The UK Clean-up, Bourne Wins, and Other Oscar Surprises: The Recap of the 2008 Academy Awards

First off, let me say that I didn't necessarily agree with all the Academy Award nominations. I've already wrote an article/blog about that, and nothing is going to change my POV on it. With that said, let's continue.

Last night's Oscars I enjoyed. They weren't the greatest thing ever, but I've sat through enough ceremonies in various groups to tell you that award presentations are boring even if you are winning something. Boy Scouts, SPC-TV, SGA, APO... getting dressed up to sit around other people who are dressed up and don't want to be there as well was never my idea of a good time.

That aside, Jon Stewart did a good job of hosting an awards show that felt... awkward. Like the show didn't know what it was supposed or going to do. I was happy because a majority of my picks (13 of 24) were right. 54% isn't bad, but I'm not playing the lotto or going to the track anytime soon.

A few more thoughts:

- Tilda Swinton wasn't the only person shocked that she won an Oscar; I was too. Not to say that it wasn't warranted; I really liked her in "Michael Clayton" but I was SURE Ellen Page would've gotten it for "Juno." Kudos.

- I liked "The Bourne Ultimatum," but wasn't sure if everything it won was deserved. Maybe those are the "sympathy" Oscars I hear about...

- Someone I knew "Sicko" wasn't going to win. Good documentary, though.

- "Falling Slowly." They performance was amazing. Props to Stewart for having Markéta Irglová come back onto the stage to speak her congratulations in receiving the award. This song, this performance, IS the reason you watch the Oscars: the small film that could. Two musicians help to create a film within a budget of $100,000 that is praised in the film festival circuit and goes up for THE award of film awards. It's this dream coming true that is the reason for the awards.

- I honestly thought "There Will Be Blood" would've got more awards. Were all the awards for its main competitor, "No Country for Old Men," justified? I'm half and half. I think some of them were, but I also think the "sweep" was a "sympathy" movement, recognizing the catalog of Coen Bros. works.

- Did anyone watch or listen to the "Enchanted" songs? Thanks Disney for chiming in, because it made the win for "Original Song" going to "Falling Slowly" (whose budget was probably 1/1,000,000^th that of "Enchanted") seem that much greater. As for me, we put the sound on "mute" at that time.

- Is it me or did the "In Memoriam" seem to be "cheating?" It seemed that Hollywood was trying to protect Heath Ledger, having him as the last person on the montage. I didn't realize the memoriams had dates; I thought it was anyone who had died up to a week before the Oscars. This would mean that among the snubbed were Brad Renfro (whose death was before Ledger's) and The MAN... Roy Scheider.

And now, my picks (wins, then losses):

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"

Best Animated Feature
"Ratatouille"

Best Art Direction
"Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Best Cinematography
"There Will Be Blood"

Best Director
"No Country for Old Men"

Best Foreign Language Film
"The Counterfeiters" Austria

Best Makeup
"La Vie en Rose"

Best Original song
"Falling Slowly" from "Once"

Best Animated Short
"Peter & the Wolf"

Best Sound Editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum"

Best Special F/X
"The Golden Compass"

Best Original screenplay
"Juno"

Now, my losses:

Best Actress
Ellen Page in "Juno"

WINNER: Marion Cotillard for "La Vie en Rose"

Reason for my pick: I was pretty sure Ellen Page owned this one. And, I didn't see the other movie.

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There"

WINNER: Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton."

Reason for my pick: I almost picked her to win, but Cate Blanchett was nominated for two categories. Oh well.

Best Costume Design
"Atonement"

Winner: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"

Reason for my pick: I shoulda figured this would happen. Oh well.

Best Documentary
"No End in Sight"

Winner: "Taxi to the Dark Side"

Reason for my pick: I only saw "Sicko," but my pick was more "popular." I haven't seen my pick or the winner.

Best Documentary Short
"La Corona (The Crown)"

Winner: "Freeheld"

Reason for my pick: Blind un-luck.

Best Editing
"Into the Wild"

Winner: "The Bourne Ultimatum"

Reason for my pick: I thought "Into the Wild" was more deserving.

Best Original Score
"The Kite Runner"

Winner: "Atonement"

Reason for my pick: Blind un-luck.

Best Movie of the Year
"There Will Be Blood"

Winner: "No Country for Old Men"

Reason for pick: I liked "No Country," but thought "There Will Be Blood" was more deserving.

Best Live Action Short
"The Tonto Woman"

Winner: "Mozart des pickpockets, Le"

Reason for my pick: Blind un-luck. I haven't watched any in the category.

Best Sound Mixing
"Transformers"

Winner: "The Bourne Ultimatum"

Reason for my pick: Why put sound into two categories? Argh.

Best Adapted screenplay
"There Will Be Blood"

Winner: "No Country for Old Men"

Reason for my pick: I was sure that "There Will Be Blood" was gonna sweep "No Country." Oh well.