Sunday, February 26, 2012

2012 OSCARS

So. They just ended and as usual there were some great moments and some not so. I like Billy Crystal and thought he did his usual good job. He made me laugh a lot and that's what he's supposed to do. But probably someone younger and more current would have made a lot of young folks laugh more.

I was happy to see that they got some of the awards that most people aren't that interested in out of the way right away. And that they eliminated the best song numbers that always seemed to stop the show unless they were done perfectly. Tonight the highlight of the show was Esmeralda Spalding, the great young jazz bassist I posted about here years ago [but had trouble finding the link to since I got her first name wrong on that post!]{woops, my son Miles points out I had her name correct the first time, it IS Esperanza, my post-brain-op-or-just-plain-getting-older sometime confusion}, singing WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD as the soundtrack to the montage of those who passed since the last Oscars. She was so incredibly stunningly good as soon as the song ended I wanted to download it and have it forever.

Another highlight was also musical but disappointing in at least one way. My neighbor, who I've also posted about here I think last year, the great guitarist Stephen Wrembel, who did much of the music for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS played some amazing guitar licks at one point in the show but instead of showing him playing they had some girls handing out popcorn, and then later in the show focused on the guitar player in the band who wasn't playing much at all. Go figure.

I didn't find the movies as compelling as some other years, and everyone who won deserved to be recognized I'd say. But I think Clooney should have won best actor. He's always terrific and his performance in THE DESCENDANTS was one of his best, maybe his best. THE ARTIST was great entertainment and everyone in it was terrific, but still.

Once again I fell for Meryl. For those who haven't been reading this blog for long, before my brain surgery in November of 2009 (is that right?) I didn't find Meryl Streep attractive at all, and I also compulsively made lists all the time, including my own film awards each year. But post brain op I found that when I see Streep on TV or in a movie I feel all googley goofy attracted to her, as I did tonight. And I have no interest, let alone compulsion, to make any list at all anymore. Weird huh?

I felt sorry for Spielberg that he didn't win anything for WARHORSE, a very satisfying old fashioned Hollywood flick that would have won tons of awards in the golden age of Hollywood that everyone, or a lot of folks, in Hollywood pretend to pay homage to and miss. But I also felt bad that the music for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS wasn't nominated, and that the academy could only come up with two songs to nominate for best song category, and that Janet McTeer didn't win something for her performance in ALBERT NOBBS, one of the best of the year.

But then that could be said about a lot of those who didn't win anything tonight. Anyway, 'nuff about that, but did anyone else think Angelina Jolie needs to gain some weight?

8 comments:

JIm said...
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JIm said...
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Lally said...

Once again people have been having trouble leaving comments (except, unfortunately, for the deleted one). Here's one from tpw he emailed after not being able to post it:


Dear M:
I agree completely on George Clooney. He should have gotten it. Although I think his best performance is still "Michael Clayton." I couldn't stand "Midnight in Paris." Pretentious drivel. Woody should be ashamed to crank out such a phoney piece of hackery. I was happy for Meryl, though surprised that she didn't say anything about her competitors for the award.
T

To which I must add, I loved MIDNIGHT IN PARIS completely. But also was surprised Streep didn't mention her fellow nominees since anyone of them deserved it as well. there were a lot of outstanding performances by women this year.

Kindsight Student said...

Sorry, but this trumps the movies - bastardization of the second amendment - and the first amendment http://gma.yahoo.com/chardon-high-school-shooting-gunman-identified-tj-lane-140607186--abc-news.html

A "well regulated militia" is not kids who have been injected with media violence all their lives 24/7 prime time tv and even saturday morning kiddie cartoons showing characters who can't work things out with dialog blasting each other and simply killing each other and then cut to the next scene. I'm sorry, but the First Amendment doesn't give studios, networks, game makers, comic book publishers the right to purvey murder. The FCC is a joke, calling a bare breast indecent but allowing murder and gun violence 24/7 and not condemning this as indecent. Prayers for the families and survivors of another high school slaughter. Schools and families need to teach their children tolerance, understanding, and the sanctity of life. To give them the capability to forge mental and emotional roadmaps that allow them to navigate beyond the brick walls of rage and prejudice, to nurture faith and respect, something the repubes and teapocrits know little or nothing about. But I am open to being proven wrong in this conclusion.

Kindsight Student said...

Also, schools should from pre-K teach children fluency in at least five languages. Knowing other languages fosters understanding and acceptance of other cultures. The world would be a different, much better place if we all spoke many languages.

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

Actually, I feel the Oscar post is a very appropriate place to discuss the misuse, misinterpretation, corruption etc of the First and Second Amendments - where millions are made by many from the depiction of senseless gun murder and the complete devaluation of human life. Today's headline:

http://gma.yahoo.com/chardon-high-school-shooting-gunman-identified-tj-lane-140607186--abc-news.html

Havent heard a peep from Romulus and Sanitarium.

Lally said...

Yeah, I've been raving about the violence vs. sex ratings and promotion business in Hollywood for many decades. Gun laws certainly are a big part of that. But so is all kinds of social mores and customary perceptions, the whole Reagan vs. Carter bit. The big strong Hollywood cowboy, who sped up the rightwing tilt of our politics and the subsequent problems it cause (decline of the so-called middle class etc.) against the quieter meeker more humble (actually practicing the Christian principles) more thoughtful man. I've always found it ironic that it was Carter who actually served his country in the service while reagan made movies during WWII when my two oldest brothers were serving, and it was carter who tried to get us to change our energy policies and created a more conducive international atmosphere for human rights, etc. But he was no match for the rightwing propaganda machine and shadow government that was violating The Constitution by going behind elected officials backs to make deals with Iran etc. etc. Both men had flaws and good points, I suppose, but the image projection relied almost entirely on tired old cliches about what it means to be a man that really are about what it means to be a bully (Reagan invading little Grenada but pulling out of lebanon the minute the first suicide bombers caused casualties to our troops which led to them concluding we could be beat by terrorist attacks right to 9/11. Etc.

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

Education, kindness, tolerance and spirituality are much better, lasting and real defenses than all the guns in the world, which are an abberation of God's will and I guaranty you that if the so-called Founders and framers of the Constitution could have foreseen the state of things today, they would have written it much differently.