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Not as unpredictable as it should have beenMar 28 '01 (Updated Mar 30 '01) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Good, but too many sandals and not enough tigers :) I saw all five Best Picture nominees, and the one I remember least about won the award. `Gladiator' was out here last May, and I saw the rest much closer to awards season. Let me say that of the other four, I wanted `Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' to win. And for a time, it looked like doing it. I was thrilled and surprised as `Tiger' started the night off terrifically, and disappointed when the Foreign Language award was the last it received. I do believe that, had Ang Lee taken the Director award as expected, `Tiger' might have been the first non-English language picture to have won. The big question on my mind after the show was "How is `Traffic' the best written, the best directed, and the best edited film of the year, but not the best film?" Something worth wondering. Since `Gladiator' was the favourite, and had won the BAFTA, Golden Globe and the PGA, I don't think we can be too shocked at all with the win. I am surprised it didn't take more awards. I suppose the other major surprise was Marcia Gay Harden's win - I haven't seen her performance. I'm just glad the Academy pulls the odd rabbit out. In terms of speeches, it was great to hear Cameron Crowe thanking his hero, Billy Wilder, Russell Crowe was surprisingly gracious in his speech. He should have, however, thankd more directors than Ridley Scott. His Oscar has as much to do with Michael Mann and Curtis Hanson. Unfortunately, Julia Roberts was beyond awful. So she has a TV, great, but that doesn't give her the right to go beyond her 45 seconds. She would have known for several weeks that she was going to win, so could have planned her forty-five seconds perfectly. I would have been quite happy for the `Stick man' to have started up the orchestra. My favourite part of the night was the honorary awards. A cinematographer and a writer as the recipients. Excellent. Although, I have to ask, is Ernest Lehman okay? He seemed a little out of it while applauding the WGA strike. Steve Martin was a capable host, but enjoyed attacking other people too much. Russell Crowe and Tom Hanks did not look amused at all. (I have to say, though, Tom could have taken the joke about the kidnapping a little better) Where I preferred Billy Crystal was in the joking about current events. IMDb ran a poll over what the joke writers were having a field day with - the election, the strike, the California energy crisis...but not one joke about any of them. That was a surprise. Maybe they were taken out for length reasons. Fine - it wasn't too long, but there was very little fanfare with the show. A lack of fanfare can be good - Mike Myers had the right idea with the sound and sound editing awards. No one really cares, so just get them overwith. But no big opening number? Steve Martin did keep joking throughout, but he was just a little dark in his humour. A few strange parts of the night added colour, with Bjork's dress (and can anyone please pronounce her name correctly? It does not rhyme with `York'), Bob Dylan looking like Vincent Price, and Danny De Vito's appetite. It was definitely a good show, more entertaining than last year's yawn, even if the movie I wanted to win didn't. Wins I liked: Everything for CTHD, Cameron Crowe, Benicio del Toro Surprising wins - Gladiator's visuals, Marcia Gay Harden  |
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by jeff_wilder78
by dangbro
