The Good:
-Uhhh...I'm struggling here. While I haven't seen a majority of the nominated films, I have seen some pretty wonderful films and performances that were left out. In general, though, there are some strong people in many of the categories - Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress categories are just FILLED to the brim with talent (p.s - the words "first time Oscar nominee for Directing, Spike Lee" absolutely boggles my mind. How is that even possible?).
-First Man for the technical awards (Visual Effects and the sound categories)
-Roma for Cinematography
The Bad:
-The entire Best Picture category. I probably shouldn't even be writing this post since I've only seen 2 of the nominated films - Black Panther and Roma. While both of those movies are good, I've definitely seen 8 films from 2018 that are better.
-Incredibles 2 is one of the worst animated films I've ever seen
-I have not seen Bohemian Rhapsody or Green Book, but I've read some of the criticism of both. I've also heard from many people that they loved both movies. So....*shrugs shoulders*
The Snubbed:
-OH SO MANY. The most egregious one is First Man for Best Picture, Cinematography, and Supporting Actress for Claire Foy (who should have been in the running for Best Actress for Unsane as well)
-There were so many insanely great female performances last year - Charlize Theron for Tully, Emily Blunt for A Quiet Place, Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy in Thoroughbreds, Maggie Gyllenhaal for The Kindergarten Teacher, Rachel McAdams in Game Night, Toni Collette for Hereditary, the list goes on, and you will never convince me that Melissa McCarthy gave a better performance than any of them (I have not seen Can You Ever Forgive Me, but there is just no way.).
-I didn't think he would win, but I really wanted to see my Bradley Cooper get a Directing nomination. Ditto for John Krasinski.
-The more I think about Tully, the more I love it - surely it deserves some screenwriting love?
Showing posts with label The Oscars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Oscars. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Monday, February 25, 2013
6 Thoughts on The Oscars
1. The Host - I am a fan of Family Guy and of Seth MacFarlane, but as an Oscar host, I was a little worried. It was a surprising choice, for sure (especially after the Anne Hathaway/James Franco disaster - I thought that the Academy would stick to "boring" for at least a few years). The problem is that most of MacFarlane's jokes are crude and inappropriate, which is much better fit for, say... the MTV Awards. As the show started, I realized that it was actually a great choice - he is charming, he can sing, he has that old-school Hollywood presence to him; He pretty much embodied a younger, hipper Billy Crystal and guess what??? It wasn't very funny. There were some enjoyable moments, but for most of it, I couldn't even bear to crack a smile. He wasn't a bad host and I think he will likely be asked back. I just didn't see anything special about it.
2. The Show - Such an awkward show, if it weren't live I would blame the editor. It was just so all over the place. Nothing really worked 100%. The opening was far too long and way too much of William Shatner (no thank you.). There were cute moments like Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum dancing and of course, JGL being adorable, but those moments also confused me greatly. WHY? What does this have to do with the Oscars? The sock puppet version of Flight was probably the most relevant skit. The theme of the show was "musicals", which meant that we got treated to performances from great musicals of the past decade (all 3 of them). Just because one musical comes out (and might be good. I still haven't seen it.), doesn't mean it should be more celebrated than the other films. And I know I have a bad memory, but Dreamgirls and Chicago were not that long ago, why pay tribute to them now?? The only song that sounded good was the Les Mis song (Catherine Zeta-Jones lip-syncing was unacceptable and Jennifer Hudson can belt out those notes better than most, but I've seen her do it a hundred times. Can we move on now?). Then there was the "Bond tribute" which was lame. Why not do "Skyfall" after this tribute? Because that would make sense? I'm not a huge fan of that song, but Adele deserved better (whoever did the sound mixing during the performance should be fired). The show felt like it was on for 5 hours (was it?) and there was a huge chunk of time, where I forgot I was watching the Oscars.
3. The Presenters - It's hard to watch presenters bomb, which is why I think most people just stuck to the script. But man, Paul Rudd and Melissa McCarthy were so terrible. I could feel the audience cringing in pain. We all knew that Ted would make an appearance with Mark Wahlberg, but I was really impressed with the effects for that. I also enjoyed Wahlberg's "No B.S., it's a tie" (good job censoring yourself, Mark). No one else really sticks out in my mind, except Jennifer Garner and Jessica Chastain - now that is an inspired pairing (Sydney Bristow and Maya! Terrorists beware!!).
