This is an open thread to discuss the Oscars broadcast (tonight, 7pm Eastern), the films, and of course, the red carpet.
Nine movies have been nominated for Best Picture this year, in a new system that weights votes so that there can be anywhere from five to ten nominated pictures. Here are my thoughts:
The Artist: To me, this is the picture of the year; daring, joyful, life-affirming, and exquisitely made. Here’s Anne’s review.
The Descendants: This was a huge disappointment for me. I found it flat and not at all compelling. It didn’t push either the drama or the comedy hard enough most of the time, and I found Clooney unconvincing. I realize this is a minority view. I was fully prepared to love it, although I haven’t always loved Alexander Payne (hated Sideways, loved About Schmidt, liked Election, but not as much as everyone else seemed to). My review.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: Haven’t seen.
The Help: I’d heard all the pros and cons before seeing the film last week, and finally caved in solely because it has so many nominations. The whitewashing (ha!) of the Civil Rights movement is incredibly plain to anyone who knows anything about 20th century America. As a result, Emma Stone’s character in particular is annoying. But there’s a real heart to the film, a beautiful portrayal of courage and friendship between Abilene (Viola Davis) and Minnie (Octavia Spencer).
Hugo: A lovely film that is, perhaps, far too self-conscious of its own loveliness. My review.
Midnight in Paris: Saw this one on a plane. Although it’s very pretty and amusing, it’s all a mish-mash of Zelig and Everyone Says I Love You, it’s full of caricatures, and the women, as usual in a Woody Allen film, are either sweetly manipulable or stone bitches.
Moneyball: Surprisingly good. This is clean story-telling, with no mucking up the narrative in order to Be a Movie™. It’s subtle, it’s exciting, and it’s intimate, and yet it keeps its eye on the ball (ha!). My second-favorite after The Artist.
The Tree of Life: A difficult and beautiful film, you have to be able to tolerate non-linear story and a whole lot of abstract pretty with no dialogue. Sometimes irritating and heavy-handed, other times exquisite and breathtaking, this is worth seeing if not entirely successful.
War Horse: Haven’t seen.
My Oscar score: There are 104 full-length film nominations in total, plus 15 shorts. (This obviously counts many movies more than once, such as Moneyball for Best Film and Best Actor.) I’ve seen none of the shorts. My total on the full-length films is a whopping 53.
There are 34 “big” nominations (Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor/Actress, Director). I’ve seen 23. Strangely, I’ve seen only one of the Best Actress films, but she’s the front-runner (Viola Davis).
I’ll likely pop in and out tonight. Pretty much in agreement with you on the Best Pic nominees, except Moneyball, which I expected to be good with Sorkin and Zaillian on board. In fact Zaillian is a family friend of sorts, so adapted screenplay is my rooting interest tonight. Still agree The Artist should be best pic, although this is mostly due to the weak field overall.
It is a weak field, and a weak year. Even with wonderful films that should have been nominated (Drive), 2012 isn’t going to go down in history as a great year for film.
I think Moneyball’s script has a very good chance, and I’ll root with you.
A weak year? Great year for film in general; but judging by what got nominated for Oscars, yes, weak. Great script for Moneyball.
Early red carpet thoughts: Berenice Bejo has not risen to the occasion. Wendy Kemperer (Jon Hamm’s former student) has.
Oh I disagree; I though that gown was stunning; certainly a color not seen often and very flattering…But BB’s hair did need a little more oomph perhaps.
hmmmm….green gowns trending a bit. NOT hunter green, but paler, brighter shades. Very odd but of course I love it. Lots of pale colors, too: pinks, champagnes, silvers, ivories. LOTS of beads and sequins!
Judy Greer and Jessica Chastain look really good. The dresses aren’t bad either.
I’m on E but am switching to ABC. Last year Tim Gunn was awful but I hope he improves because I love him.
These very pale colors are not gorgeous on white women, they’re just not. Melissa McCarthy’s dress is great but would be so much prettier in a bolder color.
Whoa, look at Jane Seymour!
And hey, Jessica Chastain got it VERY right.
Okay I better switch to ABC (well after Max von Sydow), these other guys are bugging me. The pale colors are a problem, yes, without a hint of pink or something to bring out eyes and flesh tones…(blue, green, violet). Color is everything.
finally saw Jane Seymour and Jessica Chastain, WOW!
Bechier: When your nomination is totally unexpected you bring TWO women.
Viola has the natural hair and a GREAT shade of green!!
