A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009) - Page 3

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

The scaled-down and more tightly-focused production was commendable. As always I have serious complaints and disappointments, but I will confine my remarks to the brush-off accorded Jerry Lewis. The Academy should have assigned a producer who knows his films to assemble the brief tribute. The clips were chosen with no knowledge of his strengths as a comedian or a dramatic actor. Not a single one of his best moments was represented. People associated with his annual telethon were not asked to comment on his devotion and achievement over the decades. In fact, the entire presentation was ineptly produced. Shamefully so. There is no excuse for this unprofessionalism. Jerry Lewis knew it, too; you could see it in his face. He surprised me with the brevity of his thanks. I would like to have heard more from him.

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

Finke nails the problem with the tribute section, though. Left out:

Ertha Kit
George Carlin
Guy McElwaine
Bernie Brillstein
Patrick McGoohan
Irv Brecher (Academy Nominee)


The exclusion of some of these is mind-bending, but I agree with Finke, the exclusion of Irv Brecher is just wild.

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

I believe Patrick McGoohan died in January of 2009. Maybe that's why he wasn't included.

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

McGoohan passed the day BEFORE Ricardo Montalban. And Khan was included.

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

In a world where Don LaFontaine died in September, but was left out of the tribute....

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

Heath Ledger died in Jan 2008 and was included in last year's list.

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

thought she looked a tad wider then usual, might have been the dress, also not a complaint.

did anyone think that beyonce' was lip synching, she was or the sound was of synch by a half second or so.

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

The sound seemed out of sync for a lot of the show. There were lots of times where the sound looked like it was lagging behind the actual lip movements.

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

Didn't notice anything out of synch but I had a couple of dropouts.

--
H

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

I watched the Oscars in hi-def and during the whole show, the lip movements and what was spoken were out of synch by at least a second or two. I got used to it after a while.

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

I agree with Ron.

It was a more intimate, better paced, shorter Oscar show, and (happy day) no lame comedians. A few lulls, some faux pas (Bill Maher), but that's part of its charm. Inevitable in a telecast like this. I would've liked to have seen Peter Gabriel on stage, but the Oscar winning songs are usually...not musically significant anyway, so I can live with it. It was Slumdog's night to rule. My biggest complaint was that it was hard for me to read the names on the memorial section - the attempt to give a flavor of the staging just didn't work for home viewers - like me, watching on a 34" HDTV. But on the whole this was my fave Oscar telecast.

And as someone who's seen Jackman in musicals and doing an outstanding job of hosting the Tonys, I was expecting him to be great...and he was. It was also nice to be reiminded Ann Hathaway can sing.

I'm actually tired of comedians hosting the Academy Awards - some bits can be hilarious, and some bits are always strained and unfunny...it's too long of a show for most comic hosts IMO - and I've been watching since the days of Johnny Carson.

I enjoyed the 5 actors presenting the best acting nominees. I'm so bored with the 20 second film clip that doesn't really tell you anything about a perfromance. This was more intimate and personal, and I confess a rush seeing those people walk out from behind the curtains. My God, didn't Sophia Loren look great?

I thought Kate Winslet was a marvel in The Reader, a flawed film. The general critical consensus was that she turned in a terrific performance whatever one thought of the film, so I have no qualms about her winning for it. She's given so many outstanding perfromances, starting with her very first, Heavenly Creatures. I truly hated Revolutionary Road, and while KW is good in it, I think the one in The Reader is more delicate, complex, and much more difficult to bring off.

While I acknowledge Penn's talent, I've not always been a fan of his every role. But he was wonderful in Milk, no actorly tics or cliches on display anywhered, just a very sensitive, powerful and surprusing portrayal of a completely different personality from his own. I think it's his best performance by a wide marging and by anybody's standards. If you haven't seen Milk, you need to.

I don't get too invested in the Oscars as arbiters of ultimate cinematic excellence, I just enjoy them for the glamour and fun of it, the handicapping and the dresses.

Re: A few thoughts about.....The Oscars (2009)

Beyonce was definitely lip-synching. I noticed not because of actual synch problems but because Jackman's vocals "sounded live" and hers didn't - it was a pretty stark contrast between them...