Well, the glittering night is done, and Hollywood has put away its forced smiles and glad hands for yet another night. I hadn't really talked about the big show leading up to last night, because, by and large, I thought it was going to be a pretty by-the-numbers show. And it didn't surprise me, with a few exceptions.
I wasn't surprised Sandra Bullock won, as I knew she was a very popular fixture in Hollywood. I personally can't stand the confectionery she usually appears in, The Blind Side included, but a whole helluva lot of other people do, and I have to say, she has always struck me as kind of a classy dame. Her speech reinforced that, even as I thought that Gabourey Sidibe was the most deserving actress for her incredible turn in Precious.
The only other thing that surprised me was The White Ribbon not winning either Best Cinematography or Best Foreign Language film. Seeing as I thought it to be the best film of the year, I was surprised that the Academy went another way.
Few surprises meant the show was a little lacklustre this year. The two hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, were funny, but were hardly on stage enough to really cut loose. Their funniest moment came with their spoof of Paranormal Activity, and with a few of their choice digs at each other and Meryl Streep. But look, if you've got a comedic duo on stage of that calibre, to not have routines written that highlight a "duo" structure is a waste.
The dance numbers were weak, starting with the hodgepodge of Neil Patrick Harris' opening number. It seemed tacked on and felt like Harris was auditioning to host the Oscars solo next year, and it wasn't a very good audition, it must be said. The Breakin' II: Electric Boogaloo-esque number that supposedly showed off the nominated scores was painful, with the choreography so muddled and convoluted as to defy description. It rarely matched the music or evoked interest.
Finally, and this was begun last year and I hated it then, there was the James Taylor performance accompanying the "In Memoriam" segment. People should be paying attention to honoring the people who had passed that year, not having their attention torn by trying to be respectful to the person performing.
I wasn't surprised Sandra Bullock won, as I knew she was a very popular fixture in Hollywood. I personally can't stand the confectionery she usually appears in, The Blind Side included, but a whole helluva lot of other people do, and I have to say, she has always struck me as kind of a classy dame. Her speech reinforced that, even as I thought that Gabourey Sidibe was the most deserving actress for her incredible turn in Precious.
The only other thing that surprised me was The White Ribbon not winning either Best Cinematography or Best Foreign Language film. Seeing as I thought it to be the best film of the year, I was surprised that the Academy went another way.
Few surprises meant the show was a little lacklustre this year. The two hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, were funny, but were hardly on stage enough to really cut loose. Their funniest moment came with their spoof of Paranormal Activity, and with a few of their choice digs at each other and Meryl Streep. But look, if you've got a comedic duo on stage of that calibre, to not have routines written that highlight a "duo" structure is a waste.
The dance numbers were weak, starting with the hodgepodge of Neil Patrick Harris' opening number. It seemed tacked on and felt like Harris was auditioning to host the Oscars solo next year, and it wasn't a very good audition, it must be said. The Breakin' II: Electric Boogaloo-esque number that supposedly showed off the nominated scores was painful, with the choreography so muddled and convoluted as to defy description. It rarely matched the music or evoked interest.
Finally, and this was begun last year and I hated it then, there was the James Taylor performance accompanying the "In Memoriam" segment. People should be paying attention to honoring the people who had passed that year, not having their attention torn by trying to be respectful to the person performing.
Anyhoo, those are my gripes and praises. The Hurt Locker won big, and it deserved it for the most part, though I still believe Precious to be the best American film of the year, with The Hurt Locker right behind it. I'm just glad Avatar didn't win, even though this is a genre-friendly site. It just simply didn't deserve it.
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