of all the problems in the world, stuttering is about the millionth on my list."
Speaking of Twitter, this was my first year being online during the Oscars, unless you count last year's abc.com fiasco where the site crashed on me about two dozen times in the 10 minutes I tried to use it. Reading tweets, commenting, and watching requires going back to those old school times when we watched shows live, rather than zip-zipping through the ads Tivo-style; but the atmosphere was fun and decidedly more hip than what was happening onscreen, despite ABC's valiant attempts. In the Twitter world, many cracks were made about Franco's apparent intoxication on something or other, Gwynneth Paltrow's subpar vocal skills, and how incredibly unfunny the entire show was.
After much too long, the clips for the nominees for Best Picture finally rolled, and I took a moment to check myself. Was my adoration for The Fighter due to the fact that His Royal Markyness is naked from the waist up in about 60% of his screen time? No. It's Christian Bale and Melissa Leo who make the movie, along with a generous sprinkling of Amy Adams. And those sisters!
If Christian Bale hadn't won the best supporting actor award, it would have been nothing short of robbery. Melissa Leo's supporting actress award was also well-deserved, even if she was shamelessly campaigning for it. Although she whined in a Fresh Air interview that she had to play the mother to someone who was less than 10 years her junior ("There's not ten years between us!"), that statement was a stretch. The truth thanks to IMDB: Melissa Leo, b1960; Mark Wahlberg, b1971; Christian Bale (who plays the much older brother to Wahlberg), b1974. It's also worth noting that she was closer to her character's true age than the two gentlemen. While Ms. Leo did manage to escape the Fresh Air interview without dropping an F-bomb, the same couldn't have been said about her appearance on live television. The Fighter is still in theaters.
My predictions were right in 8 of my 10 favorite categories, which means that the winners were by definition predictable. Though I knew it would turn out this way, it didn't diminish my disappointment that Winter's Bone walked away empty-handed. The story was fresh, and Jennifer Lawrence shone in the lead role which is most accurately described as gritty. Winter's Bone is available on DVD.
The two winners I didn't accurately predict were the awards for my two favorite movie genres: foreign and documentary, and I'm still stinging from that.
Note: In a Better World, the foreign language film winner, was not released here in time for the awards, and there wasn't much buzz. Due to what I can only assume must have been a mixup, my invitation to the Cannes premiere never arrived, and so I still haven't had a chance to screen it yet. For those of you who aren't members of the Academy, it's due out in US theaters in April. Who knows when it will be available for rent, assuming we even remember to put it in our queues. . .
Finally, a big thank you to Luke Matheny, who won for best Short Film, but more importantly, gave a shout out to the First State, Home of Tax Free Shopping, Small Wonder: Delaware. To those of you who don't realize this is a big deal, the total population of Delaware is still under one million; and the only state shout out that would have been more shocking would have been to North Dakota. Just try to find some Delaware plates on the road once you've gone west of Virginia. Seriously, just try. I have seen fewer than 5 since I left almost 9 years ago, and I live in a military town. Matheny's film God of Love is available on iTunes.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
I'm Obsessed with the Oscars, Even Though the Academy Gets it Wrong
When I created this blog, over three months ago, I envisioned an outlet for expressing my perspective on the things I feel most passionately about- food, fitness and nutrition, parenting, and politics with an occasional post sharing samples of my photography. The title is a nod not only to my love of food and support of the locavore movement, but also my being native Californian (and a rearer of native Californians).
Well, much time has passed, and I'm finally making my inaugural entry. What exciting and thought-provoking topic did I select for this momentous post? That stodgiest of award shows, The Oscars.
Then again, I am a California girl, and we're talking Hollywood. I guess it's ok.
My fascination with the Academy Awards, is fairly recent. In college I would go to see foreign films and all the low budget stuff I could on Two Dollar Tuesday at the ACT I/II theater in Berkeley. (Yes, young 'uns, seriously. TWO dollars. First run movies.) I didn't pay attention to the Oscars back then, except to note that Belle Epoque (incidentally, referenced in 2010's The Fighter) won 9 Goyas, which (as I learned by reading the movie poster) is the Spanish version of the Oscar. I loved Belle Epoque. Who knew that Penelope Cruz would become such a star? She did not win a Goya for her performance, and I thought she was the ugliest of the sisters in that flick. A dear friend of mine still refers to her as "weasel face." But I digress. . .
For the past 5 or so years, I've been taking the Academy Awards more seriously. I have my score sheet marked up, much the way a basketball fan fills out his bracket each March or the guy at the track carefully marks his choice in ponies on the Racing Form. Each year, I try to guess what "The Acahdehmy" would pick in each category. Much of the time, it's obvious, but every now and then they surprise me. Regardless, we rarely agree.
