Academy Awards

I watched the Academy Awards last night. Pretty good show.

I loved the format for best actor/actress... It made the award seem so much more meaningful when the past winners praised the nominees for their performances... I just wish there was someway to also show clips of the performances... That would be nice.

Everything was good except for the Hugh Jackman and Beyonce dance skit... a little forced.

The Pineapple Express skit was HILARIOUS. Especially when they laughed at "The Reader" and "Doubt". The Academy deserves to be made fun of a bit.

Oh, and the Queen Latifah "In Memory" thing... It would have been much more powerful if they had not kept panning out to 2-shots of her singing and the "In Memory" screen. Sometimes it was even hard to read the names of the people who had passed. Next year, please respect those who died by focusing on them the entire time, not Queen Latifah.

Best Picture/Director: Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire
It's an entertaining film. But I do NOT think that it is Oscar worthy of the Best Picture. There were very few strong films this year, but Slumdog is overrated. However, Benjamin Button is the only thing that could have even come close to competing.... maybe Milk. But Slumdog had this award in the bag the entire time. Did anyone even doubt it?

Best Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
I loved Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married. Amazing film. Amazing performance. She deserved it just as much as any of the other nominees did.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Penelope Cruise, in Vicky Christina Barcelona
She had an excellent performance in this pretty good movie.

Actor: Sean Penn in Milk
I have not seen any of the films in this category (in fact, I have barely seen any of the films nominated), but Sean Penn is amazing. I still need to see Aronofsky's The Wrestler and be amazed by Rourke (it's the next movie on my list). Penn taking home the Oscar was an upset though.. many people thought Rourke had it.

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Night
No contest here... None... Great thank you by his family.. It was very simple and sincere. One of the best moments of the night.

And as much as I am intrigued by the rest of the technical categories, I did not see most of the films nominated and to talk about them would be blasphemy.

Maybe I'll get you my Slumdog Millionaire review within the next couple days though.