4. The Winners - Even though some of the people I was rooting for didn't win, I still can't really complain. I guess my biggest upset is Jennifer Lawrence (over Jessica Chastain). Lawrence was great in Silver Linings Playbook, but I don't feel like it was an Oscar-winning performance, while Chastain was sublime in Zero Dark Thirty. Speaking of sublime, Joaquin Phoenix in The Master is honestly, some of the best acting I've ever seen, ever. I would love to be angry about his loss, but when Daniel Day Lewis is the winner, I can't really complain (and how cool was Meryl Streep announcing it?? She didn't even pause for a second, causing speculation over whether she even opened the envelope.). I still haven't seen Lincoln, but if people say DDL deserved the Oscar, I have no reason to question that. I would have loved to see Benh Zeitlin win for directing the stunning Beasts of the Southern Wild, but Life of Pi was also a beautifully made film (not my cup of tea, but I appreciate the technicality of the film). We all know that the Director statue really went to Ben Affleck and I am happy that the producers of the film recognized that and let him speak (as the Director) when Argo won. I am incredibly happy that Argo won. While my favorite film of the year is Seven Psychopaths, I can't deny that Argo is definitely a better made film (I can think of a total of zero flaws). It's been a long time since I agreed with the Academy on Best Picture (since 2006, with The Departed). We also agreed on Supporting Actor (Waltz), Original Screenplay (Tarantino) and Animated Feature (Brave). The fact that I'm not even that upset over some of my favorites losing, just proves how great 2012 was for film.
5. The Speeches - Not only did Jennifer Lawrence fall, but she acknowledged that she fell and that is the only reason anyone stood up for her - causing anyone who wasn't already swooning for her, to now swoon for her. The only other speech really worth noting was Ben Affleck - he was speed talking (I would be too, considering Jaws was apparently attacking people for talking too long. Fucking hilarious. Inappropriate, mean-spirited and FUCKING HILARIOUS). Affleck's speech was reminiscent of his speech when he won for Good Will Hunting, which was one of my favorite Oscar moments ever. He seems like someone who is genuinely happy just to be making movies. I think we are going to see him up on that stage quite a bit, over the next few decades.
6. The Fashion - You know how little girls imagine what their wedding dresses will look like? Well, I never did that. I did, however, picture what I would wear to the Oscars. It is statistically more possible that I will attend the Oscars than get married (although, I've succumbed to the fact that I might be there as someones date. Wow. Did I really just write that? That's a pretty depressing statement and not like me at all. I seriously need to get out of this funk that I am in.). If I were to attend the Oscars, I would be fighting my conflicting instincts. My first instinct is that it is the Oscars and since I am someone who is interested in fashion, the dress needs to make a statement. My second instinct is that I hate being the center of attention, so I need to blend in. Quite a predicament, isn't it?? There weren't really too many exciting dresses on the red carpet. I think Jessica Chastain looked divine - I would probably crown her "best dressed". I always hate the wedding dress trend at these events (doesn't everyone realize how ugly wedding dresses are?), and Jennifer Lawrence takes the cake on that one (because she looks like she belongs on the top of a cake). I think the only dress on the red carpet that I would actually wear is the one that Stacy Keibler was wearing. It's modern, glamorous and sexy (and no cleavage!).
2. The Show - Such an awkward show, if it weren't live I would blame the editor. It was just so all over the place. Nothing really worked 100%. The opening was far too long and way too much of William Shatner (no thank you.). There were cute moments like Charlize Theron and Channing Tatum dancing and of course, JGL being adorable, but those moments also confused me greatly. WHY? What does this have to do with the Oscars? The sock puppet version of Flight was probably the most relevant skit. The theme of the show was "musicals", which meant that we got treated to performances from great musicals of the past decade (all 3 of them). Just because one musical comes out (and might be good. I still haven't seen it.), doesn't mean it should be more celebrated than the other films. And I know I have a bad memory, but Dreamgirls and Chicago were not that long ago, why pay tribute to them now?? The only song that sounded good was the Les Mis song (Catherine Zeta-Jones lip-syncing was unacceptable and Jennifer Hudson can belt out those notes better than most, but I've seen her do it a hundred times. Can we move on now?). Then there was the "Bond tribute" which was lame. Why not do "Skyfall" after this tribute? Because that would make sense? I'm not a huge fan of that song, but Adele deserved better (whoever did the sound mixing during the performance should be fired). The show felt like it was on for 5 hours (was it?) and there was a huge chunk of time, where I forgot I was watching the Oscars.
