Ram Review - Oscars

 It's difficult to understand how a show dedicated to the very best in film, be it acting, directing, editing or writing, struggles to keep itself together for less than three hours. Yes, the 82nd Academy Awards started at 8:30 PM ET and ended just before midnight. That was a whopping three-and-a-half-hour show, which could really been have cut down if some unnecessary things were not included.

The fact that there are 10 Best Picture nominees presented throughout the show with 4 to 5-minute montages of each accounts for almost an entire hour of the show. This should have given producers Adam Shankman and Bill Mechanic the signal to scrap any ideas for segments that take away time from the winners' speeches.

The show was off to a bad start when it had three opening segments, two of which could have been left out. The Awards opened with the parade of Best Actor and Best Actress nominees – a segment that should not have been included given the fact that all these nominees got fantastic odes from their peers during the nomination announcements later on in the show. Neil Patrick Harris was next providing a musical number which was, at best, disappointing. One of the lines from his song asked, "What am I doing here?" To be honest Neil, we don't know. The lyrics of the song were cheesy and forced while the performance itself was awkward. This did not do justice to Harris' talent and it was a bad decision for everyone involved to include this.

All was not gloom and doom for the opening segments as Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin (literally) flew in to save the night. The tandem hosts proved why they deserved to host Saturday Night Live a record number of times. Individually, they are fantastic comedians, and as a pair they hit the monologue out of the ballpark. Martin was cool as ice showing incredible comfort, while Baldwin's intentionally awkward style of delivery provided the perfect complement for Martin. Perhaps the best joke of the segment was when Martin said, "Oh look, there's that damn Helen Mirren," to which Baldwin responded "Steve, that's Dame Helen Mirren." The naturally poised nominee could barely contain her laughter after that exchange.

After the opening festivities were over, it finally came time for the awards to be given. Overall, the presenters were good, with the exception of some odd choices like Miley Cyrus and Kristen Stewart who struggled to read simple lines off the teleprompter – not a hopeful sign for the future of Hollywood. Ben Stiller presented Best Make-Up in full Avatar gear, tail included. While his bit started off funny enough, it started to drag on and on, making it feel more tacky than hilarious. Stiller said it best, "This seemed like a better idea in rehearsal." That much he got right.

Perhaps the worst decision of the night was to present the "Best Original Score" through interpretative dance. While many can appreciate the visual and musical art that was taking place, the overall feel of it was simply boring. The whole segment lasted about ten minutes, although it felt more like ten hours. What ever happened to artists singing for the "Best Original Song" category? Those were, no doubt, a lot more entertaining.

Amidst numerous production flaws, the Oscars still delivered on paying homage to the best the film industry has to offer. The Hurt Locker was the big winner of the evening, picking up six of its nine nominations. Kathryn Bigelow took home Best Director honors defeating Avatar boss James Cameron. Bigelow and company scored a double victory over the highest grossing movie of all time by also winning best picture over the 3D epic after weeks of speculation.

The other winners were mostly expected, as Mo'nique took home the award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance on Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push' by Sapphire. Jeff Bridges won Best Actor for his performance in Crazy Heart, and Best Supporting actor went to Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Bastards.

One of the most memorable events of the evening, however, was Sandra Bullock winning the Best Actress award for her work in The Blind Side. While many saw this win coming, as she had already won numerous awards from the same role in other ceremonies, this was no less special. The raw emotion Bullock exuded was an incredible sight. Despite the urge to break into tears, she kept her composure and delivered one of the most memorable speeches given since Halle Berry back in 2002. Her punch lines were on par with Martin and Baldwin, while her odes to the people who were "kind to [her] when it wasn't fashionable" and mothers everywhere were touching and genuine. Perhaps the most moving part of her speech was her tribute to her late mother Helga D. Meyer, who showed Bullock what it takes to be an artist. While emotional and struggling to speak, Bullock kept her class, poise, humor and undeniable cool throughout, and received a deserved standing ovation from her peers.

The Oscars were a mix of memorable moments and moments that should never have been included in the first place. While the winners all deserved the recognition, some of the production decisions have to be questioned. Some winners, particularly the ones for the less hyped awards, were not given enough time to finish their speeches. It is a shame that the winners who were seen as integral to the process of creating incredible films were not seen as integral parts of the ceremonies. It is a night to recognize the best in film and to allow the brightest stars to shine. The biggest stars like Sandra Bullock and Kathryn Bigelow certainly did. The smaller stars, however – the editors, the sound guys, the writers–weren't given enough time to bask in their glory. Time was an issue in these awards, and producers have to realize that it's the winners' time. We can all live without two extra opening acts and a ten-minute dance routine; those could have been minutes dedicated to speeches. Next year's awards should show improvements from this – Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin should be given another shot at hosting as they were the only scripted piece of the Oscars that was worth watching. As long as the ceremonies went, Martin still got one last stab at a joke when he said that the show took so long that Avatar now takes place in the past."