And The Oscar “Went” to…

February 24, 2009 — Academy Award, Academy Awards, Academy Awards 2009, Benjamin Button, Curious Case Benjamin Button, Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Departures, Heath Ledger, Heath Ledger Oscar, Heath Ledger Oscars, Hugh Jackman, Hugh Jackman Oscars host, Japan Best Foreign Film, Kate Winslet, Milk, Okuribito, Oscar, Oscar 2009 Best Foreign Film, Oscar Academy Awards 2009, Oscar Winners 2009, Oscars, Oscars 2009, Penelope Cruz, Premiere, Premiere magazine, Sean Penn, Slumdog, Slumdog Millionnaire, Steve Martin, The Dark Knight, The Reader, Tina Fey, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

I recorded the Oscars last year in my cable box but didn’t get around to watching it. Managed to view this year’s telecast though. Thanks to fast forward, I caught the important bits within an hour instead of three.

I read somewhere that this year’s Oscars had a bigger budget and was more lavish. Maybe. But I have to say I enjoyed this show vs the ones I’ve seen before.

There are a few events I would consider as extremely difficult to organise. The Oscars is one of them (the others being Olympics, Miss Universe, Inauguration of a President — well, in my view). So the production team must feel relieved that it’s over.

When I was younger, I read in a magazine called “Premiere” that they ballot the people who will act as “replacements” for showbiz people who vacate their seats during the break so that when the commercial gap is over, there wouldn’t be empty seats. All these details make organising such big event truly exciting.

Anyway, here are some of my fave parts of the show.

1) Hugh Jackman doing a medley of best picture nominees at the beginning of the show.

While he was slightly off key, he still did a good job completing this segment. Learned that he was once a stage actor. No wonder.

I particularly liked the part on Benjamin Button where he stuck his head out of the prop a few times, representing the various stages of Benjamin’s life in the movie.

2) Introduction of nominees for acting categories

Never seen this executed this way before. Former winners in the category introducing this year’s nominees. The intro covered not only how effective they were in the role but also some positive reinforcement of how great they are as a person. Noticed some of the nominees were teary-eyed while they were being introduced. Don’t think that’s still acting…

The formation on stage of previous winners was like the Top 5 of Miss Universe though. Haha.

3) Intro for Screenplay — original and adapted

I think it was brilliant to introduce Steve Martin and Tina Fey via a script the way screenwriters would describe the action and lines in a movie. The intro of films (video) was also done in a similar manner.

4) Ledger family accepting the Best Actor in a Supporting Role on behalf of Heath Ledger (posthumous award).

Touching speech by Heath Ledger’s family. Heath looks like his dad.

5) Japan winning Best Foreign Film

There is hope in Asian cinema. When will Singapore and the Philippines enter as a finalist?

The acceptance speech was simple yet direct to the point. I had to transcribe it.

“Thank you to all the Academy. Thank you to everybody who helped me (in this) film. I am very, very happy. Thank you. I am here because of films. This is a new departure for me. And I, we will be back. Thank you. Arigato.”

What kinda disappointed me was seeing some of the showbiz people chuckling when the speech was being delivered. Common guys, we should be more understanding when English is not the primary language. After all, do you know how to speak their language fluently?

Oscar 2009 Winners

Best Motion Picture of the Year
Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Sean Penn, Milk

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Kate Winslet, The Reader

Best Achievement in Directing
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
Dustin Lance Black, Milk

Best Achievement in Cinematography
Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Okuribito (Japan)

Best Documentary, Features
Man on Wire

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
WALL·E

Best Achievement in Editing
Chris Dickens, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song
A.R. Rahman and Sampooran Singh Gulzar, “Jai Ho” (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score
A.R. Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Achievement in Sound
Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke, Resul Pookutty, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
Richard King, The Dark Knight

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton, Craig Barron, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Achievement in Makeup
Greg Cannom, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Achievement in Costume Design
Michael O’Connor, The Duchess

Best Achievement in Art Direction
Donald Graham Burt, Victor J. Zolfo, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Short Film, Live Action
Spielzeugland

Best Documentary, Short Subjects
Smile Pinki

Best Short Film, Animated
La Maison en petits cubes