3. The Presenters - It's hard to watch presenters bomb, which is why I think most people just stuck to the script. But man, Paul Rudd and Melissa McCarthy were so terrible. I could feel the audience cringing in pain. We all knew that Ted would make an appearance with Mark Wahlberg, but I was really impressed with the effects for that. I also enjoyed Wahlberg's "No B.S., it's a tie" (good job censoring yourself, Mark). No one else really sticks out in my mind, except Jennifer Garner and Jessica Chastain - now that is an inspired pairing (Sydney Bristow and Maya! Terrorists beware!!).
4. The Winners - Even though some of the people I was rooting for didn't win, I still can't really complain. I guess my biggest upset is Jennifer Lawrence (over Jessica Chastain). Lawrence was great in Silver Linings Playbook, but I don't feel like it was an Oscar-winning performance, while Chastain was sublime in Zero Dark Thirty. Speaking of sublime, Joaquin Phoenix in The Master is honestly, some of the best acting I've ever seen, ever. I would love to be angry about his loss, but when Daniel Day Lewis is the winner, I can't really complain (and how cool was Meryl Streep announcing it?? She didn't even pause for a second, causing speculation over whether she even opened the envelope.). I still haven't seen Lincoln, but if people say DDL deserved the Oscar, I have no reason to question that. I would have loved to see Benh Zeitlin win for directing the stunning Beasts of the Southern Wild, but Life of Pi was also a beautifully made film (not my cup of tea, but I appreciate the technicality of the film). We all know that the Director statue really went to Ben Affleck and I am happy that the producers of the film recognized that and let him speak (as the Director) when Argo won. I am incredibly happy that Argo won. While my favorite film of the year is Seven Psychopaths, I can't deny that Argo is definitely a better made film (I can think of a total of zero flaws). It's been a long time since I agreed with the Academy on Best Picture (since 2006, with The Departed). We also agreed on Supporting Actor (Waltz), Original Screenplay (Tarantino) and Animated Feature (Brave). The fact that I'm not even that upset over some of my favorites losing, just proves how great 2012 was for film.
5. The Speeches - Not only did Jennifer Lawrence fall, but she acknowledged that she fell and that is the only reason anyone stood up for her - causing anyone who wasn't already swooning for her, to now swoon for her. The only other speech really worth noting was Ben Affleck - he was speed talking (I would be too, considering Jaws was apparently attacking people for talking too long. Fucking hilarious. Inappropriate, mean-spirited and FUCKING HILARIOUS). Affleck's speech was reminiscent of his speech when he won for Good Will Hunting, which was one of my favorite Oscar moments ever. He seems like someone who is genuinely happy just to be making movies. I think we are going to see him up on that stage quite a bit, over the next few decades.
6. The Fashion - You know how little girls imagine what their wedding dresses will look like? Well, I never did that. I did, however, picture what I would wear to the Oscars. It is statistically more possible that I will attend the Oscars than get married (although, I've succumbed to the fact that I might be there as someones date. Wow. Did I really just write that? That's a pretty depressing statement and not like me at all. I seriously need to get out of this funk that I am in.). If I were to attend the Oscars, I would be fighting my conflicting instincts. My first instinct is that it is the Oscars and since I am someone who is interested in fashion, the dress needs to make a statement. My second instinct is that I hate being the center of attention, so I need to blend in. Quite a predicament, isn't it?? There weren't really too many exciting dresses on the red carpet. I think Jessica Chastain looked divine - I would probably crown her "best dressed". I always hate the wedding dress trend at these events (doesn't everyone realize how ugly wedding dresses are?), and Jennifer Lawrence takes the cake on that one (because she looks like she belongs on the top of a cake). I think the only dress on the red carpet that I would actually wear is the one that Stacy Keibler was wearing. It's modern, glamorous and sexy (and no cleavage!).
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad and The Snubbed
The Good:
-Argo, Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook are in my top 10 of the year (I still haven't seen Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserable, Amour or Lincoln).
-Will Tippin!!!!
-Joaquin Phoenix in The Master is my favorite acting performance of the year. I was nervous that he ruined his chances with his negative remarks about awards. It doesn't matter if he wants them, he still deserves them. Sublime performance.
