Oscars 2014

Well its that night again when we award the achievements in cinema. While I liked some things, I didn't like others, but thats another blog. Tonight lets get drunk on the joy that is Ellen Degeneres, and talk about the top winners. Cause really thats all anybody remembers anyway. 

First off, Ellen was pretty good as a host, but I think she was a little funnier in 2007. I think she's afraid to tick people off. So everything was kinda sweet and cute. Except that slam against Liza Minelli.. which made the room silent… She was all in all pretty good. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

 Now even though I liked all the nominees I knew Leto would win. I called it months ago. Letos performance as Rayan the Aids stricken friend of Ron Woodruff in "Dallas Buyers Club," was an amazing performance. Leto gave a wonderful speech about how his mom guided him, and since I am the child of a single parent, I thought it was really great. He also gave great advice about following your heart, and being creative. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

I liked all of the nominees, but I knew Nyong'o was going to win. That movie was her baby. She was the rawest thing in it. A slave who's repeated rape by Michael Fassbender's master literally makes you turn away from the scream. A slave whose blatantly abused by the masters wife played by Sarah Paulson. The scene they showed at the awards was heart breaking to watch. She totally deserved to win. And while I liked Jennifer Lawrence, she's already won, and I thought, "American Hustle" had problems. I would have loved if June Squibb could have won. She was a riot in Nebraska. But Lupita Nyong'o completely deserved that win. 

BEST DIRECTOR

Alfonso Cauron won twice tonight, both deserved. My mom and the people I was wit had no idea he acts as his own cinematographer, so he won for the extraordinary work he did in "GRAVITY." But when he won best director I was especially happy because "Gravity," is an amazing effort in storytelling. The vastness of space, and the way he used his actors proves that Cauron has what it takes to be in the same group as the John Fords and Bernardo Bertoluccis of the world. He tells a big grande story and he makes the players in it intimate. 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

I really wanted Terrance Winter to win for Wolf of Wall street. I over all thought WOWS had snappy dialogue that moved us along despite that fact that the movie was 3 hours long. However I can be happy for John Ridley who wrote "12 years a slave." 

BEST ACTOR

How cool was it that Matthew McConaughey won? Wooderson has an Oscar! Well all right all right all right! His 45 pound weight loss aside, the tragic story he told was so amazing to watch. He was so calm, but inside there was a fire raging. A man who just wanted to live. And live like his life meant something.  He's definitely having a "Mc Connesance." 

Disappointments

BEST ACTRESS

I was SOOOOO bored in "Blue Jasmine."  It was really just not funny. I needed it to be funny. And I would have rather had Sally Hawkins to win. Hers was the better role. But Blanchett won. She's a good actress, and in the past i have loved her work. But this role was nomination and not winning worthy to me. Bullock or Adams were the better choices. And Dench was the real winner. 

 BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

"HER"? REALLY? I like Spike Jonze has an actor and I have loved him in the past like in "Three Kings," but as a writer, he's' weird. The whole premise of this film is creepy. I don't blame the actors, cause I guess working with Jonze is an honor and all, but this was just, strange. And not better than Bob Nelson for, "Nebraska." Nebraska was shut out tonight and that was really a shame because it was one of the best films of the year last year. But because it was small, it really got over looked. 

AND THE WINNER IS FOR BEST PICTURE….

"12 Years a Slave," or as I like to call it, "Two hours of Shame." Wow this is such a hard movie to watch. Its the whole package. Great acting, great directing, great editing. Its one of those movies that once seen, you really don't want to see it again, despite the fact that its an amazing story. The idea of a free man being carted off to the south and for 12 years held captive as a slave is so heart breaking. But the up side is, Brad Pitt finally has his oscar.