The Envelope, Please...

On this night of a thousand stars I'll be star-gazing, posting in more-or-less real time, giving reactions to the Academy Awards™ show. I don't really have any stake in who wins- this post will be about the show itself. With few exceptions the level of artistry of movie-making and film-acting is so high that anyone on this list deserves recognition. Writing and producing is quite another matter. But I do find that the way in which those people in the industry react and interact on the awards stage to be most intriguing. With a talented, charismatic host (Hugh Jackman) and a variety of movies likely to win awards, it should offer some lively viewing. DON'T FORGET TO RELOAD!


Here we go! Kate Winslet in a gorgeous black wrap around dress, very classy!
Amy Adams in a blood-red strapless gown- Whew!
Sarah and Matthew seem nervous. Haraji P.Henson is nervous as well..
Frank Langella with his shy daughter, nice family...Brad and Angelia ... oops they're already gone... Valentino! Not that one, the fashion designer...
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire" is classy enough to come with his cast.
Mickey Rourke stylin', too bad about his dog... Robert Downey Jr. lookin' good as is his wife/producer... Viola Davis looks as if she has taken a few 'ludes...
Miley Cyrus in a sno-cone? Anne Hathaway in Armani...yummmm

FIRST COMMENT:Comica wrote... Kate Winslet is always beautiful, but I love that dress as well! I'm keeping watch on your blog while I cast an eye on the Awards!

Meryl Streep with her equally glamorous daughter...
Penelope Cruz in vintage fashion is GLOWING! Richard Jenkins very humble... Jack Black funny in a suit. Marisa Tomei in Versace, knock out pleats!

Design featurette: HEY! If you have to explain it, it doesn't work!

HUGH JACKMAN hits the stage, with the orchestra behind, very classy! He's a great singer! And Dancer! And tasteless lyrics! Oh well two out of three...WAIT!
Anne Hathaway as Nixon! What a hoot! Overall Very Good.

Film clips! They're back! From last year's show!

First Award is: BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS- they're introducing each one (how nice!):
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" -my favorite!
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

Penelope Cruz wins and is on fire she's so hot!

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Tina Fey and Steve Martin work well together...

Dustin Lance Black, "Milk" - Wins! (Didn't see it) good acceptance speech...
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Martin McDonagh, "In Bruges"
Andrew Stanton, and Jim Reardon; original story by Stanton and Pete Docter"WALL-E"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire" -first of many wins?
David Hare, "The Reader"
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"
John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"
Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" -I did read the original F. Scott Fitzgerald story...

Animation- CGI gives me headaches. That includes PIXAR... First Steve Jobs reference. The short films looked good, though...

Art Direction awards... I'll pass on that, time for a bathroom break...

Costume Design... The Duchess- I actually saw that one, sans audio on an airplane. I kept thinking, this movie is going to win a costume design award!

Makeup: It had to go to Button... even if it had a lot of CGI

Romance featurette- more clips! At least they are of beautiful people kissing...

Cinematography: These people have my highest respect. Maybe not Ben Stiller's...
another win for Slumdog ...could be a trend?

Sci-tech awards. More CGI. Comedy featurette: dumb but FUNNY!

Live action short: didn't see any... a Dylan tune on one of the clips...

This middle part of the show always seems to slow waaaaay down...

Hugh Jackman and Beyonce in a new new record for a most fractured dance medley, some tunes had only two bars! Is the musical really back?

More clips... and another FIVE presenters, doesn't Cuba Gooding Jr. know things have changed?


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt" I doubt.
Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight" a lock? YES!

I can't imagine how tough it is for his family. Here come the waterworks... (mine)

Documentary... these are the movies that will be watched in one hundred years...
Action Films... these are the movies that won't...
Visual Effects- more CGI...
Sound Effects- The Dark Knight triumphs again!
Sound Mixing- half the movie. Slumdog Third win!
Editing- Slumdog again!

Eddie Murphy gives the Hersholt award to Jerry Lewis. Yeah, tell me you aren't crying...

Original Score: Well, the orchestra was polished. Slumdog's fifth!

Song: All singing! All dancing! No Springsteen! Slumdog! Slumdog!

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"The Baader-Meinhof Complex" (Germany)
"The Class" (France)
"Departures" (Japan) wins...
"Revanche" (Austria)
"Waltz with Bashir" (Israel)
These all looked good, I don't recall any of them playing here...

The dearly departed... and they didn't forget Vampira!
Can they give 4 awards in 12 minutes so I can get to bed? No.

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire" I won't bet against this... 7 and counting...
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Gus Van Sant, "Milk" ~ Van Sant's failures are more interesting than most others successes...


BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married" crying in the introduction...
Kate Winslet, "The Reader" almost crying...
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River" happy to be here...
Meryl Streep, "Doubt" happy as well...
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling" proud...

And the Oscar goes to KATE WINSLET! Breathless. Hyperventilating. Happy.

BEST ACTOR- gotta be Rourke.
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"~ Langella used to work in our local theater, he was quite the dashing leading man in his youth.
Sean Penn, "Milk"~ Penn is fantastic in almost everything.
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"~ great in Burn after Reading as well...
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"~ He was better in Burntoo..
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler" we all need a second chance...

SEAN PENN! A great speech...


BEST PICTURE
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk"
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire" ~ Wins!

India rules!

Eight awards... eight minutes to 11, I've had enough, I'm going to bed.