-The entire Best Supporting Actor category is filled with awesome actors. That's a tough call, but I would give it to Christoph Waltz.
-Meryl Streep has no chance of winning an Oscar this year. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Meryl for the most part, but when she is nominated, she wins. It's frustrating.
The Bad:
-Life of Pi is a gorgeous movie, but it failed in its message. I agree with the technical nominations, but best picture? No way.
-I completely disagree with the love for Moonrise Kingdom. The more I think about it, the more I hate the film. I was even tempted to put it in my worst of the year list. While the screenplay is original, it's not nomination worthy. At all.
-This is the first time in a looooong time that I've actually seen most of the nominated animated features. While Brave almost made it to my best of the year list and I enjoyed The Pirates: Band of Misfits, I don't see anything special about ParaNorman or Wreck-it Ralph (both are cute). How are these Oscar nomination worthy films???
-Snow White and the Huntsman is nominated for 2 Oscars. I actually commented positively on both the costume and the visual effects....but still.
The Snubbed:
-The most talked about snub, is by far the most egregious: Ben Affleck for directing Argo.
-I knew my favorite film of the year, Seven Psychopaths, would be snubbed. However, the screenplay is borderline genius, as is Sam Rockwell's performance.
-Susan Sarandon is amazing in Jeff, Who Lives at Home.
-Leo DiCaprio for Django Unchained. Although it is a tough category, I would have preferred him over Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook.
-I would have loved a screenplay nomination for the most original movie of the year, Looper.
-Liam Neeson is incredible in The Grey. I haven't seen Flight yet (and I don't even want to see it), but I have an inkling that Neeson deserves the nomination more than Washington.
-Argo, Django Unchained and Silver Linings Playbook are in my top 10 of the year (I still haven't seen Zero Dark Thirty, Les Miserable, Amour or Lincoln).
-Will Tippin!!!!
-Joaquin Phoenix in The Master is my favorite acting performance of the year. I was nervous that he ruined his chances with his negative remarks about awards. It doesn't matter if he wants them, he still deserves them. Sublime performance.
-The entire Best Supporting Actor category is filled with awesome actors. That's a tough call, but I would give it to Christoph Waltz.
-Meryl Streep has no chance of winning an Oscar this year. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Meryl for the most part, but when she is nominated, she wins. It's frustrating.
The Bad:
-Life of Pi is a gorgeous movie, but it failed in its message. I agree with the technical nominations, but best picture? No way.
-I completely disagree with the love for Moonrise Kingdom. The more I think about it, the more I hate the film. I was even tempted to put it in my worst of the year list. While the screenplay is original, it's not nomination worthy. At all.
-This is the first time in a looooong time that I've actually seen most of the nominated animated features. While Brave almost made it to my best of the year list and I enjoyed The Pirates: Band of Misfits, I don't see anything special about ParaNorman or Wreck-it Ralph (both are cute). How are these Oscar nomination worthy films???
-Snow White and the Huntsman is nominated for 2 Oscars. I actually commented positively on both the costume and the visual effects....but still.
The Snubbed:
-The most talked about snub, is by far the most egregious: Ben Affleck for directing Argo.
-I knew my favorite film of the year, Seven Psychopaths, would be snubbed. However, the screenplay is borderline genius, as is Sam Rockwell's performance.
-Susan Sarandon is amazing in Jeff, Who Lives at Home.
-Leo DiCaprio for Django Unchained. Although it is a tough category, I would have preferred him over Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook.
-I would have loved a screenplay nomination for the most original movie of the year, Looper.
-Liam Neeson is incredible in The Grey. I haven't seen Flight yet (and I don't even want to see it), but I have an inkling that Neeson deserves the nomination more than Washington.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Oscar Nominations: The Good, The Bad and The Snubbed
The Good:
• Midnight in Paris is nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. Amongst the 9 Best Picture nominations it would be my pick.
• Brad Pitt was awesome in Moneyball which normally doesn’t surprise me but this was such a different role for him. The film would not have been on anyone's radar if it wasn't for him.
• Overall, the Best Actress category is full of talented women so I can’t complain – It is a bit surprising that Tilda Swinton was not among them after all of the amazing things that I have read, but I am actually happy that Rooney Mara snuck in there (still haven’t seen the Fincher version – but of all the clips I have seen she nails the role of Lisbeth).
• As much as I hate The Help, the acting talent definitely deserves all of the recognition they are getting.