It’s so hard to figure out why some of these people are here. Jane Seymour? Virginia Madsen? P. Diddy? What the…?
Okay, that explains Diddy/
Some may be presenters. At least, that explains Milla Jojovich.
Holy shit, Octavia Spencer looks like a goddess. I’m stunned. She’s been gorgeous the whole awards season but this is AMAZING. The draping of the pleats is perfection, and the beading, the fit at the waist, wow.
Rooney Mara has breast spoilers.
Yeah, I was thinking that dress is not a good match for her.
She’s been wearing edgy, unusual dresses, mostly in white or black, for months, first promoting her film, then at awards ceremonies. This is consistent with her style. But who wears breast spoilers? It’s like two Trans-Ams on her chest.
Those of you watching ABC missed Sascha Baron Cohen dump (supposed) cremated ashes on Seacrest.
…and yes, it’s Sacha.
J Lo looks amazing! I love the…chevrons? stripes? Something. If only the top wasn’t crushing her chest. She could breathe with one more inch!
J-Lo looked good. Emma Stone, otoh… who convinces women the neck bow is a good choice?
Nice color on Emma (tho she called it “fuschia” and it was more like crimson) but the huge bows are NEVER a good idea.
lovely gown on Kristen Wiig! Perfect on her.
Sad to me when they get the color so right but the dress details are a problem, case in poiny: Tina Fey’s deep violet gown. That peplum was too much. Nice earrings though.
Agree on Wiig. TV folk were saying she looked to casual, but she’s nominated for writing a comedy. People need to lighten up.
I’m right there with you. Plus, in that color, it’s almost identical to Nicole Kidman a couple of years ago. You can’t compete with Nicole.
For the record, I am wearing The Gap tonight.
I’m wearing Lane Bryant.
Penelope Cruz’s dress is gorgeous, and I love the lilac color, but the hair is too Betty Draper Francis.
I did not mind the hair; LOVE the gown.
Yep, thought the hair aged her look a bit. Then again she married a gazillionaire, so she probably doesn’t care.
TLo are always complaining about wearing a dress the same color as your skin, and Wiig did that.
The Price-Waterhouse dudes’ tuxes did nothing for me.
That muppet commercial rules.
Yes, although it’s hard to mess up that song. Unless you’re Vanilla Ice.
Kermit’s lip-syncing is better.
It sure does! I was wowed first time I saw it this week. I also said the same on the other Oscars site I am chatting on…
It’s almost starting. The anticipation is entirely tolerable.
You’re killing it tonight, Karl.
Thanks.
…and there’s the Voice of Hamm.
Glove?
Bieber there to remind us this is not a rerun of a 90s Oscars show.
Have fun storming the fuhrer!
The Tin-Tin hair is funny!
The Beautiful Chapter 11 Theater is a good line. I know people want to complain about old fart Oscars but he cracks my shit up.
Here’s who really needs to be on the red carpet, but is at the Vanity Fair Oscar party instead
http://lockerz.com/s/187546876
Nice!
Two gorgeous people!
Hanks announces Cinematography & Art Direction? Can’t throw Peter Scolari a bone?
Was hoping for Statler & Waldorf in that balcony.
Me too! They could have heckled Billy Crystal.
My that man has a lot of hair. And that guy has none. I wonder if this is predictive. First two to Hugo. I have The Artist in the Best Picture pool.
I am currently 50/50 on my pool. I guessed The Artist for cinematography & Hugo for Art Direction.
Here are clips from movies you have seen and enjoyed, because most of you cannot say that about this year’s movies.
How did Twilight get in there? It’s like Bieber, another senseless pander to the young. GIVE UP YOU GUYS!
…and STILL 50/50. I had Harry Potter for makeup, The Artist for costume.
I have no idea what connected that movie moments montage except that Billy Crystal was in two of them.
I think that’s the “Look at all these enjoyable comedies that touched your heart and never got Oscars” segment.
Forrest Gump got an Oscar.
So far, well paced, but not a single major award.
They usually open with Supporting Actress. Weird.
yes, i was not sure why that happened…
Going along with the stars, my first movie was probably The Birds. I was 3 years old, and laughed all the way through it. Should’ve been a warning.
My parents took us to all the kids movies. Mary Poppins was an early one. But I tragically have something in common with Adam Sandler, because Diamonds Are Forever was a HUGE early influence.
Actually, I saw Diamonds Are Forever in the theater also.
Those two were easy to call, but they upped my percentage. Octavia Spencer is ADORABLE.
A friend on Twitter: “Shouldn’t Adele have won something by now?”
