Not a dry eye in the house – or is that not a teary eye in the house? Where were the tears? Though the most touching moment was the posthumous award to Heath Ledger for Best Supporting Actor, the evening was mostly filled with moments of joy and glee, and the usual dose of yawns, but no tears. There was a noticeable absence of tears – no hyperventilating Halle Berry, and the recently overcome Kate Winslet of the Golden Globes was no longer overcome. Her British breeding held true and she showed emotional restraint and polite gratitude. Elegant? Yes. Interesting? No.
Hugh Jackman returned the Oscars to an awards show filled with song and dance and scripted entertainment. Gone was the stand-up comedian approach to one-liners, zingers, and hopeful ad libs. The show was just as long as usual and went 29 minutes over three hours even though the producers assured us that it wouldn’t. However, for some reason, the show seemed shorter. The format changes all worked. Fewer presenters were more efficient. Five actors presenting the five actor nominees brought a more interesting and personal tone to the presentation of the four awards. Queen Latifah singing “I’ll be seeing you” during the in memoriam tribute was tasteful and prevented most of the inappropriate clapping that usually occurs. And contrary to the goal of creating a shorter show, the orchestra never once attempted to interrupt an acceptance speech.
The red carpet was not unlike the show itself, filled with its usual number of yawns, and not so many tears of joy. Some of the fashions were bold and courageous, elegant and tasteful, but not many of the stars stood out as getting it all right. The trend of the night was modern, architectural dresses, with sleek, sculpted hair, and big chunky jewelry of filled with colored stones. And the one who did it best and therefore, the Best Dressed of the night, was Heidi Klum. Of course, when you’re Heidi Klum, its hard to not look gorgeous, but her sculpted modern red dress, sleeked back hair, and eclectic collection of chunky jewelry all worked together for the best total look of the night. Marisa Tomei stood out in a voluminous modern pleated gown, also sculpted and architectural and she wore it well. Teraji P. Henson also looked stunning in a slightly less dramatic dress but her hair was modern and chic and her makeup was perfection. Other actresses working this modern trend well were Virginia Madsen, Ann Hathaway, and Evan Rachel Wood. None of them got their hair and make up quite as right as Heidi, but they all looked great. Amy Adams was also pushing this modern trend but red-heads in red dresses are always a tough sell, and that hunk-a-necklace was just too much for her.
Then there were the ballerina couture belles of the ball. Sarah Jessica Parker is always a fan of this look and this time wore Dior haute couture in a colour she called “barely mint.” If her hair were a softer blonde, the look would have been more ethereal and less severe, but she still looked lovely. Penelope Cruz also opted for the big couture ballerina gown in cream with a lot of crystals and ruffles of tulle…a lot of dress for sure. But, once again, her hair was too severe for that dress. Her heavy bangs seem to start from the back of her head and didn’t know quite where to rest. But, nonetheless, she looked like a winner.
There were also the less trendy, less fashion forward, and those nowhere near the cutting edge. Meryl Streep looked better than she’s looked in years. Alecia Keyes looked gorgeous in a soft lavender mauve gown, and her make up was stunning, but the 5 pounds of hair extensions was so 2007…lovely, but not a fashion icon. Same for Natalie Portman. She’s so beautiful its hard for her not to look completely gorgeous. But, bubble gum pink is better for of a prom dress than the red carpet, and the heavy duty spray tan and bronzer is pretty but is as dated as Alecia Keyes’ hair extensions. Jennifer Aniston looked beautiful, and it was great to see that she wasn’t wearing black for a change (especially since Angelina was), and her dress was modern and beautiful but not cutting edge, and her hair colour was the best its been in years, but she wasn’t scoring any big fashion points with that hairdo that screams “so what if I’m forty, my boyfriend is thirty, so I can wear this silly braid in my hair if I want to.” Viola Davis looked beautiful and followed the conventional wisdom of “if you want to win an Oscar, dress like one.” The gold plunging halter was fabulously flattering on her and she looked radiant, but that look will not be gracing the cover of Vogue, and unfortunately the only gold she brought home was that dress.