Below, you will see my educated guesses at the Academy's winners in (what I consider to be) the major awards. Below each guess you will also see my own picks in parentheses. HUGE DISCLAIMER- I have not seen all of the movies in all of these categories. I rarely go to the theater because we have a nice projector and screen and, when I do go to the theater, invariably some random audience member seems hell-bent on ruining my movie watching experience. More on that in a future post. Still, I do make an effort in the few weeks between when the picks are announced and when the show airs to see everything I have time to either on dvd or by suffering through a theater showing. As of press time, I've seen 7 of the Best Picture nominees as well as a smattering of other movies in the categories below.
Another HUGE DISCLAIMER: I don't care who wins for best sound mixing or sound editing. Or makeup, or costumes, or visual effects. Or even best score. I realize that these factors are very important to the overall success and art of the movie, but I'm there to watch the movie, and as long as the music, editing, and mixing isn't so bad as to be distracting, I'm probably not paying attention. The Best Original Song award seems entirely beside the point. Give the artist a Grammy, not an Oscar. I care about the story and the acting.
And now, on with the show-
Best Picture
The King's Speech
(The Fighter)
Yeah, I know Georgie overcame his stutter, but he had like gazillions of pounds sterling; and honestly, what would have happened to him if he hadn't? He'd still have been HRH, the King of England. Thankfully, I'm not the only one who finds movies about the royals overrated and stuffy. Richard Brody of The New Yorker is right there with me. Give me a movie about a scruffy underdog who overcomes the odds, and I'm far more satisfied.
Best Director
Tom Hooper- The King's Speech
(Coen Brothers- True Grit)
The King's Speech is the Academy's baby this year. The Coen brothers are brilliant and innovative- two things the Academy seems not to care much about. They remade a movie with John Wayne- some said it was a sacrilege! But they did it, and they did it better. Here's how.
Best Actor
Colin Firth- The King's Speech
(Colin Firth- The King's Speech)
If I'm being honest, I haven't seen enough of the movies in this category to judge, but Colin Firth does an excellent job of affecting a stammer without resorting to campiness. He's favored to win, and he's a fine choice.
Best Actress
Natalie Portman- Black Swan
(Michelle Williams- Blue Valentine)
Can someone tell me what is so freaking special about The Kids Are All Right? It certainly does not belong in the Best Picture category. Benning does a far better job at being a tense control freak who comes undone in the underrated Mother and Child. No matter, I think this year Portman has the category sewn up with her creepy performance. Michelle Williams is wonderful, but will fly under the radar.
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale- The Fighter
(Christian Bale- The Fighter)
All of the performances in this category were good, but Bale was great. Genius. Jeremy Renner was very good in The Town, and he got robbed in 2010, but I don't think they'll try to make amends this year. He has good work ahead of him yet. Incidentally, some felt Justin Timberlake would get a nomination for his performance in The Social Network, but I don't think he stood a chance against these guys anyway.
Best Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo- The Fighter
(Amy Adams- The Fighter)
Another tough choice- Hailee Steinfeld may even steal it. All the performances in this category were great, with the exception of Helena Bonham Carter, who I thought was just ok. Amy Adams holds her own in her scenes in this movie, a much better match than sharing the screen with Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia. I just loved her character and her performance.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Social Network
(Winter's Bone)
I felt like I had already seen The Social Network after reading this article, so I didn't think the screenplay was anything special. While Zuckerberg's ride to fame was a fun story, I liked the Winter's Bone tale better. Appalachian inbred meth cookers- who knew?
Best Original Screenplay
The King's Speech
(The Fighter)
Again, The King's Speech is the Academy's baby this year, and again, I think The Fighter was more interesting. Besides, the sisters in The Fighter- they stole the show! 'Nuff said.
Well, much time has passed, and I'm finally making my inaugural entry. What exciting and thought-provoking topic did I select for this momentous post? That stodgiest of award shows, The Oscars.
Then again, I am a California girl, and we're talking Hollywood. I guess it's ok.
My fascination with the Academy Awards, is fairly recent. In college I would go to see foreign films and all the low budget stuff I could on Two Dollar Tuesday at the ACT I/II theater in Berkeley. (Yes, young 'uns, seriously. TWO dollars. First run movies.) I didn't pay attention to the Oscars back then, except to note that Belle Epoque (incidentally, referenced in 2010's The Fighter) won 9 Goyas, which (as I learned by reading the movie poster) is the Spanish version of the Oscar. I loved Belle Epoque. Who knew that Penelope Cruz would become such a star? She did not win a Goya for her performance, and I thought she was the ugliest of the sisters in that flick. A dear friend of mine still refers to her as "weasel face." But I digress. . .
