The 81st Academy Awards
See full list of winners here
On a night of triumph for British and Indian talent, Slumdog Millionaire picked up an astonishing eight Oscars from ten nominations.
The only losers on the Slumdog team were the sound editors (unless you count AR Rahman, who lost to himself in the best song category. Which we don’t.) Better ears than ours will have to explain the distinction between sound editing (the first of two awards to The Dark Knight) and sound mixing (which Slumdog did win), but on a night of so many victories it would be churlish to focus on one loss.
Best Picture: Christian Colson, Slumdog Millionaire. Best director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire. Best screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire. Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire. Editing: Chris Heath, Slumdog Millionaire. Score, Song, Sound mixing… all Slumdog Millionaires.
Who could blame the irrepressible Danny Boyle for jumping with joy. “I promised my kids I’d celebrate in the spirit of Tigger,” he explained, before graciously proffering the first review (a rave) of the revamped Oscar show put together by Dreamgirls director Richard Condon.
While Boyle’s enthusiasm was understandable in the circumstances, if the show itself was a marked improvement it’s largely because last year’s was so wretched.
Condon’s primary innovation was hiring song and dance man Hugh Jackman as host – and then keeping him in the wings for most of the show. Jackman contributed three energetic medleys, including the ridiculous “The Musical is Back!” number created by Australia and Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrman, which probably set the genre back ten or 20 years.
On balance, I’d be surprised if Jackman was invited back for another stint – what’s the Oscars, after all, without a few snarky put-downs to wash-down all that teary self-congratulation?
Another of Condon’s ideas probably merits another go round: to present the acting categories, five former winners came on stage, and each paid tribute to one of the nominees. It’s a conceit that risks high-embarrassment, not least for the nominees, but it scored when there was a palpable personal connection between the presenter and the nominee – as when Robert De Niro gave props to his old pal Sean Penn. “How did Sean get away with playing so many straight roles for so long?” he wondered.
Give it up for Whoopi Goldberg, too, who delivered the most laconic one-liner in her tribute to Amy Adams (a supporting actress nominee for Doubt): “It’s not easy being a nun…”
It was a nifty way of reminding us of the Oscar pedigree, and wheeling in extra star-power too: a formidable-looking Sophia Loren, Sir Ben Kingsley, Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Eva Marie Saint, Cuba Gooding Jr…
There was a similar eclecticism in montages celebrating romance and action in 2008 movies, a way of sneaking in a handful of genuinely popular movies, like Sex and the City, Mamma Mia and Twilight. A comedy montage put together by Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen was by and large a dud. I also had doubts about Ben Stiller’s edgy but tasteless riff on Joaquin Phoenix’s recent strange behaviour.
None of these concessions to Joe Public seemed likely to reverse the show’s steady decline in ratings, but short of nominating Tyler Perry and Adam Sandler, or roping in Obama to present the awards, it’s hard to see what would.
The British contingent can also celebrate wins for Kate Winslet, best actress for The Reader; James Marsh, best documentary feature for Man On Wire; and best costume design, Michael O’Connell, The Duchess. If we’ve ever had a better night at the Oscars, then I’m too young to remember it.
In what turned out to be the ceremony’s Kodak moment, Marsh invited trapeze artist Philippe Petit on stage with him, who proceeded to steal the limelight by performing a magic trick, then balancing the Oscar on his chin… Petit promised the shortest Oscar acceptance speech in history ("Yes") then blew it by keeping going.
As for best actor, that went to Sean Penn, for his brilliant performance as Harvey Milk. In one of the best speeches of the night Penn marveled at the “Commie homo-loving sons of guns” in the Academy, and paid tribute to Mickey Rourke, who should by rights be the night’s most disappointed nominee, for The Wrestler.
In the night’s other big awards, Penelope Cruz took home the best supporting actress Oscar for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and Heath Ledger’s family accepted the award for best supporting actor on behalf of their son and his daughter, Matilda. It was a dignified, touching moment, the first posthumus award in one of the big categories for three decades.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, nominated in 13 categories, had to make do with just three Oscars, for art direction, make up, and special effects.
WALL-E was named best animated film, and in the one genuine upset of the night, best foreign language film went to the Japanese production Departures, trumping the favourites Waltz with Bashir and The Class.
As for the fashion winners and losers: Kate Winslet should fire her hair stylist… Goldie Hawn needs to put away her silicone… and why was Reese Witherspoon wearing two dresses at once? In this correspondent’s opinion there was an awful lot of wedding cake fashion and not much in the way of cutting edge style.
Props to Alicia Keyes, pretty in pink, and Amy Adams for a daring red dress. Mickey Rourke looked wicked in white, and Branjelina just had to show up, which they did. And full marks to whoever dressed the Slumdog team, young and old, who all crowded onto the podium for take best picture. It was their night, their triumph, and one of those Oscar moments we’re destined to see again and again in years to come. See full list of winners here
Tom Charity
tom.charity@lovefilm.com
February 23, 2009
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