View From the Phlipside – The Oscars

My name is Jay Phillippi and I’ve spent my life in and around the media.  TV, Radio, the movies and more.  I love ’em and I hate ’em and I always have an opinion.  Call this The View From the Phlipside.

Well the Oscars have been awarded which means it’s Oscar analysis time!  I will confess that I didn‘t actually watch the Oscar broadcast, I was actually watching a movie so I can avoid all the post broadcast laments about how lame the presenters were.  They always are and the sketches will vary from not bad to downright awful.  I could use that critique every year and virtually never be wrong.  So let’s skip right to the awards.

First let me say I was very happy to hear that “Avatar” didn‘t win any of the big awards.  Of course there were no nominations in the acting categories, if you’ve seen the movie you know why.  “Avatar” did win the Art direction, Cinematography and Special Effects .  No argument at all, the movie was visually stunning.  Strip away the effects and you’re left with, meh.

On the other hand two very serious movies did well.  “Precious” won for best Supporting Actress for Mo’nique and Best Adapted Screenplay.  No troubles with either of those. And “Hurt Locker” was the big winner of the night taking Best Picture and Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing plus two Sound Oscars.  I agree with director Kathryn Bigelow on one point.  I look forward to the day when a woman winning, any award, is no longer worthy of special mention. But congrats to her for breaking the gender barrier in the director’s category.

I was very glad to see “UP” win  for Best Animated Film.  That movie surprised me with the depth that it showed and the risks that it took.  Not often that you get an animated mainstream movie that is both extremely funny and will bring you to tears as well.  Squirrel!

No argument with Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor in “Inglorious Basterds“.  He seemed to be everyone’s choice going in.  I was interested in the winners for Best Actor and Best Actress because I think the Academy got a little sentimental here.  Sandra Bullock wins for her role in “The Blind Side” against a pretty tough field.  Bullock has been a fan favorite for years but never in a role that the Academy could bring itself to recognize.  The same goes for Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart, although Bridges has at least been nominated four previous times.  This year was the perfect time to recognize such great careers because the rest of the field was made up of folks who had won before or actors with their careers still ahead of them.  I’m not taking anything away from either actor because their performances were certainly worthy.  I just think the Academy took the chance to make sure that they got the recognition they’ve earned over many years.

On the whole it was a pretty good year for the Oscars.  And that means it was a pretty good year for movie fans as well.

Call that the View From the Phlipside.

“The View From the Phlipside” airs on WRFA-LP Jamestown NY.  You can listen to WRFA online HERE
Copyright – Jay Phillippi 2010