France must be one happy country this morning, with the awards for Best Actor and Best Motion Picture of the year going to French natives. Although I'm not a fan of silent films, I look forward to watching 'The Artist' sometime this year. A silent film in 2012? Perhaps its rarity might the reason for it's high praise?
This was the first Oscar show I've watched, and I must say I probably enjoyed watching it more because of Yahoo's Into Now virtual app. With this app, you can interact with other viewers and comment on the show, and also learn the names of unrecognizable people.
1. Chris Rock was the funniest guest at the event as he presented the Best Animation award. To quote his joke of the night:
"If you’re a white man, you can play an Arabian prince. And if you’re a black man, you can play a donkey or a zebra."
I found this hilarious because Rock plays the voice of the zebra in the 'Madagascar' animated series, and his donkey reference most likely pointed to Eddie Murphy, who voices 'donkey' in the 'Shrek' series.
2. Billy Crystal, who was hosting the Oscar's for the second time did not keep me enthused. I wasn't tickled by his not so funny but hardly offensive 'racial' joke, to his outdated joke about Flomax, that only those of the older generation would understand. Nice one there Billy.
What saved Crystal (for me anyhow) was possibly his "What is he/she thinking" quip that spotlighted several members of the audience on what they were voicing in their heads.
3. Octavia Spencer had the most emotional reaction to her win for Best Supporting actress in "The Help". She beat out her co-star Jessica Chastain, also nominated in the same category. She held back tears and took a quick silent pause before laughing it off as she tried to wrap up her speech due to "freaking out". This award makes her the fifth Black actress to win in this category.
4. Marking the historic moment of the night, was Christopher Plummer's win for Best Supporting actor for his role in "Beginners". Plummer is the oldest person to win an Academy Award, at age 82. Given his time frame in the acting biz, there might be some abuzz to whether his win was a sympathetic gesture. He's been acting for more than fifty years.
5. Angelina Jolie presented an award, and she may have been the most awkward presenter of the night. Jolie wore a dress that looked very large (maybe because she also looked very thin), all whilst attempting to pose with an exposed leg. J.Lo also had a supposed nip-slip accident during her presentation with Cameron Diaz; I'm sure she'll be googled like mad by tomorrow.
Moving on.
6. A surprisingly shocking loss for George Clooney, who lost the Best Actor award to Jean Dujardin in "The Artist". Meryl Streep's win for Best Actress in "The Iron Lady" was also shocking, especially to viewers who thought Viola Davis would have taken home her first Oscar. I said I would be happy if either of them won.
But Clooney and Viola's loss is all the more reason to take Oscar buzzes lightly. All the buzz around those two, only for both of them to leave empty handed. This is Streep's third Oscar in 17 years. As I previously mentioned about Plummer's win, I think accusations of a sympathy award may surround Streep's win.
I hope this signals Viola to play a in a biopic or lead role in the future. Her trophy will come, I'm betting on it.
7. A quick Memoriam towards the end of the show payed tribute to memorable people lost in the past year. It lasted a few minutes. A gorgeous Esperanza Spalding, the Grammy winning artist that upset Bieber fans when she won Best New Artist in 2011, sang a beautiful rendition of "What a Wonderful World" amongst a choir. It was one of the best segments of the night.
How could I forget the amazing acrobats performing Cirque du Soleil? That was an outstanding performance which I found very impressive!
8. "The Artist" took home the Best Motion Picture award and night ended with thick French accents praising America and the award show. I won't see the film right away, I might even wait till it's available on OnDemand.
The show was alright, maybe I'll watch next year.
I still find it sad that after ten years of magical films which impacted pop culture around the world, Harry Potter couldn't get an Oscar :(
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