Marked improvement from last year.
Let's face it, last year's Oscars were pretty mediocre at best.
However, I mostly blame that on the writers strike, which eventually resulted in a rushed and terrible ceremony. This year, it's much better. Hugh Jackman as host=He was quite comical and who knew he could sing. The Presentations=Just seeing so many old and new Oscar-winning actors and actresses presenting the honors to this year's lucky actors and actresses made a huge difference. Eva-Marie Saint still looks great even in her mid 80s. The ultimate winners: All of them good choices, I mean, the ultimate awards deserved it. No surprises though, I pretty much guessed everything. Timing: No time being wasted at this ceremony. As a whole, it wasn't a perfect ceremony, but was pretty good compared to 2008. It doesn't get a perfect 10 simply because during the memorials segment, it focused more on fancy camera-work rather than honoring the movie people who died in the past year.. 
A different approach to the Oscars. Milk edges out the ram, Kate finally brings home gold, and the rags to riches story wins top prize!
"The 81st Annual Academy Awards" was certainly one of the first Oscars
that was done in a different style and direction. Unlike some of the past ones the show was more a performance style than a laugh fest. As evidenced by the host, as in the past when we laughed to the jokes and skits of Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Ellen, or John Stewart well this year the academy went a different route. A performer hosted that being actor Hugh Jackman and he displayed his talent very well mostly in the form of singing and performing well done skits and displays of the nominated films. Jackman not only a talented actor, but a stage performer you can tell his talent rubbed off well as his voice lit up the Oscar stage well. Also the awards categories when presented were handed out by at least five previous winners from the past of that particular category a first that I saw. The most moving and touching moment was the win of the late Heath Ledger as best supporting actor for his wicked performance of the Joker in the "Dark Knight" as his family mother, father, and sister accepting the award brought tears to everyone. And finally long overdue was the win of Kate Winslet for best actress the streak is over as her performance in the "Reader" broke her losing streak. And in the hot contested race of best actor Sean Penn's lifelike performance of gay politician Harvey Milk edged out the comeback kid Mickey Rourke as Mickey's turn in "The Wrestler" had all of us hoping for an underdog win. As in the best picture race as expected Hollywood loves a fairy tale as expected the rags to riches tale "Slumdog Millionaire" took best picture and it scooped up a total of eight wins. Overall one of the more recent better Oscars as with the hosting the show was less funny yet the talent and performance display was moving even though the shows pace ran a little bit over. Yet this 81st edition is most memorable for having one of the best and closest best actor races in years and it shows Hollywood always has a big heart for a rags to riches picture and as Kate proves just keep trying. But most of all history was made with Ledger's win as he became the first posthumous Oscar winner since Peter Finch who won for 1976's "Network". So overall one of the better award shows in recent years. Yet one last question where was Jack Nicholson?. |
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