Belatedly, the Oscars
Mar. 14th, 2024 08:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shallownessI only just learned that the British rights to air the Oscars had returned to free to air on Saturday, I think. The last time I was invested enough to stay up and watch was The Return of The King days (it may even have been on Sky then, in that brief time I had access to it.) As I’m not in my twenties and had work the next day, I went to bed, got an idea of the winners over the next day (but didn’t go clicking beyond headlines) and caught up with the coverage in my own time.
The bits in the ITV studio were a bit ramshackle. Jonathan Ross did his knowledgeable best, but live TV when the main event is happening over the pond is tricky. As for the guests, Richard Armitage, bless him, was doing his best because he wants to keep working, but otherwise I wasn’t overly impressed by the ‘insights’ (their critic kept going ‘I didn’t know that’ about Oscar related trivia, like that Gosling would be reprising ‘I’m Just Ken’!) They were leaning into the Gogglebox of it all, what with the bingo, but I did a lot of fast-forwarding, so I may have missed the legit insights.
The important stuff: based on the telecast, Sandra Huller won on the gown front for me, just enough structural wow and then otherwise very elegant. Anya Joy-Taylor’s dress was pretty, the best actress winners’ delicate colouring was nice (but I thought Emma Stone would rue the giant peplum, even before the thing with her back), see also Lupita N’yongo’s choice of colour, although I preferred the stronger colours like Regina King’s red/orange, and Best Editor Green. Zendaya’s dress was pretty, but I was distracted by how shiny her face was, and Jennifer Lawrence’s patterned gown was a kick. Lily Gladstone’s jewels were gorgeous, and when I later saw pictures of her dress on the red carpet, it was even more impressive. Emily Blunt’s y-fronts detail and Ariana Grande’s overwhelming pink explosion did not wow me (and I’m starting to wonder if they had to do a lot of takes of the latter filming Wicked.)
Jimmy Kimmell was fine, although I winced at the racism towards Germany in his opening monologue. I rather liked former winners introducing the best acting nominees, nice for the four out of five who wouldn’t win (and mostly knew it.) There was a bit of fun in whether you believed they were really friends with the subject and whether they delivered the speech well (more of an issue with the chaps.) By the Best Leading Actor, it had become about who could say the nominee’s name most resonatingly.
The winners were mostly as predicted (following the BAFTAs Emma Stone winning over Lily Gladstone felt like less of a surprise. I haven’t seen either film, although I’m a huge fan of Stone’s and thought Gladstone a luminous screen presence in ‘Certain Women’. I can see that Gladstone’s career needs it more than Stone’s, sadly.) I preferred Barbie to Oppenheimer and Anatomy of a Fall, I still haven’t seen Past Lives though I’ve got the DVD, but regardless, unless if The Zone of Interest pulled a shocker, Oppenheimer was going to win. It’s still surprising that it’s Nolan’s first best director win, and, arguably, Downey Jr., because when he is good, he is very good. Loved the confirmation that Cillian Murphy signed off in Irish Gaelic.
Best ‘bit’ for me was Gosling and Blunt bantering about Barbenheimer/paying tribute to stuntspeople/not so subtly promoting their upcoming movie. But I did enjoy Michael Keaton giving good Bat face as DeVito and Schwarzenneger rambled about being Batvillains, although I strongly feel it should be said that Keaton had nothing to do with Batman and Robin. Wasn’t Michelle Pfeiffer meant to be presenting with Al Pacino? Shame she couldn’t do it, because that got shambolic and anticlimactic for the biggest award. Maybe stop inviting the older gents unless if they’re Spielberg?
After the bravura opening, because of course, the documentary about Navalny won last year, the in memoriam section did not work for me. First by putting the people being honoured at a distance, to foreground musicians and dancers. And then doubling down by revealing the orchestra and I am so over Andrea Bocelli bringing his kids along to sing with him, however beautiful his voice or snazzy their jackets.
The performances of best song worked for me, although that fire song with the singer’s abdomen/distracting child choir was…not great. Billie Eilish was exceptional, and I can only imagine how thrilling the Killers of the Flower Moon song was live. Lily Gladstone’s reaction was touching. Gosling’s ‘I’m Just Ken’ was glorious, with the sense that he was often close to giggling, but too much of a showman to crack. Loved the audience participation and the choreo. Still, Eilish and her brother deserved the win. And at least Barbie won something (other than the box office.)
The bits in the ITV studio were a bit ramshackle. Jonathan Ross did his knowledgeable best, but live TV when the main event is happening over the pond is tricky. As for the guests, Richard Armitage, bless him, was doing his best because he wants to keep working, but otherwise I wasn’t overly impressed by the ‘insights’ (their critic kept going ‘I didn’t know that’ about Oscar related trivia, like that Gosling would be reprising ‘I’m Just Ken’!) They were leaning into the Gogglebox of it all, what with the bingo, but I did a lot of fast-forwarding, so I may have missed the legit insights.
