I actually finished watching all the BP nominees yesterday in time for the broadcast and was surprised by a couple of them. Like Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino could have pulled out a BP award if he could break out of his ego-based self-branding pigeon hole he demands of his films. The bag scene was the best and may have been the sole reason he won for screenplay, but I thought the Coen brothers did it better with True Grit. The slave-fighting scene, music choices, and inconsistent cinematography were enough to shoot this semi-quasi-sometimes-satirical stylistically self-indulgent “spaghetti western” in the foot.
And I was surprised by how bored I was by Lincoln. I was really looking forward to it and saved it for last, but I thought it was lesser Spielberg. Tommy Lee Jones delivered his stock performance albeit with some heightened dialogue, but I wasn’t surprised it didn’t win for screenplay. I’m not convinced Kushner deserved to win for being Kushner.
Amour was probably the most arresting film of the bunch, but mostly because it affected me on such a hugely personal level. It put me right back into the events of 2010/2011 in my life and was hard to shake off. I think it was most deserving of the screenplay and leading actress awards.
Beasts of the Southern Wild was easily the most unique and intriguing of the bunch. A fascinating sleeper and that little girl earned every bit of kudos and attention she received.
Disappointed Anna Karenina didn’t receive more nominations and awards. Should have taken home score as well. I know I’ll get a ton of flack for this, but Anna Karenina and Cloud Atlas (shut up) were two of my favorite films of the year, but I’ll be the first to admit that rarely do the Oscar (or critics, for that matter) picks line up with my personal choices.
As for the ceremony:
Not sure why McFarlane was chosen to host the Oscars and after seeing the broadcast, I’m still not sure why he was chosen. The overlong opening left me wanting more Shatner and no McFarlane. Seth had a couple of funny zingers, but was exceedingly low on charisma or comfort.
Bassey started out shaky, but then totally knocked it out of the park. I was just distracted a bit by the weird sausage casing effect of her dress. But at least it wasn’t the sequined Hefty bag Meryl sported. Yeesh.
Kristen Stewart limped out on stage. Of course she did.
Regardless my own personal choices, I was thrilled for Ann Hathaway (and thought her speech was just fine), Jennifer Lawrence and Ang Lee.
Barbra reminded me why I haven’t found her interesting in almost 20 years. At least her nails looked the same. Adele and Bassey made Streisand look completely forgettable.
Loved the Jaws music. Hated the appearance of Ted. The Avengers schtick was woefully embarrassing.
Loved Michelle Obama and love even more the silly Tea Party Facebook backlash. I saw a post bitching about how they could waste SO MUCH TIME on the First Lady when the program was already running long. 1. The broadcast ALWAYS runs long. 2. You watched the opening sequence and thought the First Lady was the waste of time?
And finally, why did we need McFarlane to announce Jack Nicholson would announce the First Lady? Why does every broadcast have a shout-out to Nicholson like we’re all just guests at his party? Yes, he is a brilliant and prolific actor, but does he personally finance the broadcast every year? What would happen if they didn’t mention him one year?
Best dressed: Jessica Chastain
The only really funny thing in the entire telecast was a shot of socks in a dryer. OMG! I totally agree with Roscoe! Even in a funnier broadcast, that shot still would probably be the funniest thing because it was hysterical.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Updated On: 2/25/13 at 12:22 PM
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