(I think it’ll be the last Slumdog Millionaire post, because on the site are three separate Slumdog posts now. A bit excessive, even for me.)
It did it– like the Little Engine That Could, Slumdog Millionaire somehow managed to win Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Score, Best Song, and Best Director, and a few other technical awards. That’s a huge coup for any movie to win for THAT many categories as it was nominated for. I think of the nominations Slumdog got, it only lost 1 or 2. Pretty impressive. Personally, I went with history and looked at how pictures that usually rack up the awards at the Golden Globes and BAFTA’s usually end up in the cold at the Oscars. Hence, I put my bets on Milk winning it all. Granted, I haven’t seen the movie, but Sean Penn did end up winning Best Actor for it, and I figured a strong performance by a veteran actor would be enough for people in the Academy to perhaps go for it and break away from the slew of awards that the film had already accrued.
Weirdly, my picks for most of the main categories were all off– I picked Viola Davis (stupid move– it’s her first nomination and as soon as the awards began I knew that I should’ve picked Penelope Cruz instead because she was robbed for her amazing work in Volver), Milk for Best Picture, and I picked– get this– Frank Langella for Frost/Nixon. I know, you’re thinking why oh WHY did he pick Frank Langella? Because Penn had won just a few years ago for Mystic River, Rourke was too edgy as an all-around person for the Oscars, and Brad Pitt wasn’t seen as doing really serious work as Benjamin Button. Langella on the other hand? He’s a respected older actor who’s never won. I thought that would easily put him over the top. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case: take Peter O’Toole, for instance. He’s been nominated some ridiculous number of times and still hasn’t won, even after collecting a Lifetime Achievement trophy.
And yet, I managed to get almost all the other categories right– even the categories that I’d never even SEEN the movie. Stuff like Best Animation Short, Best Documentary, etc. The stuff that most people go, “can we get to the bigger awards already?” I went to a friend’s house tonight for an Oscar party and I won a ‘grand prize’ for getting the most accurate picks. Who would’ve thought it? Pretty cool though.
Last but not least, I was actually rather impressed with the overall efficiency and light-heartedness of the Oscars this year. I thought that Hugh Jackman did a terrific job on the opening sequence, channeling some Billy Crystal shticks and pulling it off effortlessly. The point where he pulled Anne Hathaway onstage and performed with her was especially fun, it seemed. The night got off to a good start and didn’t have as much droll latency as many other recent presentations (which led to much lower ratings). I’m not sure if I agreed with Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens being onstage at the Academy Awards at first, but I think the tribute to musicals with them, Jackman, two of the actors from Mamma Mia! and Beyonce was nicely done and fun to watch. Ben Stiller coming in as Joaquin Phoenix was HILARIOUS, and absolutely great to mock fun of Phoenix’s ridiculous behavior on Letterman. True the crowd didn’t laugh too much at the shtick by Stiller, but I was absolutely dying.
The only thing missing from the show was random zaniness, I’d say. Not to say that there needs to be a streaker onstage every year, but some sense of an ‘edge’. Regardless, overall still a fun show to watch, and I don’t think I wholeheartedly disagreed with any winners, except maybe for the massive omissions to The Dark Knight for Best Director and Best Picture. But of course, that’s all in the past. This year’s Oscars is over, and as Jackman himself stated, the race to next year’s Oscars is on.
Recent Comments