Spotlight won Best Picture! It was a surprise, as The Revenant looked on track to win after picking up two of the major awards, while Spotlight hadn’t won anything other than Original Screenplay. But I’m pleased it won. It was an excellent and meaningful film about the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse scandal and the journalists who uncovered it, unlike the revenge survival picture with fancy choreography but haphazard storytelling and phony Native American “spiritual” elements. (Still wish that Mad Max could have pulled off the biggest upset of the night, but oh well. At least it won the most awards of the night!)
I loved Chris Rock’s monologue. It was hard-hitting (and said everything I was thinking when Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith said they were boycotting the Oscars — they weren’t even invited!) The way he characterised Hollywood racism as “sorority racist” was particularly on-point. (I now realise that what he’s talking about is systemic racism.) Let’s hope that the people who greenlight films actually take note.
Here’s my delayed “live-blog” of the rest:
Charlize Theron’s boobs were quite distracting. (A lot of people’s were.)
That clip about black actors was hilarious.
The Stacey Dash cameo was puzzling. I don’t get the joke.
Listening to Sam Smith performing “Writing’s On the Wall”, I still cannot believe that terrible song won Best Original Song. Wtf???
They played my favourite track from the Mad Max score every time the movie won! And costume designer Jenny Beaven had the sign of the cult of the V8 embellished on the back of her jacket! 😀 Awesome! (She seems like a sweet motherly lady too.)
The “Black History Month” bit was funny. 😀 I did not know Jack Black was in Enemy of the State!
The Mad Max sound mixer who won (Mark Mangini) looks so much like George Miller! Did they ever get mistaken for each other?
Andy Serkis is amazing! I’m puzzled why they suddenly chose to highlight his accomplishments in motion capture performances and asked him to present an Oscar, but I’m glad they recognise it.
Ex Machina was the first shocker of the night, especially since their entire visual effects budget was probably what the other nominees had for their craft services. Everyone expected Star Wars: The Force Awakens to win, if not The Revenant (for that bear). Even Mad Max had an awesome sandstorm that could have allowed it to win.
Pete Doctor’s kids must be very happy today, because they’re getting a dog. 🙂
The marketing departments haven’t been doing a great job if those moviegoers in Compton have never heard of their movies. Or perhaps they didn’t even bother to market their films to the black people in Compton.
Mark Rylance was the second upset of the night, beating most people’s predictions of Sylvester Stallone. Mark Rylance was quietly good in Bridge of Spies though, so I had no problems with that.
The orchestra playing people off is really annoying.
Dev Patel looks so much more mature now!
Leo looked shocked at the amount “raised” for the Girl Scout cookies. Hah, I doubt that was the real figure.
They introduced Joe Biden with the Indiana Jones theme! Makes him sound like a real swashbuckling guy.
“Till It Happens to You” was such a powerful song, with an amazing performance by Lady Gaga. HOW COULD “WRITING’S ON THE WALL” HAVE BEATEN IT???? HOW?? HOW?? HOW??!!! The only reason I can figure is that more people watched Spectre than The Hunting Ground, and so they voted for the song they had heard of instead of one they didn’t. I bet most of them are regretting their decision now. Argh!
And Sam Smith misquoted Sir Ian McKellan in his speech. There have been openly gay men who won Oscars before. Dustin Lance Black, writer of Milk, is one of them. Sam Smith is not as special as he thinks he is.
Alejandro Iñárritu’s award this year is undeserved, because The Revenant just wasn’t a good film. So what if it was arduous to film? So was Mad Max! Where’s George Miller’s Oscar???
When Julianne Moore started talking, she sounded like she was about to sing.
Leo had the shortest walk up the stage I’ve seen anyone make, and he bounded up so happily. So glad he won! 😀 I hate that he became an internet meme for not winning in the past, especially after losing for The Wolf of Wall Street, and I’m relieved that the Internet can stop laughing at (with?) him. The Revenant wasn’t a good film, but his performance was great. It was such a physically torturous role (at least, it felt torturous watching him go through his ordeal on screen), and he gave it his all in pursuit of Oscar glory. Well, it worked. 🙂 Most of all, I admire how humble, eloquent and passionate about the environment he always seems, despite being a star who constantly hangs out with supermodels and dates people much younger than him.
By the way, what’s up with the camera lingering uncomfortably long on the Oscars stage during the end credits, and that weird rap music? (It’s the first time I’ve seen people vacating the auditorium in droves after the ceremony has ended though.) Give me the montage of everything that happened during the ceremony, accompanied by an orchestra medley of famous movie themes!
