Insignificance: Oscars

Saturday, February 28

Being the movie fanatic that I am, I downloaded the 3 hour long 81st Annual Academy Awards (better known as The Oscars) and boy was it the BEST Academy Awards show movie event of the year EVER! I know it's a little due to post an entry on the Oscars but I just love it so much I kept on playing some of the scenes over and over again.

Since the event was held in the Kodak Theatre, it made sense to make the award show depicting a live theatrical performance. Hosted by Hugh Jackman, his opening number was absolutely the best opening monologue ever with a performance.

Even better when he swept Anne Hathaway (who can actually sing) off her feet literally and carrying her on center stage. Next thing you know, Anne Hathaway starts singing and went into the high note.

I guess this is the first time I've ever seen a stage so close to the audience and at the same time, I was rather daunted by it. It just seemed really awkward and terrifying for television viewers to watch in fear of not knowing what to expect or what would happen at a LIVE telecast. Take it from Anne Hathaway.

There were a few scenes from the show that I absolutely loved (other than the opening), one of them was for Best Original Screenplay when Tina Fey and Steve Martin had their hilarious opening appearance to present the nominations, after which was won by Dustin Lance Black for his original screenplay work for the movie Milk.

Also my favourite was during the video montage for Romance 2008 which featured movies last year like revolutionary road, slumdog millionaire, twilight, australia, milk, the curious case of benjamin button just to name a few, meshed and synched together with the song Lovers in Japan by Coldplay at the background. Simply beautiful, Coldplay has done it again. Then there's the montage for Action 2008, also blew me away at the "tick, tick, tick" part, AWESOME.

Then there's Heath Ledger for Best Supporting Role in which he won and his family accepted the Oscar on his behalf. Honestly, if I didn't know that Heath Ledger was being casted as The Joker in The Dark Knight in the first place, I wouldn't have known it was him because his depiction of the diabolic-cynical Joker was absolutely a work or art. I seriously have no idea how any future Batman sequels could top that.

For Best Actress in a Leading Role, I've only watched Changeling from nominee Angelina Jolie with her acting as a single mother who refuses to let her lost son be forgotten from a police cover up when police investigations found the wrong child, based on a true story. Her role was inspiring, bold and emotional. Although she didn't win, she looked stunningly gorgeous as always.

Kate Winslet won leading actress instead for the movie The Reader acting in a german role. I haven't watched it yet but I will soon enough. Downloaded of course.

If you watched last year's Leading Actress winner Marion Cotillard, her brilliant and stunning performance in the french movie La Vie En Rose which I happened to watched after The Academy Awards last year was admirable, her poise and voice in the portrayal of her character in the life of the famous French singer Édith Piaf got her instant nomination and recognition, now alongside Kate Winslet.

For Best Leading Actor, the Oscar goes to the legendary Sean Penn for his bold portrayal of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay rights activist and politician to be elected to public office and was assassinated in 1978. Knowing that this movie would NEVER see the light of day in Malaysian Cinemas, I will be downloading this movie as well.

The main category of the night was Best Motion Picture presented by Steven Spielberg won by none other than Slumdog Millionaire. At first before I even knew about the movie, I just noticed that the lead character was Dev Patel from one of my favourite British series called Skins which I had been watching since the first season which he played a Muslim role. Knowing he transitioned from a cast of a British series to the big screen and seeing him playing an Indian role drove my curiosity even more to watch this movie. I never regretted it.

To tell ya the truth, the most gratifying part watching The Oscars especially in another country is the fact that I've watched almost EVERY film being nominated on the show and able to actually understood and give credit for the nominees for their skillful acting and art. The only sad part about it is that I had to download them off the internet in order to watch good movies and good true acting without the risk of being censored in Malaysia.

Even if the movies made it into Malaysia, out of 10 international movies made, probably like what? 4 of them or less will only make it into the big screen in Malaysia and that is just seriously an abomination and a disgrace to the democracy in Malaysia's Independence. There, I've said it.

I'll definitely be watching some of the nominated movies that I haven't watched yet like Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Milk, Doubt, Rachel Getting Married, The Reader, Frost/Nixon just to name a few.

p/s: If you haven't watched The 81st Annual Academy Awards, you could download the torrents here for the 1st part and here for the 2nd part and download with BitComet other torrent downloading applications.

Labels: letstalkabout, movies, oscars, photos