It wasn’t too long ago when we wrote a post warning viewers to fasten their seatbelts, as the future of the Oscars was in jeopardy. It has always amazed me how a room full of some of the most creative and entertaining people manages to make a production that is on par with a lousy, but well-meaning amateur theatre group. But this year they got something right; the production was well thought out without being over-engineered, the tone was a lovely mix of heartfelt reverence and regard for such an historical ceremony with a healthy dose of irreverence and fun. Beyond all this, the quality of films this year was phenomenal. That bar none is actually one of the magic ingredients in producing such an event – the energy was palpable and the stakes were rightfully high because apart from Oppenheimer, it was anyone’s game.
- The host(s)
Any of the brave souls from the past that have grabbed those Oscar hosting reigns take the future of their career on to a world stage. Jimmy Kimmel isn’t the funniest guy in the room but he is genuine, affable and pretty much unflappable and people aren’t sitting at home cringing. He’s one of the most stable hosts by historical standards, only with Johnny Carson, Bob Hope and Billy Crystal having hosted more. There were a few sour notes (even Robert Downey Jr’s seemingly endless energy knows some constraints), but broadly Kimmel is known as a steady hand that rights the ship whenever live television inevitably gets a bit rocky.
And what about the supplementary hosts who are brought in to hand the gongs to their peers? Previous years have seen awkward, half hearted attempts at live acting and this has always been a struggle for the Academy to nail. This year they took a real risk with their presenters for the four main acting categories as they invited five previous winners to match the five nominees. Each presenter was then tasked with honouring the chosen nominee with a short speech on their character and performance. In the first few moments we wondered would this be a cringeworthy endeavour (don’t get me wrong there were a few insincere ones where it was clear the presenter probably didn’t even vote for their paired nominee), but honestly it worked so well. Most of the presenters were truly inspired by their peers and it was heartfelt and personal, rather than just speaking about the group. There was something transcendental about it, almost as if that’s what happens when actors go to Actor Heaven and that’s who they meet at the pearly gates.
- The musical performances
There were standout musical performances that uncharacteristically stole the show. Billie Eilish’s sombre What Was I Made For was absolutely heartbreaking, and even she was blown away by the standing ovation and her ultimate win later on that night – Eilish’s second, by the way. But it was Ryan Gosling who really stole the show, this century’s King of Cool nailed an extravagant performance of I’m Just Ken from the Barbie movie. Gosling approached it with pure fun in mind, and that’s what he gave the crowd who were buzzing afterwards. It’s hard to explain the wow-factor, and old school star power he commands after this performance – it would be like watching Brad Pitt get up on stage in front of his peers and the world in a live performance that tears the house down. He’s a true all round star and his upcoming film The Fall Guy will absolutely benefit. Oppenheimer may have got all the gold, but Barbie didn’t hit a false note.
- The awards
‘Can’t we just give out Oscars to all of ’em?’ host Jimmy Kimmel exclaimed after the infamous Moonlight/ La La Land mix up. It felt like one of those years where there was way more than just one deserving winner rather than some obvious choices, but in the end, more or less the right awards went to the right people. Emma Stone however might have been the biggest surprise mainly because she didn’t win SAG but it just shows how dependent we are on pre-Oscar ceremonies rather than being objective about performances – and Emma’s was stellar. Cillian Murphy was so well deserved and it was heartening to see the moment and the occasion affect him in the way that it did, he was passionate and nervous and completely overwhelmed – it meant a lot.
Overall? A great year for cinema, and a great year for the Oscars. Long may it continue.
FILM FOR THOUGHT 