The Acting Oscar Winners 2008 – Bravo!

As far as Oscar broadcasts go, last night’s was surprisingly great. As far as predictions go, I correctly predicted 17/24 categories, same as last year. I scored the highest number of correct picks over at Living In Cinema, where I also predicted the most correct nominees. I know what you are thinking, two flukes in a row – an you’d be right. I was totally screwed over by the Bourne Ultimatum sweep and the Transformers snub – but all is good in Fataculture land today. The busy year of the Oscar blogger has come to an end, and all has ended well. There were hiccups (i.e. the writer’s strike) but none of that matters anymore. The film world is, even if just for a few days at the very least, in peace. I am floating on a cloud, so excuse my unnatural positivity and optimism.

The Oscars have just been re-broadcast on South African TV, and I was completely happy to sit through the entire show again, which is rare. There were magical moments tonight that I will find hard to forget. Almost every film blogger out there has spoke of Marketa Irglova’s magnificent almost-didn’t-happen speech, but I am going to do it again anyway. “Hope” connects us all she said, and her film, Once, deserved to win Best Original Song. The little film that could, is the little film that did and won’t be forgotten anytime soon – bravo Glen and Marketa!

My favourite category – Original Screenplay. My Queen, my idol, my Little Miss Stripper, Diablo Cody’s win was the best moment of the night for me. Juno deserved that win more than any other, and my favourite film won it. When Diablo Cody said “And most of all, I want to thank my family for loving me exactly the way I am” I nearly cried. She is so humble and warm – something so many people did not think of her as. I think she has silenced her critics, pleased her fans and achieved her dreams, if only we could all follow in her footsteps. One day, one day. “Superhuman” Ellen Page was gorgeous, and radiant, and one day she will win her Oscar – no doubt about that. Thanks Juno for a great cinematic experience I truly will not forget.

I have already posted my favourite acceptance speeches of the night, with the rest to come soon, so I won’t go on too much. Marion Cotillard’s win was another highlight. Her performance could not be forgotten and now it won’t. “It is true, there is some angels in this city” – indeed Marion, and last night, you were one of them. Not one acting award went to an American, with Javier Bardem (Spainish), Daniel Day-Lewis (British born), Tilda Swinton (British) and Mation Cotillard (French) taking them all – something only achieved once before, in 1964. The Oscars truly are International – and now I will remember to use the BAFTA’s more often when it comes to predicting the Oscar acting winners.

 To Joel and Ethan Coen, Scott Rudin and Bardem of No Country – congrats. I will be seeing your masterpiece, I hope so anyway, for the first time this Friday – cannot wait.

The show was light and well-done. Jon Stewart did a good job – I am sure he’ll be back soon. Even if the ratings for this year’s telecast dropped to a 20 year low, it doesn’t matter because cinema in 2007 was better than any year in recent memory – we have that to be thankful for. Hopefully 2008 will be just as great.

 That wraps up this year’s Oscar Corridor, until the 2008/9 race begins anyway.

p.s. Don’t be a stranger, Fataculture will be here all year round ;)