First off, I've made no secret of the fact that I was pretty darn excited about the fact that James Franco was invited to host the awards alongside the enviously stunning Anne Hathaway. I didn't, however, think it through to the point which I have argued before now which is, scripted, I feel James can struggle with humour. Of course this sounds ridiculous given his occupation, and I realise that, but film and TV scripts aren't the same as forced humour that's meant to sound natural in a 'real life', as it were, situation such as the Oscars. It's a shame that his brilliant comedic side wasn't really used to its full potential and Anne was left to overshadow the handsome nominee for the most part. Particularly THAT part whereby she looked stunning in an androgynous tuxedo and he looked like a train crash (somehow unable to look away) in a hideously unflattering pink dress. Unfortunately the duo have been outrageously slated for their performance but it's not really all their fault, I think they probably did the best they could with the material they were provided.
Carrying on with the negatives (I'm really sorry, I promise some positives will follow) but I have to say I'm disappointed by just how predictable the Academy Awards are getting. I think the majority of film fans accurately predicted most of the winner's within minutes of the nominations being announced and, as far as I am concerned, this is not because these particular nominees outshone the others. For example, yes, I know I'm equally as predictable but it's my most decent argument, James Franco was more deserving of the trophy for Best Actor in a Lead Role than Colin Firth. Of course I adore the British gem that is Firth but somewhere down the line someone has failed to look at the fact that Firth carried (with elegance and talent, yes) a mostly serious, naturally British role with a slight humour, something not far from the rest of his resumé... Franco, on the other hand, consistently shows an amazing versatility in his roles, the gruelling portrayal of Aron Ralston in 127 hours (in comparison to, say, his comedic performances in Freaks and Geeks and Pineapple Express) being just one brilliant example. Really, this isn't just a massive homage to James Franco though I'm sure it seems that way, I would have been equally happy to see last year's winner and motion picture legend Jeff Bridges or geek chic newbie Jessie Eisenberg pick up the gong as well though we all knew that wasn't going to happen.
However, the evening did have it's fair share of highlights too, of course. Though, again, predictable, Natalie Portman's collection of the Best Actress in a Lead Role was greatly deserved and the effortlessly beautiful actress' emotional speech was equally pleasant to watch. Every single one of Anne Hathaway's dresses alone kept my eyes glued to the screen and performances and speeches from Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey and Randy Newman continued with the evening's entertainment's high quality.
In terms of other awards, I'm particularly happy that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross picked up the award for best score for their music on The Social Network, a film which, again, definitely deserved its wins. I was a little disappointed that the young Hailee Steinfeld didn't win the Oscar for supporting actress but she'll have many an opportunity in the future, I'm sure. I was also pleased to see the Animated Feature Film award go to Pixar's Toy Story, the kids film that managed to keep it's appeal after a decade. Halle Berry's dedication to Lena Horne was also a particular highlight as the previous Best Actress winner's face showed her own honest emotion as she commended the work of the legendary actress.
As for the most important award of the night, for best Motion Picture. Again, little surprise there as the gong goes to The King's Speech. It may sound like I have it in for The King's Speech, trust me, I was moved by it in the theatre, but I was moved to the point of excessive tears by Black Swan and was unable to get lines and scenes to stop their re-run through my mind for days after. I also think The Social Network was a serious contender for the film of the year and that the gong perhaps went to The King's Speech so as not to upset anyone's expectations.
I think I put myself into this year's Academy Awards with a little too much expectation and, sadly, I was a little disappointed but hopefully I'll have only good things to say when I finally get to watch the ceremony in it's entirety on Sky+ ( It seems a little bit of an anticlimax but I WILL watch it.) despite it's painful reviews.
