Oscars

2006 Oscars Recap

And another one is over. Prediction-wise I was 16/24 just like last year, 6/8 in the main categories. Perhaps I should go with my favorite in the supp. actor category rather than best picture next time :).

The Departed was the winner of the night with 4 wins including Best Picture and Best Director. Pan's Labyrinth won 3 (missing out on Best Foreign Film though), Dreamgirls, Little Miss Sunshine and An Inconvenient Truth had each 2 wins.

What else was memorable?

Well, if there is one highlight to pick from the entire evening, it can only be Martin Scorsese receiving his Best Director award after a standing ovation from the crowd. I honestly think that anyone else would have been embarassed had they won. And while I have my problems with The Departed, Scorsese truly deserved this award.

Best Picture, on the other hand, went also to The Departed, a decision that falls into the typical Academy behaviour. We'll have to wait a little longer until an indepenent film will win the big prize. And it doesn't look like it can be both independent and a comedy... too much to swallow in one bite.

Not much else to comment on the awards themselves. I am happy with Alan Arkin's win - although if I am to be nitpicking I can chuck it under the category "If we are to give it to a comedy role, might as well be to the old guy". The only real surprise for me was Gustavo Santaolalla repeating his Brokeback Mountain win for the score of Babel in a year with many (more) memorable scores. Speaking of score, Ennio Moriconne received an honorary award for his brilliant film composing career. Well deserved (I even have CD's with his scores) but it would have been even better without the snore song by Celine Dion.

About the show itself, I have to say I was quite pleased with Ellen DeGeneres freshness. Her bits through the audience, giving a script to Marty and asking Spielberg to take a picture of her and Eastwood were priceless. The shape presentations of some of the year's movie, by a group whose name I have to find, were impressive.