Oscars post-mortem...

I predicted - well, truly more like *guessed* - the winner in 14 out of 24 2006 Oscar categories, coming up wrongo in most of the "biggies" - oops.
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I'm just back from the Brattle's Oscar night, shared with my friend Anna. I'm gonna rattle off whatever comes to mind as I consider how the evening's awards and speeches went...


George Clooney continues to be as cool and sharp as I hope. I was surprised by his win as SYRIANA's Bob for supporting actor, but y'know, the first thing he said in his acceptance speech, only partly in jest I suspect, may explain it, as well as a lot of other awards for the evening... I think it was something like...

"Guess I'm not winning best director..."

I think now that I was wrong to anticipate the academy going for Giamatti, on the basis of an academy "adjustment" for SIDEWAYS. The nomination alone was adjustment enough. If I'd realized that before the awards, I might've imagined the Oscar going to Clooney...

Actually, no. I'd have them give it to Dillon for CRASH.

For fun and entertainment, I want to believe that Jacko went off the reservation there at the end, reading the winner of the Oscar for best picture, y'know? I mean, with that very Jacko reading of the nominees, can't you just see him riding that momentum into picking the winner all on his own?

Not that CRASH doesn't deserve an Oscar, cuz it's an excellent, tight, tantalizing, emotional ride of a movie, with no fat on its incredible interweaved ensemble bones. But something that I've repeatedly heard from movie-concerned friends is that historically, Best Picture and Best Director go together, to the same film.

I will say, if ever there was a good year to break that tradition, this would be it. It seems like almost every film up for something or other at the Oscars this year was a well-executed film as expression of Hollywood with a heart, mind, and conscience.

That might explain the Oscar that Three 6 Mafia walked away with tonight, too. Heh. Damn, but Jon Stewart was right. THOSE GUYS knew how to appreciate winning an Oscar! =)

It all went very smoothly and pretty much on schedule. Jon's dozen or so minutes were all entertaining, his ad libs were very him and on target, but except for three or four remarks, he didn't get too near anything I'd call a sharp edge. He's certainly a better fit w the moviemaking crowd than Chris Rock was, but y'know, he doesn't quite have the chemistry with the awards that Billy Crystal and Steven Martin do.

A "Return to Glamour?" Except for the prom committee's excellent work on the stage and decor, and perhaps the selection of some of the celebrities' dresses, at least in intent, if not in actual execution (Naomi? Looked like she had a dress, until Kong shook her like a rattle?), I didn't really see it...

Is dance interpretation of a nominated song REALLY necessary? The pimps, hos, and johns strutting and kicking and spinning in front of and around Three 6 Mafia did not really do anything for the song. And Lords of Kobol! Why force slow-motion charade re-enactments of scenes from CRASH behind "Bird's" fine performance?

Given those poorly tested choreographic decisions, I'm glad they didn't impose on Dolly to include gender bending dancers backing up her singing. Altho, sad to say, given the apparent work she's had done to preserve and update herself, maybe the producers thought that she was enough of a reinforcement of the film's plot and themes without back-up, eh?

She's a damn fine entertainer.

The best acceptance speech that I can remember now was from the director of TSOTSI. He definitely made the most of his 60(?) seconds. Alas, he tells everyone to go to the TSOTSI site to see his list of people he wants to thank, but I guess he hasn't gotten that update posted just yet.

Oooohhh... nice and sharp unsolicited bust on the Baldwins when Stewart introduced the Wilson brothers, heh.

I think the pit orchestra conductor must have a thing for Reese Witherspoon. She really did go on.

I was a little surprised that Philip Seymour Hoffman was so unprepared for accepting, or so ready to let himself get caught up emotionally that he would seem to ramble more than recite, but I suppose I'm being a bit two-faced criticizing that in him after agreeing with Jon about Three 6 Mafia getting excited and emotional about winning, right?

The live audience at the Brattle was pretty raucous in its support and unforgiving in its derision of a lot of different people, films, and issues. Consistent hisses whenever Tom Cruise showed his face. Some light cheers for the BROKEBACK screenwriters pushing the "culture of the book." Enthusiastic laughs at the send-ups of mudslinging election propaganda as applied to Oscar jockeying.

"Paid for by so-and-so's mom." Heh.


Some pained and hearty laughter at Stewart's jabs at how Hollywood has addressed and tackled tough issues, raising the American moviegoers's consciousness of societal wrongs and struggles, in the past and today, and how succesful their work has been, as all of those problems were solved one by one, thanks to the movies! That also came in a backwards flavor when he lauded Hollywood for daring to make such unflinching, contraversial films this years, and how they know just what we want in escapism - ha! =)

"Stay tuned for our homage to Oscar montages..." Ha. He should've stopped there I think, and not ask for clips on beta. =)

I was really hoping for some reporter-on-the-scene/correspondent reports from DAILY SHOW regulars, but I know, I know, this is the Academy Awards, not THE DAILY SHOW. Foo.

Still, Carell was pretty frickin hilarious, and all he had to do was blink while sporting fake eyelashes.


I did think that some bit of Stewart's monologue might've been leading to a description of BROKEBACK as the set-up for a bait-n-switch with 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN footage, heh. "You know how I know you're gay?" Alas, not to be.

Late late late. I gotta get some Zs so I can be up in the morning and ready to motor to Natick to drop my car off for some fixin. *sigh*

Keep on keepin on~