Where the women were bad, they were very very bad. In the running for the worst dressed were Tilda Swinton – an alabaster-skinned women in wrapped in a bed sheet to match. Whoopie Goldberg in a cheetah print chiffon which looked like she went shopping in the Frederick’s of Hollywood Catalog – perhaps it made for a naughty but nice negligee. And speaking of Frederick’s, Melissa George (who is she anyway?) in a long white bustier ball gown, looked like it came from Frederick’s Bridal. Jessica Biel was trying hard to be cutting edge with the modern architectural dress, but she didn’t read the whole memo and missed the part where it said that the dress still needs to be flattering – what a waste of her, um, assets. Reese Witherspoon also didn’t take advantage of her good looks – her hair, makeup, and unflattering blue and black dress all looked like an effort to make her look worse - she looks better in tabloid snapshots when she’s taking her kids to the grocery store. Kate Winslet also didn’t quite get the memo. Her dress was interesting and different, and modern and architectural, but the steel grey color and asymmetric neckline did absolutely nothing to flatter her figure, and her sculpted sleek hair did nothing to flatter her face. She just missed the fashion boat but still grabbed the Oscar. Vanessa Hudgens’ black and white Marchesa dress may have been pretty in person, but on screen it looked like an arts and crafts project. But none of these women were the worst dressed of the night. That award is a tie between Miley Cyrus, impersonating a sparkly wedding cake topper, and Beyonce Knowles in a black and gold graphic print or should I say misprint mermaid dress. They were the worst dressed of the night by a seventh avenue mile.
Among the men, there were no great stand outs. Hugh Jackman was probably the best dressed of the night. But, this year, an ensemble award needs to be given for best dressed and that award goes to the cast of Slumdog Millionaire, particularly the kids. Together, they were the most exuberant, exciting, tasteful, and engaging talent on the red carpet and on the stage. There was no greater joy of the night than seeing that whole sharply dressed group get up on stage to accept the best picture award – demonstrating the way a best picture acceptance should be made. Of course, Brad and Angelina win the best dressed couple award, unless Hugh Jackman and Ryan Seacrest count as a couple, of hosts, that is.
There weren’t any men that stood out as stylish and sharp or tailored and elegant. George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio usually bring that old Hollywood elegance, but they were noticeably absent. Robert Downey Jr. looked sharply dressed, healthy, clean cut, and younger than he’s looked in years. Mickey Rourke brought the edgy look to the red carpet in a style all his own, but he made it work. The Jean-Paul Gautier white tuxedo with black vest, white shirt, no tie, all worked on him. Of course he always goes a little overboard with the accessorizing with wallet chains, tinted glasses, and stringy slicked hair, but he had one accessory that was really great – the charm with the portrait of his recently deceased dog hanging on a black silk cord around his neck. His love for his dogs didn’t help him win the Oscar, but Mickey’s back and he’s got game. Now there’s hoping that overlooked director Darren Arronofsky will cast Eric Roberts in a movie this year.
There were so many men that were sloppy with unbuttoned collars and loose ties, ill-fitting tuxedos, and overgrown hair – among them: Danny Boyle, Gus van Sant, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Josh Brolin, Zac Ephron, and James Franco (and I didn’t think it was possible for him to look bad), but only one can get the worst dressed award, and that easily goes to Jack Black. Someone of his height, or lack thereof, and stocky stature shouldn’t wear a double breasted jacket, let alone a long one. He’s always a mess, and not that he cares, but it shows.
The awards were mostly predictable with Slumdog Millionaire sweeping most of the deserved wins, but the best acceptance speeches of the night belonged to “Milk” - from screenwriter Lance Black, and from Sean Penn. Both gave heartfelt, poignant, relevant speeches. We all watch the awards hoping someone will say something other than five hundred ways to say “thank you” and these two both stepped up to the challenge. Then again, the winner of the Best Animated Short Film found the five hundred and first way to say thank you and bless him for it – “Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto.” Yes, he actually said that. Personally, I would like to thank his American friend who must have told him, “trust me, just say it, Americans will think its funny.”
The highlights of the night also included the bits from Seth Rogan and James Franco (and brilliant cinematographer Janusz Kaminski as a first-time presenter), and from Steve Martin and Tina Fey. And Penelope Cruz’s acceptance speech, but only the part in Spanish – she really shouldn’t be allowed to speak English, ever. And the worst bit of the night was Ben Stiller as Juaquin Phoenix. Not the first time Ben has bombed at the Oscars but kudos for not giving up. There were some shining moments in the song and dance sequences, particularly the one that Ann Hathaway saved, and not so much the one where Beyonce lip synched. And Oscar got lucky again this year with the music from Slumdog Millionaire – the best dance sequence since The Lion King.