• Bridesmaids is one of my favorite films of 2011, but I never thought it was Oscar worthy. I do think that Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo successfully wrote a comedy that was absolutely hilarious, while also having relateable characters and a heart that most comedies lack so I am satisfied with their nomination. Also, I adore Melissa McCarthy –so I wont complain about her nomination either.
• I am still not quite sure how I feel about The Tree of Life, I know I didn’t like it as much as most film critics. I will admit that the film is beautiful, poetic and visionary – Terrence Malick’s passion for art and film is evident. It is nice to see someone like that nominated for an Oscar.
• Something for Warrior!!!! Nick Nolte snuck in a Best Supporting Actor nomination – I only wish that Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy had snuck in as well.
The Bad:
• The Help was a painful experience.
• Judging from the comments on my Twitter feed, War Horse was painful as well.
• I’ve never read anything but mediocre reviews about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (aside from the performance from the kid and Max von Sydow).
• Michelle Williams was a lock (that I disagree with) but Kenneth Branagh? Really? I barely remember him at all in My Week With Marilyn.
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon was nominated for 3 awards. Enough said.
The Snubs:
• Drive should have been nominated in pretty much every category. Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Supporting Actor (Albert Brooks), Best Director (Nicolas Winding Refn), Best Adapted Screenplay (Hossein Amini) and Best Picture. It’s an insult to the film industry that it didn’t make it into at least one of these category’s (It did score a measly ONE for Sound Editing).
• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were not nominated for the amazing music they created for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?? I can't comprehend that one.
• One of my favorites, Super 8, was a guaranteed snub for Best Picture and Best Director (I would also argue that Elle Fanning should have been nominated for Supporting Actress – she was brilliant) but I assumed it would get a visual effects nod.
• I didn’t see Shame yet but based on their previous collaboration (Hunger) and all of the amazing things I have read, Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender were deserving.
• Charlize Theron was really the only reason I would recommend Young Adult to anyone. I was mesmerized by her (she should have replaced Michelle Williams).
• I know Another Earth was not everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t argue that Brit Marling and Mike Cahill wrote a beautiful, inspiring, original screenplay.
• I would have jumped for joy if Joseph Gordon-Levitt got a nomination for 50/50. My second favorite Actor performance of the year (behind Ryan Gosling for Drive). Also Will Reiser should be nominated for the screenplay.
• Midnight in Paris is nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director. Amongst the 9 Best Picture nominations it would be my pick.
• Brad Pitt was awesome in Moneyball which normally doesn’t surprise me but this was such a different role for him. The film would not have been on anyone's radar if it wasn't for him.
• Overall, the Best Actress category is full of talented women so I can’t complain – It is a bit surprising that Tilda Swinton was not among them after all of the amazing things that I have read, but I am actually happy that Rooney Mara snuck in there (still haven’t seen the Fincher version – but of all the clips I have seen she nails the role of Lisbeth).
• As much as I hate The Help, the acting talent definitely deserves all of the recognition they are getting.
• Bridesmaids is one of my favorite films of 2011, but I never thought it was Oscar worthy. I do think that Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo successfully wrote a comedy that was absolutely hilarious, while also having relateable characters and a heart that most comedies lack so I am satisfied with their nomination. Also, I adore Melissa McCarthy –so I wont complain about her nomination either.
• I am still not quite sure how I feel about The Tree of Life, I know I didn’t like it as much as most film critics. I will admit that the film is beautiful, poetic and visionary – Terrence Malick’s passion for art and film is evident. It is nice to see someone like that nominated for an Oscar.
• Something for Warrior!!!! Nick Nolte snuck in a Best Supporting Actor nomination – I only wish that Joel Edgerton and Tom Hardy had snuck in as well.
The Bad:
• The Help was a painful experience.
• Judging from the comments on my Twitter feed, War Horse was painful as well.
• I’ve never read anything but mediocre reviews about Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (aside from the performance from the kid and Max von Sydow).
• Michelle Williams was a lock (that I disagree with) but Kenneth Branagh? Really? I barely remember him at all in My Week With Marilyn.
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon was nominated for 3 awards. Enough said.
The Snubs:
• Drive should have been nominated in pretty much every category. Best Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Supporting Actor (Albert Brooks), Best Director (Nicolas Winding Refn), Best Adapted Screenplay (Hossein Amini) and Best Picture. It’s an insult to the film industry that it didn’t make it into at least one of these category’s (It did score a measly ONE for Sound Editing).
• Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross were not nominated for the amazing music they created for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo?? I can't comprehend that one.
• One of my favorites, Super 8, was a guaranteed snub for Best Picture and Best Director (I would also argue that Elle Fanning should have been nominated for Supporting Actress – she was brilliant) but I assumed it would get a visual effects nod.
• I didn’t see Shame yet but based on their previous collaboration (Hunger) and all of the amazing things I have read, Steve McQueen and Michael Fassbender were deserving.
• Charlize Theron was really the only reason I would recommend Young Adult to anyone. I was mesmerized by her (she should have replaced Michelle Williams).
• I know Another Earth was not everyone’s cup of tea, but you can’t argue that Brit Marling and Mike Cahill wrote a beautiful, inspiring, original screenplay.
• I would have jumped for joy if Joseph Gordon-Levitt got a nomination for 50/50. My second favorite Actor performance of the year (behind Ryan Gosling for Drive). Also Will Reiser should be nominated for the screenplay.
Monday, February 28, 2011
5 Thoughts on the Oscars
Last nights Oscar awards presentation seemed to go exactly as planned - which doesn't always make for great television. Overall, it was a very tame and uneventful show. It certainly lacked the "young and hip" thing they were going for....
1. The Fashion - First things first - right? I can't really say there were any huge misses on the red carpet last night - unless you include Mark Ruffalo's wife. Seriously, wtf was that gold peak--boo boob with the black draped should pad? It was really awful. I give the best dress honor to Mila Kunis (yet again) - the dress was beautiful, sexy and a little bit of a risk (it also reminded me of something Halle Berry would wear). I also thought Mandy Moore looked fantastic - her dress was a perfect illusion of body sparkle and she looked like a princess but she also looked too similar to Hailee Steinfeld. Cate Blanchett's dress was just weird - a little too weird for the Oscars, yet I appreciate the fashion risk and Cate is just one of those lucky women who can literally make anything look fantastic. I would say the worst dressed weren't even that bad - just all off in a way. Jennifer Hudson was too sexy, Gwyneth Paltrow was too futuristic (and I don't dig the pointy boob look), Reese Witherspoon was too Oscar Barbie (I'm pretty sure I had that Barbie with that exact dress and high ponytail. And yes, she also was too reminiscent of Julia's dress), Marissa Tomei was too unflattering and too much tulle and Nicole Kidman was too overwhelmed with details.
2. The Hosts - This is the first year since I can remember that I was not excited for the Oscars for 3 reasons: Anne Hathaway & James Franco as hosts, 2010 was a crappy year for film and the winners seemed predictable (more on that next). Soo, Anne and James....really? I need my awards shows to be funny and move quickly. I had a huge feeling they would fail and in all honesty they did, however they both gave it 100% so I don't think they can be blamed. They should have never been put in this position to begin with. The big opening was cute - but to be blunt - completely forgettable. They have this awkward chemistry that works (she is peppy and full of energy while he looks like he is falling asleep) but got old pretty quickly. James Franco is a very talented actor (he always works the perfect amount of cheese on GH) but in real life he always reminds me of his Freaks and Geeks character - he has this I don't give a f*** because I have something better to do presence. I actually find this to be hilarious but not for the Oscars. The weird thing was that I think he actually appreciated what he was doing and tried his absolute best (he constantly tweeted pics from the night - which proves that he actually cared). I will say that I appreciate only 1 Charlie Sheen joke made a presence (and it was mildly entertaining - if only to see James in a Marilyn Monroe dress). Franco's best moment was calling out the kids film How to Train Your Dragon for being inappropriately titled. I remember watching the trailer last year and thinking it was a joke - I am glad James and I both have dirty minds. Anne Hathaway is also very talented - but I can see why people find her "grating". She seemed to try a bit too hard and desperately seek approval from the audience. She kept holding her stomach -which is a sure sign that she was letting her nerves get the best of her. Her best moment was singing "On My Own" and changing the lyrics to "a Hugh jack-ass". She sounded fantastic and made me anticipate her appearance on Glee.