Your friend is spot-on.
The Spinal Tap/Guffman crew!
Wow, not one laugh in that whole Wizard of Oz bit.
Surprise! No one predicted Dragon Tattoo for editing.
Best Editors needed editing.
Damn, I really wanted Drive to win SOMETHING. At least the entire world just saw Christina Hendricks’s face on the Oscars.
Dude is riffing on Bon Iver! Awesome.
I could really do without dance troupes at the Oscars.
Why we had to cut to Clooney WATCHING the acrobats is beyond me.
I missed the acrobats?!
Hey, another major awrd coming up in hour 2!
I really hate when they lie to us: Coming up next! Best Actor! They said that before the last commercial AND! THEY! LIED!
Ben Stiller winning this argument with Emma Stone.
Emma is so charming though. She gives me hope for the revival of the ingenue. And in this time of stripper fashions and quasi-porn music videos, that’s saying something. And I love the dress!
She is charming. But they should not have saddled her with the shtick in a show where they are otherwise trying to pace things. And the dress is alright, except for the big neck bow, which is always a bad choice.
I think she pulled off both the shtick and the dress.
The shtick was alright, but –as withthe dance sequence — extraneous. Every year, people complain about the elngth, and yet the producers can’t help themselves.
…which is to say, I didn’t have a problem with Emma’s execution, but the concept.
Christopher Plummer should bust out some push-ups right now, just for Billy.
Oh, Plummer is SO charming. And so deserving; he was wonderful in that movie.
My connectivity comes and goes. There will be much more blogging on commercials from the kitchen, where the wireless is better.
Actually, some of that may have been server level. had some access problems during the dance thingy.
OK, that was worth it for the Nolte gag.
When I hear Owen Wilson read, I always hear the voice of Eli Cash.
“More Cymbals!” – Everyone on the internet.
Alright for McKenzie and the Muppets!
Jolie is going to beat Crystal to a pulp later.
Adapted screenplay: See Deborah’s review.
Angelina, I am going to order you a whole pizza pie. Please promise to eat it all.
…But she’s starving in solidarity with all those suffering people around the world that she’s building her career on!
…sorry, I mean “raisiing awareness.”
Original screenplay: Woody wins, skips the show.
Did I miss the atrocious Debbie Allen number? And she was my favorite teacher on Fame!
If you did, I did. Lord, I hope so…
Hearing Hamm again tonight, it strikes me that this whole thing would be better if Hamm and Slattery just improvised and handed out all the awards.
Sci-tech: Doug Trumbull goes all the way back to 2001: A Space Odyssey.
People all over the globe not getting the Scorsese drinking game joke from the SAG awards.
One of Jon Hamm’s former students handing out an Oscar.
AND Christina’s face. It’s a Mad Men night. DRINK!
Stupid hat guy is adorable.
Yeah. Although most don’t care about awards for animated short, these awards are most meaningful for people like Hat Guy.
That said, Don Draper would have totally busted that guy for wearing his hat indoors.
I knew a woman — a parent at Arthur’s preschool — who had been to the Oscars for doc. short. She always managed to work it into every conversation.
As I drink more, I blog less.
As I drink more, I blog drunker.
Best Director: Huzzah for French Guy!
French Guy just dissed Uggie, who is retiring due to illness. Bad form, French Guy.
The Oscars just spoiled The Empire Strikes Back for everyone.
Coming Up: We See Dead People!
Good-bye, Billy Crystal.
Hello Karl as next year’s Oscar host!
Oh, you couldn’t pay me enough.
How about all the liquor you could possibly drink?
I really don’t drink much. The earlier joke was just covering for my typos.
Nice plastic surgery on Tom Cruise. By which I mean “obvious.”
Best Actor: First Such Oscar for a French Dude.
Andy Levy on Twitter: “Damn, I feel bad for Clooney. How’s he gonna get laid now??”
HAHAHAHA!
I love Jean D…spelling thingy SO much. What a lovely acceptance. HE didn’t diss the dog.
Congrats to Firth for overcoming his stutter to announce this award.
Best Actress: A Sophie’s Choice.
What matters to Meryl is the friendships. But she ain’t handing that statue to Michelle Phillips.
The Artist. Indeed.
Meryl Streep–big shocker, big come-from-behind win. I’m happy, although I’d also have been happy if it was Viola Davis. I can’t BELIEVE that Meryl Streep wins this historic, record-breaking award and the camera cuts to Sandra Bullock staring straight ahead like a death mask.
And YAY The Artist.