Will Hugh Jackman be back next year? The jury is still out. But the show is likely to stick with some of the changes they made this year, and we can all only hope that next year will bring as many great films and brilliant performances to make watching the awards all worth while.
Hugh Jackman returned the Oscars to an awards show filled with song and dance and scripted entertainment. Gone was the stand-up comedian approach to one-liners, zingers, and hopeful ad libs. The show was just as long as usual and went 29 minutes over three hours even though the producers assured us that it wouldn’t. However, for some reason, the show seemed shorter. The format changes all worked. Fewer presenters were more efficient. Five actors presenting the five actor nominees brought a more interesting and personal tone to the presentation of the four awards. Queen Latifah singing “I’ll be seeing you” during the in memoriam tribute was tasteful and prevented most of the inappropriate clapping that usually occurs. And contrary to the goal of creating a shorter show, the orchestra never once attempted to interrupt an acceptance speech.
The red carpet was not unlike the show itself, filled with its usual number of yawns, and not so many tears of joy. Some of the fashions were bold and courageous, elegant and tasteful, but not many of the stars stood out as getting it all right. The trend of the night was modern, architectural dresses, with sleek, sculpted hair, and big chunky jewelry of filled with colored stones. And the one who did it best and therefore, the Best Dressed of the night, was Heidi Klum. Of course, when you’re Heidi Klum, its hard to not look gorgeous, but her sculpted modern red dress, sleeked back hair, and eclectic collection of chunky jewelry all worked together for the best total look of the night. Marisa Tomei stood out in a voluminous modern pleated gown, also sculpted and architectural and she wore it well. Teraji P. Henson also looked stunning in a slightly less dramatic dress but her hair was modern and chic and her makeup was perfection. Other actresses working this modern trend well were Virginia Madsen, Ann Hathaway, and Evan Rachel Wood. None of them got their hair and make up quite as right as Heidi, but they all looked great. Amy Adams was also pushing this modern trend but red-heads in red dresses are always a tough sell, and that hunk-a-necklace was just too much for her.
Then there were the ballerina couture belles of the ball. Sarah Jessica Parker is always a fan of this look and this time wore Dior haute couture in a colour she called “barely mint.” If her hair were a softer blonde, the look would have been more ethereal and less severe, but she still looked lovely. Penelope Cruz also opted for the big couture ballerina gown in cream with a lot of crystals and ruffles of tulle…a lot of dress for sure. But, once again, her hair was too severe for that dress. Her heavy bangs seem to start from the back of her head and didn’t know quite where to rest. But, nonetheless, she looked like a winner.
There were also the less trendy, less fashion forward, and those nowhere near the cutting edge. Meryl Streep looked better than she’s looked in years. Alecia Keyes looked gorgeous in a soft lavender mauve gown, and her make up was stunning, but the 5 pounds of hair extensions was so 2007…lovely, but not a fashion icon. Same for Natalie Portman. She’s so beautiful its hard for her not to look completely gorgeous. But, bubble gum pink is better for of a prom dress than the red carpet, and the heavy duty spray tan and bronzer is pretty but is as dated as Alecia Keyes’ hair extensions. Jennifer Aniston looked beautiful, and it was great to see that she wasn’t wearing black for a change (especially since Angelina was), and her dress was modern and beautiful but not cutting edge, and her hair colour was the best its been in years, but she wasn’t scoring any big fashion points with that hairdo that screams “so what if I’m forty, my boyfriend is thirty, so I can wear this silly braid in my hair if I want to.” Viola Davis looked beautiful and followed the conventional wisdom of “if you want to win an Oscar, dress like one.” The gold plunging halter was fabulously flattering on her and she looked radiant, but that look will not be gracing the cover of Vogue, and unfortunately the only gold she brought home was that dress.