3. The Winners - This was the most predictable Oscars ever!! Which is why I was not excited about it. Seriously, did anyone bet against Christian Bale? Or Colin Firth? I predicted 17 out of 24 of the awards which is my best since 1998 when I pretty much just guessed that Titanic would win everything (speaking of - I loved the reference to Titanic in the beginning...I might have to watch that again. Soon.). The ones that I got wrong were actually surprising to me - I thought for sure that Fincher would win, Exit Through the Gift Shop and Biutiful would win Documentary and Foreign language respectively. I also got both Live Action Short and Animated Short wrong (but I literally just guessed - I usually find a way to see these films but since my interest in films this past year has diminished I completely forgot). So, needless to say the show was so boring because the winners were already pre-determined. It was also boring because the winners had nothing interesting to say. Melissa Leo's speech actually made me hate her - she seemed disingenuous and just plain annoying. Dropping the f-bomb doesn't make you cool it makes you disrespectful - this isn't the MTV movie awards! Other winners were mildly amusing - I liked the guy who won for Live Action Short commenting that "I should have gotten a hair cut" along with the guy who won for Art Direction saying " Why didn't I lose those 20 pounds?". It's good to know that the guys were just as insecure on that stage as I would be. The best speech belonged to the ever lovable Colin Firth who opened his speech with "I have a feeling my career just peaked". However, I would have died if he actually busted a move like he was teasing us with. That would have just made the entire show worth watching.
4. The Presenters - Based on some of the presenters I give the Academy a few choices for next years hosting challenge: 1. Justin Timberlake. His "I'm Banksy" was hilarious as was his impromptu mimicking of Kirk Douglas - proving that he can improvise just as good as any comedian (and why oh why can he not be with someone as hot and talented as Mila Kunis in real life?). 2. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law - Their playful banter was actually pretty funny as was their chemistry together. Plus- I love Jude Law. Let me repeat that...I love Jude Law. 3. Sandra Bullock - Actress. Comedian. Greatest human being on the planet. She has grace, humility and every one's hearts. She would make a perfect host.
5. The Show - The only other aspect of the show to talk about were the performances - which were pretty bland. It was weird seeing Chuck sing at the Oscars (as well as Mandy Moore). They sounded o.k - but the song was kinda boring. Gwyneth is becoming a bit over played - she has been EVERYWHERE this year. Again - she sounded o.k but nothing special. The best performance was Celine Dion singing "Smile" which was a perfect song for the In Memoriam, but I would have preferred for her to belt out "My Heart Will Go On" just to deepen my nostalgia for Titanic. I also enjoyed a few other things - During the pre-show I was happy to see Gulianna forced in the sky box - far away from the action. Smart thinking E!. I smiled when Michelle Williams showed up hand in hand with Busy Phillips (I would totally show up at the Oscars with my BFF). I find Jesse Eisenberg's awkwardness completely fascinating - he is like the male Kristen Stewart. And finally speaking of Kristen - the best Twilight reference ever was the auto-tuned montage that ended with the "he doesn't own a shirt" song. That was hilarious.
1. The Fashion - First things first - right? I can't really say there were any huge misses on the red carpet last night - unless you include Mark Ruffalo's wife. Seriously, wtf was that gold peak--boo boob with the black draped should pad? It was really awful. I give the best dress honor to Mila Kunis (yet again) - the dress was beautiful, sexy and a little bit of a risk (it also reminded me of something Halle Berry would wear). I also thought Mandy Moore looked fantastic - her dress was a perfect illusion of body sparkle and she looked like a princess but she also looked too similar to Hailee Steinfeld. Cate Blanchett's dress was just weird - a little too weird for the Oscars, yet I appreciate the fashion risk and Cate is just one of those lucky women who can literally make anything look fantastic. I would say the worst dressed weren't even that bad - just all off in a way. Jennifer Hudson was too sexy, Gwyneth Paltrow was too futuristic (and I don't dig the pointy boob look), Reese Witherspoon was too Oscar Barbie (I'm pretty sure I had that Barbie with that exact dress and high ponytail. And yes, she also was too reminiscent of Julia's dress), Marissa Tomei was too unflattering and too much tulle and Nicole Kidman was too overwhelmed with details.
