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I long for the days when there was a tiny bit of surprise in the Academy Awards. The stunning upset in a major category, a Presenter going off-script and sending the show into a ditch, a Recipient doing something controversial, a total fashion disaster--anything to relieve the tedium. Sadly, this show didn't have it. Yes, co-hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway fell flat but I almost ended up to waiting for the next train wreck of a script. Hathaway had no fewer than eight costume changes and looked fabulous in all of them (even the Tux) and gave it a game try even when the material was drek (and there was much drek in the show). I'd say Franco "phone in" his performance (but I think his phone broke early in the show). He'd clearly given up before the first hour had rolled by.
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As for the awards, there were no surprises their either: The King's Speech took Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay awards and Colin Firth snagged the Best Actor statuette. Only Geoffrey Rush lost out (to Christian Bale) in the Best Supporting Actor category. Natalie Portman, as expected, won Best Actress for Black Swan (and looked utterly fabulous in her draped purple gown.) Best Supporting Actress Melissa Leo dropped the "F" Bomb but she dropped an even BIGGER bomb with a gown that looked like a bunch of doilies crocheted together.
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Speaking of fashion--my "Best Dressed for the night was 14 year-old Hailee Steinfeld looking awesome (and age-appropriate in a beaded pink tea-length gown and diamond headband. There were reports she helped design the dress (and if this is true she could certainly show a lot of older gals how to do it for later awards shows). Other standouts on the carpet included Penelope Cruz (in flaming red fabulosity): Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Lawrence and Anne Hathaway's arrival gowns were varying shades ofred and all great looking. Another favorite (for me at least--although many "fashionistas" might disagree was MIla Kunis in lavender and lace. (To quote Garth <Dana Carvey> in a recent SNL skit "I could make a mila off her kunis!")
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There were a lot of looks that were OK but didn't make me go gaga. Halle Berry (in a nude-colored ruffle and crystal encrusted confection), Reece Witherspoon (looking retro-chic), and Jennifer Hudson (showing off her bangin' body in tangerine satin). Gwyneth Paltrow donned a sparkly silver column dress with flatironed hair that was straight out of 1966 (and carried it off): too bad she felt a need to sing on the show. Michelle Williams looked like a ghost in a dress that was the same shade as her skin and hair.
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As far as "worst-dressed goes" there were no utter disasters: even Helena Bonhomme Carter's steampunk-influenced corset and pouffy black-velvet skirt wasn't utterly horrible. Russell Brand didn't approach Mickey Roarke horror in his black and blue ensemble but at least he gave the folks something to talk about. Sharon Stone had a bad pompadour and an explosion on one boob but I didn't hate it utterly: the same could be said for Marissa Tomei's ill-fitting vintage gown. A lot of fashionistas loved Cate Blanchett in her fashion-forward purple and yellow: me, I thought it looked like a wedding cake threw up on her. Florence Welch would have looked fabulous--at a wedding in 1977 (I think my sister Tanya worse pretty close to this dress at her wedding) but it didn't work on the Red Carpet.
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There was one interesting (at least semi-controversial) bit during the show: it came during the acceptance speech for Best Documentary. Charles Fergusson had just won for Inside Job (commenting on the recent financial meltdown) began his speech by saying: "forgive me, I must start by pointing out that three years after our horrific financial crisis caused by massive fraud, not a single financial executive has gone to jail, and that's wrong." Yes, it's political (and, yes, I find myself agreeing it to this) but, more than anything, I'm just glad there was a bit of excitement in the show!
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So, there you have it, this year's Oscars in a nutshell. Hopefully next year will be even better!
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'nuff said.
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