Oscar Anticipations and Thoughts

When Family Day comes around, it's special for me for the opportunities to catch up on the Oscar nominated films before the awards show this Sunday.

I've hear all the arguments about the shortcomings of the Academy Awards with their predilections to easy sentimentality and the same subject matter like disabled people and the Holocaust. However, the whole thing is redeemed if only it gives some incentive for serious films to be made for the mainstream cinemas.  I know I'm not blameless in this considering I have failed to go to serious films without such distinctions like Oscar nominations such as State of Play and The Informant when I had the chance in the theatres.

At the same time, with the black and white silent feature, The Artist, being the favourite for the top awards, you almost wonder if it could be a step back as enjoyable as the film is in the first place and a sign of the Oscars' disconnect from the mainstream public.  On the other hand, the Oscars may have began purely as a Hollywood self-promotion in the 1920s, but awards should used to bring the worthy works to the popular attention, even if the awards haven't always lived up to that ideal.

I guess the major reason would be that the Oscar show is more fun when I know the films in contention and have a informed reaction to who wins or lose. It gives me a fuller experience while giving myself a reason to presumably worthwhile films, even if I am most interested in the the Animated Feature and Documentary Feature Oscars.

As for my interest, the Documentary Feature award feels the most relevant to the real world considering when the producers of that winning film gets up to accept, there will be a few words about a real life concern no one is going to complain about unlike Vanessa Redgrave's gratuitous "Zionist Hoodlums" comment in the 1970s. Of course, there was Michael Moore being booed in 2003 after accepting his Oscar for Bowling for Columbine, but that was a time of war whipped hysteria of too many Americans being suckered by the Bush Administrations lies about the Iraq Invasion.

As for the Animated Feature Oscar, animation has always been a favourite artform for me and its underappreciation in the Western world is always galling.  Furthermore, the animated features are much more accessible to me than the animated shorts, even if they can be far more artistic daring.  Of course, I haven't seriously searched for the shorts online, but reviewing the shorts showcase two years ago at Silver City was one of the enjoyable experiences, especially when I saw Logorama and knowing it would be the winner because it deserved it. On the other hand, I doubt I would have gotten a chance to see great independent animated features like Persepolis, The Secret of Kells or The Illusionist without the boost of the Animated Feature Oscar.

As for other award contenders, the Best Actress Oscar for Glen Close for Albert Nobbs finally pushed me to see that film despite the low Tomatometer rating (RT 53%).  As a result, I got to enjoy a deeply moving performance by her as a woman who has fearfully disguised himself in layers of both body and mind until her own identity has been lost in the deception. The pace may be off and some of the supporting characters are cliched, but Glenn Close's performance alongside Janet McTeer as Hubert Page, Albert's one trusted friend is an enthralling story of two women in a world that will not accept them as themselves.

Well, I am planning to see The Help online or otherwise and I'm not going to bother with the overlauded Incredibly Loud and Extremely Close. With that, I anticipate an enjoyable experience that is worth going to a pub for their flatscreen TVs for once.  I'll leave my expected winners to others and see if my sources and my judgement are on target.

Either way, it's something to look forward to.