post-oscar post

at the request of a faithful reader, here are my thoughts on last week's 2011 oscars:

apparently the dean from "community"
is also a really awesome writer with
a great sense of humor...

• there were no real surprises this year, except meryl streep winning. and while i really wanted viola davis (whom i didn't even recognize AT ALL in her short hair and slim dress) to get the recognition  she's earned over the years, i liked that streep was genuinely surprised that she won. and, after losing 16 (?) times in a row, i can be happy for her.
• i was getting really worried when hugo was starting off with its wins. 
• and i guess my biggest surprise of that night was that the tree of life didn't win "best cinematography." even the people who didn't like the movie couldn't deny it looked beautiful!
• i was disappointed to learn that that guy was NOT actually a seasoned seat-filler. that would have been so cool.
•  will ferrell and zach g. with the cymbals were my favorite presenters. unlike everyone else, they had me laughing. 
• the robert downey jr. doc thing: a little clever but, meh. 
• i liked the actors sharing their memories with their favorite movies. they chose talented actors and they talked about good, real movies (they even mentioned and brought in werner herzog! this stuff's for real!)
•  billy crystal was fine and all (the "black-face" issue just seems like people want something to get offended about), but why not conan?? his hosting of the emmy's a few years ago was phenomenal! guests on his show were praising him for it for months afterwards. and yes, he's more of a "tv personality" than a cinematic one, but jon stewart's done it twice. 
• crystal's "chapter 11 theater" comment was sad but funny.  
• jean dujardin thanked douglas fairbanks: yeah, totally owed that role to him. and anytime someone in hollywood is brave enough to show that they actually know film history, i applaud them.
•  angelina jolie: she looked unhealthily skinny, her hair looked thin and whispy, and her face looked plastic. and her leg pose for the presentation was so forced it was easily my favorite awkward moment of the night.
• no, wait, the nick nolte red carpet interview was my favorite awkward moment.
•  after hugo's early lead, i was getting nervous for the artist. but when it won for best director, we cheered and i felt much better about things. and yes, it won. i read someone noting that, for a while, more "daring" and unconventional movies were being crowned best picture: no country for old men, slumdog millionaire, and the hurt locker, but that the last couple of years have fallen into "safer" choices with the king's speech and, now, the artist. i'm reminded of 2005, when crash beat brokeback mountain, and people cried that hollywood was homophobic (really?) roger ebert replied that, no, it was simply because crash was the best movie. i'd say the same thing here. i've enjoyed all of those movies, and while i don't think those were necessarily THE best of their years in my opinion (i would have voted for there will be blood, wall-e, and the social network, respectively), i enjoyed all of those movies and can accept their choices. but it doesn't come down to a battle of "unconventional vs. traditional", it's simply that the artist was the best movie there (well, except for the tree of life, which was about as "unconventional" as has ever been nominated for best picture.) whether the black and white silent film is "daring" or "safe" is ultimately irrelevant: it's a great movie and just a whole lot of fun, and that's why we love the movies in the first place.
• p.s. plus, it's got the tuxedo coat scene. ; )