Where were you last night?
A completely reasonable question, because if you are reading this article then you are most likely a big movie fan (or lost). And last night was the 79th Annual Academy Awards, which is one of the biggest nights of the year for anyone who digs movies or scantily clad celebrities walking down a red carpet. If you missed the Oscars, then you missed quite a bit. Ellen DeGeneres hosted, and quite well.
There were some surprises, some funny moments, and then there were some sappy moments. Also, plenty of montages to fill four hours of show and plenty of celebrity glitz to go around. So whether you were out partying it up like I was, or you were cuddled up on your couch, my hope is that you took in the show last evening, because otherwise the rest of this is going to make little to no sense at all.
You may be asking yourself, "How did the Movie Guy do with his predictions?" It is funny you should ask, because I'd like to think that I did quite well. In fact, I out-picked my fellow COFCA members, which made me feel pretty darn cool. Some of it was blind luck, but most of it was my ability to read between the lines of the entire awards season. Alright, it was all blind luck.
The night started well, with Pan's Labyrinth winning the first two awards of the night (Best Achievement in Makeup and Best Art Direction). But then, as many of the technical awards were announced I began to fall behind. Who knew that Marie Antoinette would win for Best Costume Design? I sure didn't. I also missed out on all of the short film categories, but those were mostly guesswork anyway.
Article comments
1 - H. Dang
Such a travesty that Martin Scorsese finally won the big one with a carbon copy ripoff of a Hong Kong flick made years ago. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out Infernal Affairs starring Andy Lau. I didn't watch the awards show, but I hope Martin thanked the original writers.
2 - Heloise
There's a lot of that in Hollywood. The Talented Mr. Ripley is an carbon copy of a french movie.
I think that Eddie Murphy was robbed. Was it his movie Norbit? There is no way that old ass Alan Arkin should have won. How come the old white male farts always keep getting jobs even when no one wants to see them on screen?
Heloise
3 - El Bicho
Scorsese did mention the original film. Its too bad the Academy is using The Departed as his lifetime achievement award.
Eddie Murphy wasn't robbed unless you have some evidence of voter fraud. No one is entitled to an award.
The Academy usually honors people who have been in the business a long time, especially with supporting actor. Sean Connery in Untouchables, Jack Palance in City Slickers.
If you have no interest in seeing Alan Arkin on the screen, that is an indictment on you because he is a talented actor.
4 - clydefro
How is "Foreign Cinema" irrelevant? Firstly, it was a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Foreign Language film category so it has relevance to the awards. Second, movies from other countries are vital and as important to cinema as American films. American filmmakers have been greatly influenced by foreign films. Just looking at the four men pictured above, it's undeniable that Kurosawa's movies had a huge impact on Star Wars and Scorsese has made his career of meshing European style with American genre pictures.
5 - Chris Beaumont
"a carbon copy ripoff of a Hong Kong flick"
Have you seen both films? Both are great, and both are different. The fact that it was a remake/reimagining was never hidden. Not like, say, The Island which is the Clonus Horror in flashier clothes.
6 - crystal
well, i would say that the mass majority of the american population is not aware that the departed was a remake of infernal affairs. at least 4 out of 5 people i've spoken to here in southern california are not aware of it. i would have liked to see the makers of departed give the creators of infernal affairs more recognition than a line at the end of the credits and a line in the acceptance speech. it is a tragedy that scorsese won on this movie.
7 - methuselah
I'm surprised that the plot of The Departed is ascribed to any particular cops 'n robbers movie since it seemed like a collection of familiar cliches to me.