Great Show, Weak Winners

Let me start off by saying that this year's Oscar show was the best I can remember, for one reason alone: Hollywood decided to shake things up. They trimmed the fat from past ceremonies (individual performances of Best Song nominees, clips from Best Picture nominees, and a quaint but dull appearance from the director of the Academy) and replaced it with new, lively, and eyecatching material.
The set design was astonishing in its combination of classic elegance and undeniably modern technical wizardry; the stage, framed by a luminous crystal curtain and etched in gorgeous lines of deep blue, worked seamlessly with gravity defying screens that seemed to appear from nowhere. These screens were particularly breathtaking during the in memoriam retrospective, when multiple fragments of remarkable careers appeared simultaneously, and in the enormous portraits of the iconic actors who passed on their tradition to this year's nominees. I particularly admired the attention they paid to individuals this year, as each one of the nominees was singled out for their achievements. The Oscars had a much more personal feel this year, a qualtiy perhaps best encapsulated by the minimized space between the seats and the stage. Perhaps the most refreshing change made to the Oscars this year was the choice of Hugh Jackman as host--a break from the tradition of giving the role to established comedians. The funny men and women of past shows often struggled to make the enormous ceremony intimate; Jackman broke the mold almost immediately by grabbing Anne Hathaway from the first row for a funny and sweet duet. The premise of the last-minute DIY-style opening was refreshing, free of pretense, and often hilarious. Jackman's talents as a performer were a pitch-perfect match for an awards show dedicated to the celebration of Hollywood's flamboyant tradition. The set pieces alternated between the grandiose and the self-consciously homemade, a fitting tribute to the broad range of production styles that make the movies so interesting.While the visuals at the Oscars were captivating this year, the nominees in the major categories were not. Danny Boyle's tragic proclivity for wrapping up his initially refreshing movies with happy little endings paid off against the backdrop of our depressing economic situation, and Slumdog Millionaire ran away with eight statues, including honors for Best Picture, Director, and Adapted Screenplay. Sean Penn got the nod for Best Actor, arguably robbing Mickey Rourke but really fleecing Frank Langella, whose turn as Richard Nixon was mesmerizing in the otherwise lifeless Frost/Nixon. Kate Winslet left the stage with a Best Actress Oscar as well as an award for Most Predictable Award Ever. Thus, the major awards went to all of the expected winners, few of whom would have had a chance in stronger years. (Please pardon my pessimistic tone here, I was less than pleased with the major nominees this year.)
The only real surprise of the night occurred in the wonderfully strong Best Foreign Film category, as Departures from Japan beat out an outstanding Waltz With Bashir and utterly superb The Class (read my review here); I was certain that Waltz would have won despite my greater affinity for The Class, but this huge upset launched Departures to the top of my must-see list.

All in all, the Oscars was a terrific show despite the relatively weak films honored there. What did you all think of the ceremony and winners? Hit me up in the comments. Here's hoping that next year's best films prove better than these.

Photos Courtesy of The New York Times