Post Oscars [Academy Awards 2012]

There is a God, after 30 years and 17 nominations, Meryl Streep has won another Oscar. I say this because she is by far the finest actress of our time and yet every Oscar season it is a debate whether she will win the Oscar she easily deserves. This was a surprise considering her competition, most notably Viola Davis who starred in the well-loved movie “The Help”.

It seemed as if Woody Allen got all dolled up for nothing – he was nominated for directing “Midnight in Paris,” a film also nominated for best picture – because of the threat posed by “The Artist”. A newcomer winning five well deserved Academy Awards meant that several veterans weren’t going to win. “The Artist” was a surprising splash at the Oscars which typically progresses as a line of predictability. Last night, a small artsy French film dominated the Oscars.

The pageantry led by Oscar host champion Billy Crystal was a posh display of golden age of film architecture and set design. The opening number by Circ du Soleil was a spectacular display of skill and beauty. Crystal himself wasn’t supposed to be a controversial pick but it seemed as if he was straddling the divide between retired bubbes in Florida, baby boomers named Harry and Sally, as well as young adults who know him best as the voice of Mike Wazowski in “Monster’s Inc.” How well he navigated that divide will be determined next year when The Academy picks an Oscar host.

 

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