1. I Am in Love with the Unpredictability
Honestly-this is like an awards season from the 1960's at this point-no one seems to have a handle on the race. At any one point Carol, Spotlight, Brooklyn, Room, Mad Max, Bridge of Spies, The Big Short, and now The Martian and The Revenant have all led their categories. Admittedly we took some predictable steps last night (it's totally plausible to see DiCaprio/Larson/Stallone/Winslet dominating the entire rest of the season, though Stallone can't take the SAG and Winslet hasn't faced off against Mara or Vikander in The Danish Girl). Still, Best Picture could go any direction, even copying last year which would be a big deal at this point, and that's exciting. No one wants to sit through an Oscars where it's clear who's going to win the whole time.
2. Female-Led Movies Need a Chance
That being said, there's something a little bit unpleasant about the fact that in a year where female-led films like Brooklyn, Room, and Carol all were at the top of the heap that we may have only male-backed films clawing through on the top of the pile for producing, directing, and writing awards. Particularly with Carol, it's noteworthy that a film that has won myriad critics awards could be able to make a play for the Oscar, as the last time a female-dominated film won Best Picture was 2002's Chicago, and the last time a film that only had female leads won Best Picture was 1983's Terms of Endearment. For comparison's sake, it's been ten years since a film with a true female lead (Million Dollar Baby in 2004) won Best Picture-every one since has only had females in supporting roles. That's too long of a time to go without female-driven pictures at the top of the heap, and considering that the female-led films were the critical story this year, this should be happening in 2015.
3. Ricky Gervais is the Worst
Seriously-that was one of the most obnoxious, horribly bad performances I've ever seen at an awards ceremony, and I sat through James Franco's entire Oscar monologue (admittedly the year that Tom Bergeron and Ryan Seacrest hosted the Emmys was worse, but that's not really a bar I think anyone will ever be able to cross). Gervais was transphobic on multiple occasions (what the hell was with the entire Jeffrey Tambor portion of the monologue?), frequently went to easy and cheap wells (Charlie Sheen, anyone?), and only on rare, rare occasions was actually funny (I liked the clear dig at Harvey Weinstein, as did Harvey, and while I thought it was a particularly low blow someone had to go after Ben Affleck considering the year he's had and his amount of celebrity). I get that no one should be defending Mel Gibson, but wow-that may have been the most awkward moment I've ever seen at an awards show. Thank god the producers hadn't also lined up Sean Penn, or there would have been a fistfight on-stage. Can we please not hire Ricky Gervais again? Anyone else would be better. Pretty please?!?
4. Presenters Were a Mixed Bag
Honestly, though, the presenters were a very mixed bag, mostly on the dour. About the only presenters where I genuinely laughed and actually quite loved what they did were Eva Longoria and America Ferrera poking fun at both the HFPA and Hollywood in general for not knowing the differences between them and other Latina actresses. Otherwise we had Helen Mirren getting objectified yet again (I'm surprised they didn't go there as well with J. Lo-maybe it was too early in the night?), Jonah Hill in a bear costume in a skit that went flat, and even Amy Schumer/Jennifer Lawrence were far less funny than you would have anticipated. And the worst was surely Jamie Foxx, who should never be invited back to an awards show again after both suggesting he slept with his co-presenter and then announcing the wrong winner in the Original Score category, ruining Ennio Morricone's big moment, which thankfully he wasn't there for (unfortunately that meant Quentin Tarantino giving the acceptance speech and using the word "ghetto" to the chagrin of pretty much every person watching, including Jamie Foxx). All-in-all, someone in Hollywood owes Lily James a franchise role or something for having to present through all of that, which she was clearly and understandably uncomfortable with doing.
I'm trying here, people, but I just can't. I get that Gaga hate on this blog is approaching levels that even I'm not okay with, but let's not pretend that she can act here. I can't actually get through AHS: Hotel this season, but have watched enough to know that her delivery is worse than Jennifer Hudson's in the Sex and the City movie, and that she doesn't really understand anything other than breathy emoting. Having her go up there, basically dismissing her singing career as nothing more than a stepping stone to acting (which would read as more genuine if she hadn't been dismissed by fans, rather than the other way around), trying to make the clear allusions to Cher (read: "I want that Oscar!!!!") and then saying she's speechless when she's thanked every single person on the production? It was all too much, and while it's the Globes and I kind of thought this was coming considering the relative lack of strength of her fellow nominees, I think we can all agree that Kirsten Dunst, Queen Latifah, Sarah Hay, or Felicity Huffman would have been a better choice for an acting excellence award.
And there you have it-my thoughts on a wild-and-tumble night-what are yours? Are you thrilled about last night, or are you hoping Thursday will bring an end to this insanity? Anyone out there want to defend Ricky, Jamie, or Gaga? Share your thoughts below in the comments!
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