2. The Hosts - This is the first year since I can remember that I was not excited for the Oscars for 3 reasons: Anne Hathaway & James Franco as hosts, 2010 was a crappy year for film and the winners seemed predictable (more on that next). Soo, Anne and James....really? I need my awards shows to be funny and move quickly. I had a huge feeling they would fail and in all honesty they did, however they both gave it 100% so I don't think they can be blamed. They should have never been put in this position to begin with. The big opening was cute - but to be blunt - completely forgettable. They have this awkward chemistry that works (she is peppy and full of energy while he looks like he is falling asleep) but got old pretty quickly. James Franco is a very talented actor (he always works the perfect amount of cheese on GH) but in real life he always reminds me of his Freaks and Geeks character - he has this I don't give a f*** because I have something better to do presence. I actually find this to be hilarious but not for the Oscars. The weird thing was that I think he actually appreciated what he was doing and tried his absolute best (he constantly tweeted pics from the night - which proves that he actually cared). I will say that I appreciate only 1 Charlie Sheen joke made a presence (and it was mildly entertaining - if only to see James in a Marilyn Monroe dress). Franco's best moment was calling out the kids film How to Train Your Dragon for being inappropriately titled. I remember watching the trailer last year and thinking it was a joke - I am glad James and I both have dirty minds. Anne Hathaway is also very talented - but I can see why people find her "grating". She seemed to try a bit too hard and desperately seek approval from the audience. She kept holding her stomach -which is a sure sign that she was letting her nerves get the best of her. Her best moment was singing "On My Own" and changing the lyrics to "a Hugh jack-ass". She sounded fantastic and made me anticipate her appearance on Glee.
3. The Winners - This was the most predictable Oscars ever!! Which is why I was not excited about it. Seriously, did anyone bet against Christian Bale? Or Colin Firth? I predicted 17 out of 24 of the awards which is my best since 1998 when I pretty much just guessed that Titanic would win everything (speaking of - I loved the reference to Titanic in the beginning...I might have to watch that again. Soon.). The ones that I got wrong were actually surprising to me - I thought for sure that Fincher would win, Exit Through the Gift Shop and Biutiful would win Documentary and Foreign language respectively. I also got both Live Action Short and Animated Short wrong (but I literally just guessed - I usually find a way to see these films but since my interest in films this past year has diminished I completely forgot). So, needless to say the show was so boring because the winners were already pre-determined. It was also boring because the winners had nothing interesting to say. Melissa Leo's speech actually made me hate her - she seemed disingenuous and just plain annoying. Dropping the f-bomb doesn't make you cool it makes you disrespectful - this isn't the MTV movie awards! Other winners were mildly amusing - I liked the guy who won for Live Action Short commenting that "I should have gotten a hair cut" along with the guy who won for Art Direction saying " Why didn't I lose those 20 pounds?". It's good to know that the guys were just as insecure on that stage as I would be. The best speech belonged to the ever lovable Colin Firth who opened his speech with "I have a feeling my career just peaked". However, I would have died if he actually busted a move like he was teasing us with. That would have just made the entire show worth watching.
4. The Presenters - Based on some of the presenters I give the Academy a few choices for next years hosting challenge: 1. Justin Timberlake. His "I'm Banksy" was hilarious as was his impromptu mimicking of Kirk Douglas - proving that he can improvise just as good as any comedian (and why oh why can he not be with someone as hot and talented as Mila Kunis in real life?). 2. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law - Their playful banter was actually pretty funny as was their chemistry together. Plus- I love Jude Law. Let me repeat that...I love Jude Law. 3. Sandra Bullock - Actress. Comedian. Greatest human being on the planet. She has grace, humility and every one's hearts. She would make a perfect host.
5. The Show - The only other aspect of the show to talk about were the performances - which were pretty bland. It was weird seeing Chuck sing at the Oscars (as well as Mandy Moore). They sounded o.k - but the song was kinda boring. Gwyneth is becoming a bit over played - she has been EVERYWHERE this year. Again - she sounded o.k but nothing special. The best performance was Celine Dion singing "Smile" which was a perfect song for the In Memoriam, but I would have preferred for her to belt out "My Heart Will Go On" just to deepen my nostalgia for Titanic. I also enjoyed a few other things - During the pre-show I was happy to see Gulianna forced in the sky box - far away from the action. Smart thinking E!. I smiled when Michelle Williams showed up hand in hand with Busy Phillips (I would totally show up at the Oscars with my BFF). I find Jesse Eisenberg's awkwardness completely fascinating - he is like the male Kristen Stewart. And finally speaking of Kristen - the best Twilight reference ever was the auto-tuned montage that ended with the "he doesn't own a shirt" song. That was hilarious.
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