For the past 5 or so years, I've been taking the Academy Awards more seriously. I have my score sheet marked up, much the way a basketball fan fills out his bracket each March or the guy at the track carefully marks his choice in ponies on the Racing Form. Each year, I try to guess what "The Acahdehmy" would pick in each category. Much of the time, it's obvious, but every now and then they surprise me. Regardless, we rarely agree.
Below, you will see my educated guesses at the Academy's winners in (what I consider to be) the major awards. Below each guess you will also see my own picks in parentheses. HUGE DISCLAIMER- I have not seen all of the movies in all of these categories. I rarely go to the theater because we have a nice projector and screen and, when I do go to the theater, invariably some random audience member seems hell-bent on ruining my movie watching experience. More on that in a future post. Still, I do make an effort in the few weeks between when the picks are announced and when the show airs to see everything I have time to either on dvd or by suffering through a theater showing. As of press time, I've seen 7 of the Best Picture nominees as well as a smattering of other movies in the categories below.
Another HUGE DISCLAIMER: I don't care who wins for best sound mixing or sound editing. Or makeup, or costumes, or visual effects. Or even best score. I realize that these factors are very important to the overall success and art of the movie, but I'm there to watch the movie, and as long as the music, editing, and mixing isn't so bad as to be distracting, I'm probably not paying attention. The Best Original Song award seems entirely beside the point. Give the artist a Grammy, not an Oscar. I care about the story and the acting.
And now, on with the show-
Best Picture
The King's Speech
(The Fighter)
Yeah, I know Georgie overcame his stutter, but he had like gazillions of pounds sterling; and honestly, what would have happened to him if he hadn't? He'd still have been HRH, the King of England. Thankfully, I'm not the only one who finds movies about the royals overrated and stuffy. Richard Brody of The New Yorker is right there with me. Give me a movie about a scruffy underdog who overcomes the odds, and I'm far more satisfied.
Best Director
Tom Hooper- The King's Speech
(Coen Brothers- True Grit)
The King's Speech is the Academy's baby this year. The Coen brothers are brilliant and innovative- two things the Academy seems not to care much about. They remade a movie with John Wayne- some said it was a sacrilege! But they did it, and they did it better. Here's how.
Best Actor
Colin Firth- The King's Speech
(Colin Firth- The King's Speech)
If I'm being honest, I haven't seen enough of the movies in this category to judge, but Colin Firth does an excellent job of affecting a stammer without resorting to campiness. He's favored to win, and he's a fine choice.
Best Actress
Natalie Portman- Black Swan
(Michelle Williams- Blue Valentine)
Can someone tell me what is so freaking special about The Kids Are All Right? It certainly does not belong in the Best Picture category. Benning does a far better job at being a tense control freak who comes undone in the underrated Mother and Child. No matter, I think this year Portman has the category sewn up with her creepy performance. Michelle Williams is wonderful, but will fly under the radar.
Best Supporting Actor
Christian Bale- The Fighter
(Christian Bale- The Fighter)
All of the performances in this category were good, but Bale was great. Genius. Jeremy Renner was very good in The Town, and he got robbed in 2010, but I don't think they'll try to make amends this year. He has good work ahead of him yet. Incidentally, some felt Justin Timberlake would get a nomination for his performance in The Social Network, but I don't think he stood a chance against these guys anyway.
Best Supporting Actress
Melissa Leo- The Fighter
(Amy Adams- The Fighter)
Another tough choice- Hailee Steinfeld may even steal it. All the performances in this category were great, with the exception of Helena Bonham Carter, who I thought was just ok. Amy Adams holds her own in her scenes in this movie, a much better match than sharing the screen with Meryl Streep in Julie and Julia. I just loved her character and her performance.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Social Network
(Winter's Bone)
I felt like I had already seen The Social Network after reading this article, so I didn't think the screenplay was anything special. While Zuckerberg's ride to fame was a fun story, I liked the Winter's Bone tale better. Appalachian inbred meth cookers- who knew?
Best Original Screenplay
The King's Speech
(The Fighter)
Again, The King's Speech is the Academy's baby this year, and again, I think The Fighter was more interesting. Besides, the sisters in The Fighter- they stole the show! 'Nuff said.
Best Documentary (Feature Length)
Exit Through the Gift Shop
(Restrepo)
Gee, isn't Banksy special? He has lots of stencils, some spray paint, and he breaks the law. Oh, and people will pay a lot of money for artwork by an unknown if someone cool like Banksy mentions the artist. Even if that artist's art is totally derivative and sucky.
Best Foreign Film
Biutiful
(Biutiful)
Two of the nominees haven't even been released in the US yet, which seems awfully unfair to those of us who don't belong to the Academy. Dogtooth was weird and disturbing. Meanwhile, Bardem does not disappoint. I think they may get this one right.
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