When asked how long the Oscars where going to last this year, my response was 3 hours 25 minutes and 15 seconds, I was off by a few minutes, but if I would have known about all the film montages and plugging going to the theaters I would have changed my guess. Long and dry at times, but a few funny moments between John Stewart and the presenters, the Oscars played up to the films of substance. I agree with John Stewart, Oscar host, people go to the movies to escape reality not have it spoon-fed to them. Jon Stewart made a comment about all the themes for film this year runs close to the collar on censorship, racism, corruption, war and the overall shitty things that happen in life, glad we go to the movies to escape life aren’t you?
Everybody dressed elegantly and behaving themselves, how much more can we take of the stiff upper lip of Hollywood? Where is the extravagant gowns that the paparazzi gets to poke fun at or the actors who get up in front of the mic and instead of saying thank you stomps their feet and uses that opportunity as a political platform? Everybody was on their best behavior; the stars were so glamorous that they thanked their competition and all the little people, very little appreciation for themselves. If I would win an Oscar, screw the little people; it’s all about me and what I did for this film. “Thank you, thank you for giving to me what I have so justly earned, nobody else could have done it as good as I did.” That is how you are supposed to accept an Oscar.
Highlights:
-Men well dressed in their tuxes and women very beautifully darned in their vintage form fitting gowns.
-Jon Stewart bagged on everybody, not one film or actor in the audience was exempt from his little quips.
-Ben Stiller in a green unitard, looking and acting quite silly.
-Plenty of movie montages, black and white film noir, epics and the matching of actors to real life characters.
-Plugging the theaters and bashing the dvd and home TV experience.
-A few actors getting the Oscar slap and others getting the Oscar gold.
-Dolly Parton still stands up right, even with all that weight on top.
-Great little clips of political campaigning puns for actors and films.
Best Motion Picture of the Year: Crash
WTF? I’m sure it was a great film, but where’s the love for something a little more moving and real? Let’s hear it for Brokeback Mountain, Capote, Munich and Good Night and Good Luck! Rumor had it that Crash was going to win, but a film that resembles a great need for an Oscar, a film created for one purpose and one purpose only shouldn’t have beat out other films that had more feeling and motivation behind them than simply feeding to the Oscar frenzy.
My Oscar goes to Brokeback Mountain
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Philip Seymour Hoffman for Capote
Perfectly accepted for an Oscar winner. He shook and tremble in front of national TV thanking his mother above all for raising 4 kids on her own and being such a great support to him.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Reese Witherspoon for Walk the Line
Reese is “just trying to matter and be a real woman”. She’s sweet and all, but give us a break. Felicity Huffman’s performance in Transamerica transends Reese Witherspoon’s Walk the LIne and others as well. But if Felicity didn’t get it, then why not Judi Dench or Keira Knightley, so many where so much better. Award for longest Oscar speech, somebody shut her up!
My Oscar goes to Joan Allen in the Upside of Anger
How did Oscar forget about that brilliant performance by Joan in a film that was moving, funny and pure life?
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: George Clooney for Syriana
Guess this means no Best Director for you. Clooney gave kudos to all the other actors in his category and out. He is very proud of being a member of Hollywood from speaking out about Aids and Civil Rights to being a part of something that moves forward even when the world seems to be stuck. Great speech and best option for this category.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Rachel Weisz for The Constant Gardener
Very difficult choice Amy Adams, Catherine Keener, and Frances McDormand are all 3 just as deserving of this award than Rachel Weisz, but in all honesty Rachel should have been considered for Leading Actress instead of Supporting Role.
My Oscar goes to Frances McDormand for North Country
Best Achievement in Directing: Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain
Hell yes, this is just deserved! “I can’t quit you!”, Ang Lee.
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: Crash – Paul Haggis, Robert Moresco
Sure, cause Good Night and Good Luck or The Squid and the Whale sucked? Crash is a talent filled film with all the goals of winning movie awards, congrads to you, you accomplished your goals.
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published: Brokeback Mountain – Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana
Interesting couple saying thanks for their award. He stood in a tux jacket and a crooked tie and she in a lovely gown and a scowl. Did somebody forget to tell Diana she had just won the Oscar for Best Writing?
Best Achievement in Cinematography: Memoirs of a Geisha
Best Achievement in Editing: Crash
Best Achievement in Art Direction: Memoirs of a Geisha
Memoirs was beautiful in deed, but for Art Direction something more along the lines of King Kong or Harry Potter should have been taken more seriously.
My Oscar goes to King Kong
Best Achievement in Costume Design: Memoirs of a Geisha
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: Brokeback Mountain
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: Hustle & Flow – “It’s Hard Out Here For a Pimp”
Only 3 choices for a years worth of film? Most exciting moment on the show, the acceptance of this award.
Best Achievement in Makeup: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Best Achievement in Sound: King Kong
Best Achievement in Sound Editing:King Kong
Best Achievement in Visual Effects: King Kong
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year: Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
My Oscar goes to Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004) – Hayao Miyazaki (Howl’s Moving Castle)
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year:Tsotsi (2005) – Gavin Hood (South Africa)
Best Documentary, Features: Marche de l’empereur, La (March of the Penguins
Best Documentary, Short Subjects: A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin
Best Short Film, Animated: The Moon and the Son
Best Short Film, Live Action: Six Shooter
Over all the Oscars was slightly entertaining and a little dry. Most of the winners deserved their gold, but a few runners up deserved it more. I do not discredit the theme or story to Crash, but disagree with it being the best film of the year; so many others are more powerful and play less into the main stream for attention. Films such as Brokeback Mountain or Capote takes risks and entertain, films like Good Night and Good Luck or Munich reminds us of social, political and conspiracy issues in an artistic form any of those films deserves the gold just as much if not more than Crash.
Glad to see Kong getting the love, being noticed for its visual effects and sound, would have like to see it get best art direction, but Geisha deserved that category as much. Let’s hope for a stronger competitive year in 2006 and hope for leaps and bounds with pushing the envelope in the film industry. Hope to see more controversy, more on the edge technology and a little more art returned to this craft.