A Wonderful Night

All in all, this was really a great time. My first real Oscar soiree was complemented by an enjoyable ceremony and my first-ever entry into a real pool. Sad to say, I lost by one category in both the overall and the top six. I correctly predicted 12/24 (50%) and four out of the top six (or, a better statistic - six out of the top eight, down one from last year's seven). My statistics are pretty much on par with last year, since I did not predict the short films then (though my picks for the animated and live action short categories, from which I have seen all the films, were shafted in favor of the less impressive though not-quite-bad choices "The Mozart of Pickpockets" and the lengthy "Peter and the Wolf"). My proudest moment is calling Marion Cotillard, but I am saddened that my prediction for "Juno" upsetting did not occur. The biggest suprises of the night:

Tilda Swinton winning. I thought it might happen, but did not have the guts. It really does feel like just something to give "Michael Clayton" a trophy. Regardless, at least it was not Ruby Dee. Blanchett and Ryan both got honored at different guilds this year, and Blanchett is sure to be back, while Ryan and Ronan may have some trouble returning to the field.

"The Golden Compass" triumphs over "Transformers" in the Best Visual Effects category. I guess people really loved those blimps. I mean, I enjoyed the effects most about "Transformers" but was underwhelmed by "The Golden Compass", but I suppose the effects were the best. Also surprising that the final "Bourne" installment swept up all three trophies it was nominated for, Best Film Editing, Sound, and Sound Editing. That feels like a "The Return of the King"-like sweep, which I hate with a passion. Neither of the previous, far more deserving Bourne films were even nominated for anything, and this disappointing rip-off of the second one did not merit the acclaim it got, nor the trophies.

"Taxi to the Dark Side" beating out "Sicko". The former was quite good, but I presumed that viewers would find it so immensely disturbing that they would be sickened and choose to go with something more slightly uplighting but still as poignant. I do think "Sicko" was a slightly better movie, but I suppose it is good that people will now go out and see it. A fair warning - this is the most disturbing movie I have ever seen. Do not go into this expecting anything positive - it is extremely difficult to watch and sticks with you quite a bit. It is a great film, however.

Overall:
The show was a lot of fun, with some good montages and some great fake-montages. Jon Stewart did an excellent job without hogging the spotlight. Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen were a lot of fun as presenters, and the show did not feel too long despite running until about 11:45. The wins were actually quite spread out, with "No Country" taking home four awards (I originally wrote five, but I'm not sure how I counted), "The Bourne Ultimatum" taking home three, "There Will Be Blood" and "La Vie en Rose" with two apiece, and the rest relegated to one trophy each. No movie with more than two nominations (save for "Transformers" and "Enchanted") was snubbed, so this year was good with spreading the wealth. I myself am quite excited for next year, and agree wholeheartedly with Dave Karger's picks on the likely candidates for next year's Best Picture list. Then again, no one would have thought that "Juno" would be nominated a year ago, and I remember telling myself that there was no way that a movie called "There Will Be Blood" could possibly be nominated for Best Picture.

I will now of course be shifting my attention fully to the Emmy Awards, which are not as far away as you might think (nominees are announced in mid-July). Check out TV with Abe, my corresponding TV blog, for all the latest on that in the coming months. In the meantime, I will be posting my top 25 films of the year in the next week or so. I am quite behind on my reviews - I have thoughts to offer on "Charlie Bartlett", "Vantage Point", and "Chicago 10", so stick around for that.

Good night.