The NY Daily News provided a handy two page Oscar Ballot, providing an opportunity to check off the winners as they came. I shall go thru the list and comment on the relevant happenings.
Overall, the show had a decent feel, which seems to be the norm the last few years. Ellen was a comfortable host, which is her thing. Nothing special, but I saw the whole thing (a rarity really of late), and it went down smooth enough. Take from that what you want. Cute use of performers behind a screen to form shadow snapshots of things like the Oscar statute. They did away with the dance numbers when people realized no one really cared for them. This was cute and quick. The comedian number with Jack Black et. al. was amusing too.
Martin Scorsese finally got his. Not really into his movies, so that didn't faze me too much, but it's notable. A bit surprised Clint Eastwood didn't receive one of the big two, though often a movie wins big (The Departed won picture, director, adapted screenplay, and editing). The two expected actress winners won, providing nice speeches, each to her style. The audience favorite, Peter O'Toole, did not win for Best Actor. Forest Whitaker, however, did have a remarkable little speech ... damn thing was deep.
And, Pan's Labyrinth was robbed ... it deserved Foreign Language Film, especially since some think it was actually the Best Picture (deserved a nomination; I didn't see it, but I doubt Queen was better). It did win some technicals. Technicals, and going away from the norm of putting Best Supporting Actress first (the young ingenue won ... how surprising) various ones were announced first, do deserve special note. We often go to the movies for the look and sound. We can see stars on television. Toss in a reason to get out of the house, and you have a chunk of the reason we go to the movies, right?
On a lesser note, Flushed Away probably should have been nominated for Animated Feature. Were Monster House and Cars really both better? The expected song (three songs from Dreamgirls, split ticket, and the Meryl Streep of songs ... Randy Newman number, lost) and documentary won ... Al Gore, sigh. Notable night for lesbians. It was a passing thing, but Melissa Etheridge thanked her wife. Ellen, of course. And, Judi Dench (who didn't come) played someone who clearly is meant to be considered a lesbian.
A charming thing that the Oscars give is to provide little known people their moment in the sun, watched by a billion people worldwide (wow). The women who won for editing and costume design had nice moments, one showy, the other more quiet. The winner for Best Live Action Short provided an excellent summary on the charm of the medium and what it offers struggling film makers. And, someone even got a chance to provide her thanks in Chinese. There was an international feel this year.
And, Pirates of the Caribbean was the winner of the "lame movie who still won an Oscar" award ... Best Visual Effects. Same as Queen, Babel, and Letters From Iwo Jima, 60% of the Best Picture nominees. (Dreamgirls got Sound Mixing and Supporting Actress; Little Miss Sunshine Screenplay/SA ... and lots of awards before yesterday) Still was lame. Did look good.
Oh, it did run late. Tradition, you know.