The important stuff: based on the telecast, Sandra Huller won on the gown front for me, just enough structural wow and then otherwise very elegant. Anya Joy-Taylor’s dress was pretty, the best actress winners’ delicate colouring was nice (but I thought Emma Stone would rue the giant peplum, even before the thing with her back), see also Lupita N’yongo’s choice of colour, although I preferred the stronger colours like Regina King’s red/orange, and Best Editor Green. Zendaya’s dress was pretty, but I was distracted by how shiny her face was, and Jennifer Lawrence’s patterned gown was a kick. Lily Gladstone’s jewels were gorgeous, and when I later saw pictures of her dress on the red carpet, it was even more impressive. Emily Blunt’s y-fronts detail and Ariana Grande’s overwhelming pink explosion did not wow me (and I’m starting to wonder if they had to do a lot of takes of the latter filming Wicked.)
Jimmy Kimmell was fine, although I winced at the racism towards Germany in his opening monologue. I rather liked former winners introducing the best acting nominees, nice for the four out of five who wouldn’t win (and mostly knew it.) There was a bit of fun in whether you believed they were really friends with the subject and whether they delivered the speech well (more of an issue with the chaps.) By the Best Leading Actor, it had become about who could say the nominee’s name most resonatingly.
The winners were mostly as predicted (following the BAFTAs Emma Stone winning over Lily Gladstone felt like less of a surprise. I haven’t seen either film, although I’m a huge fan of Stone’s and thought Gladstone a luminous screen presence in ‘Certain Women’. I can see that Gladstone’s career needs it more than Stone’s, sadly.) I preferred Barbie to Oppenheimer and Anatomy of a Fall, I still haven’t seen Past Lives though I’ve got the DVD, but regardless, unless if The Zone of Interest pulled a shocker, Oppenheimer was going to win. It’s still surprising that it’s Nolan’s first best director win, and, arguably, Downey Jr., because when he is good, he is very good. Loved the confirmation that Cillian Murphy signed off in Irish Gaelic.
Best ‘bit’ for me was Gosling and Blunt bantering about Barbenheimer/paying tribute to stuntspeople/not so subtly promoting their upcoming movie. But I did enjoy Michael Keaton giving good Bat face as DeVito and Schwarzenneger rambled about being Batvillains, although I strongly feel it should be said that Keaton had nothing to do with Batman and Robin. Wasn’t Michelle Pfeiffer meant to be presenting with Al Pacino? Shame she couldn’t do it, because that got shambolic and anticlimactic for the biggest award. Maybe stop inviting the older gents unless if they’re Spielberg?
After the bravura opening, because of course, the documentary about Navalny won last year, the in memoriam section did not work for me. First by putting the people being honoured at a distance, to foreground musicians and dancers. And then doubling down by revealing the orchestra and I am so over Andrea Bocelli bringing his kids along to sing with him, however beautiful his voice or snazzy their jackets.
The performances of best song worked for me, although that fire song with the singer’s abdomen/distracting child choir was…not great. Billie Eilish was exceptional, and I can only imagine how thrilling the Killers of the Flower Moon song was live. Lily Gladstone’s reaction was touching. Gosling’s ‘I’m Just Ken’ was glorious, with the sense that he was often close to giggling, but too much of a showman to crack. Loved the audience participation and the choreo. Still, Eilish and her brother deserved the win. And at least Barbie won something (other than the box office.)
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Date: 2024-03-14 12:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-03-15 07:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-03-14 02:50 pm (UTC)I do wish Lily Gladstone had won. There's not a lot of chances for FN actors to be in significant roles in big productions.
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Date: 2024-03-15 07:19 am (UTC)But, seriously, yes, other than the professional arenas, I haven't heard much about it. I was more primed to be interested because I came back to cinema last year.
I agree about Gladstone. I've been thinking about what Scorcese had done for Margot Robbie's career, but admire Robbie's hustle and production work as I do, it's easier for a blonde white twentysomething than an Indigenous actress who may be a decade older.
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Date: 2024-03-15 02:57 pm (UTC)The performance for "Killers of the Flower Moon" song was fabulous. As was Ryan Gosling's Ken performance. Those were kind of my highlights for the night. I dislike the opening monologues for most award shows since they get long, tedious and usually end up not being as funny as the host planned for it to be.
I did think maybe Lily Gladstone would have won over Emma Stone (though I haven't seen either of their films), which would have been a pleasant surprise. Also not surprised by all the Oppenheimer wins either and I agree with you on the In Memoriam section.
Overall, it wasn't a bad show and it ended on time! It seemed to be a snappier pace for once, and it helped that the show started an hour earlier than previously.
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Date: 2024-03-16 01:58 pm (UTC)I dislike the opening monologues for most award shows since they get long, tedious and usually end up not being as funny as the host planned for it to be.
True! You have to set the tone somehow, but even this got rambly, and I was a tad cynical (perhaps too much so) about ending Kimmel's by bringing on unionised crew and getting the audience to applaud. I wonder if starting an hour earlier will stick.