Where the women were bad, they were very very bad. In the running for the worst dressed were Tilda Swinton – an alabaster-skinned women in wrapped in a bed sheet to match. Whoopie Goldberg in a cheetah print chiffon which looked like she went shopping in the Frederick’s of Hollywood Catalog – perhaps it made for a naughty but nice negligee. And speaking of Frederick’s, Melissa George (who is she anyway?) in a long white bustier ball gown, looked like it came from Frederick’s Bridal. Jessica Biel was trying hard to be cutting edge with the modern architectural dress, but she didn’t read the whole memo and missed the part where it said that the dress still needs to be flattering – what a waste of her, um, assets. Reese Witherspoon also didn’t take advantage of her good looks – her hair, makeup, and unflattering blue and black dress all looked like an effort to make her look worse - she looks better in tabloid snapshots when she’s taking her kids to the grocery store. Kate Winslet also didn’t quite get the memo. Her dress was interesting and different, and modern and architectural, but the steel grey color and asymmetric neckline did absolutely nothing to flatter her figure, and her sculpted sleek hair did nothing to flatter her face. She just missed the fashion boat but still grabbed the Oscar. Vanessa Hudgens’ black and white Marchesa dress may have been pretty in person, but on screen it looked like an arts and crafts project. But none of these women were the worst dressed of the night. That award is a tie between Miley Cyrus, impersonating a sparkly wedding cake topper, and Beyonce Knowles in a black and gold graphic print or should I say misprint mermaid dress. They were the worst dressed of the night by a seventh avenue mile.
Among the men, there were no great stand outs. Hugh Jackman was probably the best dressed of the night. But, this year, an ensemble award needs to be given for best dressed and that award goes to the cast of Slumdog Millionaire, particularly the kids. Together, they were the most exuberant, exciting, tasteful, and engaging talent on the red carpet and on the stage. There was no greater joy of the night than seeing that whole sharply dressed group get up on stage to accept the best picture award – demonstrating the way a best picture acceptance should be made. Of course, Brad and Angelina win the best dressed couple award, unless Hugh Jackman and Ryan Seacrest count as a couple, of hosts, that is.
There weren’t any men that stood out as stylish and sharp or tailored and elegant. George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio usually bring that old Hollywood elegance, but they were noticeably absent. Robert Downey Jr. looked sharply dressed, healthy, clean cut, and younger than he’s looked in years. Mickey Rourke brought the edgy look to the red carpet in a style all his own, but he made it work. The Jean-Paul Gautier white tuxedo with black vest, white shirt, no tie, all worked on him. Of course he always goes a little overboard with the accessorizing with wallet chains, tinted glasses, and stringy slicked hair, but he had one accessory that was really great – the charm with the portrait of his recently deceased dog hanging on a black silk cord around his neck. His love for his dogs didn’t help him win the Oscar, but Mickey’s back and he’s got game. Now there’s hoping that overlooked director Darren Arronofsky will cast Eric Roberts in a movie this year.
There were so many men that were sloppy with unbuttoned collars and loose ties, ill-fitting tuxedos, and overgrown hair – among them: Danny Boyle, Gus van Sant, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Josh Brolin, Zac Ephron, and James Franco (and I didn’t think it was possible for him to look bad), but only one can get the worst dressed award, and that easily goes to Jack Black. Someone of his height, or lack thereof, and stocky stature shouldn’t wear a double breasted jacket, let alone a long one. He’s always a mess, and not that he cares, but it shows.
The awards were mostly predictable with Slumdog Millionaire sweeping most of the deserved wins, but the best acceptance speeches of the night belonged to “Milk” - from screenwriter Lance Black, and from Sean Penn. Both gave heartfelt, poignant, relevant speeches. We all watch the awards hoping someone will say something other than five hundred ways to say “thank you” and these two both stepped up to the challenge. Then again, the winner of the Best Animated Short Film found the five hundred and first way to say thank you and bless him for it – “Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto.” Yes, he actually said that. Personally, I would like to thank his American friend who must have told him, “trust me, just say it, Americans will think its funny.”
The highlights of the night also included the bits from Seth Rogan and James Franco (and brilliant cinematographer Janusz Kaminski as a first-time presenter), and from Steve Martin and Tina Fey. And Penelope Cruz’s acceptance speech, but only the part in Spanish – she really shouldn’t be allowed to speak English, ever. And the worst bit of the night was Ben Stiller as Juaquin Phoenix. Not the first time Ben has bombed at the Oscars but kudos for not giving up. There were some shining moments in the song and dance sequences, particularly the one that Ann Hathaway saved, and not so much the one where Beyonce lip synched. And Oscar got lucky again this year with the music from Slumdog Millionaire – the best dance sequence since The Lion King.
Will Hugh Jackman be back next year? The jury is still out. But the show is likely to stick with some of the changes they made this year, and we can all only hope that next year will bring as many great films and brilliant performances to make watching the awards all worth while.
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