Our Oscar Recap

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12 Years a Slave, Cate Blanchet, Dallas Buyers Club, Ellen Degeneres, Frozen, Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong'o, Matthew McConaughey, Oscars

Well, we’re a day later than every other blog and news source on the Internet, but we still decided to follow up the last five weeks of Oscar reviews with a little Oscar recap.

One of the greatest things about host Ellen Degeneres is how she wields her humour. So many jokes by hosts at the helm of Award Show functions are at the expense of the people supposedly being celebrated. Sure, they flash their winning smiles whenever the cameras are near, but there’s no way that everyone walks away without feeling a little bit stung. Ellen teases and never bullies—and maybe that makes us soft, but in our opinion, her token positive spirit beats mean every single time.

Who else could poke fun at JLaw’s infamous trip last year, an incident that has been utterly beaten over the head by the media, and make it funny and fresh? Moreover, who other than Ellen could say what we’ve all been thinking- “either 12 Years a Slave will win for Best Film, or we’re all racist”- and get away with it?? Ellen, you’re brilliant and we love you.

Major reviews of her hosting job seem to agree that the show was bland and safe, but have no real complaints about it. Personally, we liked it better that way. Instead of appearing at random intervals and throwing out biting jokes or eyebrow raising comments, Ellen kept control throughout, worked the room, and—perhaps for the first time in our memories anyway—effectively bridged the gap between those of us sitting at home in our PJs, and those wearing impossibly expensive gowns in red velvet seats.

And by that, we certainly don’t mean that we were desperate for “Celebrities Are Just Like Us” segments—but rather, we loved the random pizza delivery and selfie session because they were relaxed, silly, and didn’t take themselves too seriously. Honestly, the Oscars are almost always unwatchably stuffy, and this was certainly a welcome change.

No matter what you thought of her hosting job, you’ve got to agree that it beats the troubling ‘highlight’ joke of last year’s hosting gig—Seth McFarlane’s “We Saw Your Boobs”.

Reason No.1 Why Ellen is the Best: She Broke Twitter.

As for the winners…

First of all, not to brag or anything, but all of our Oscar predications came true… And now we wish we had posted a prediction list here before Sunday night because—clearly—no one believes us.

Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey took home the Actor awards in both Supporting and Leading categories for the amazing Dallas Buyer’s Club—and very deservedly so. Leto (who also won the coveted Ellen Degeneres’s award for Most Beautiful) gave a speech that could melt your heart. He devoted his performance to his mother and brother who were there with him that night.

And you can say what you want about McConaughey, but these are two things we know to be irrevocably true: his performance in Dallas Buyer’s Club was a game changer—he has one hundred and fifty present earned his ascend from sub par romantic comedies into the big leagues—and also, the man is the definition of cool. Sure, he tends to be a rambler, but in less confident, less genuine hands, his speech (entirely void of comment on the film that had gotten him there) would have been cheesy and excessive. Instead, he created one of the most poignant moments of the evening, his words encouraging everyone out there to make heroes out of their future selves and to consistently aspire to the possibilities of that future was inspiration in its purest form.

Lupita Nyong’o not only won Best Supporting Actress for her stunning performance in 12 Years a Slave, but on Sunday she also won the award for most moving acceptance speech. “Always remember, your dreams are valid.” She is a shining example of grace and humility.

And Cate Blanchet (though we haven’t yet watched Blue Jasmine) gave an awesomely honest and witty acceptance speech that made us think we should probably be watching more of her movies.

12 Years a Slave predictably won for best picture; Gravity took home the gold for sound, cinematography, and directorial categories; and Her got its only honour of the night for the very deserved Best Original Screenplay.

And, of course, in a feat that surprises no one, Frozen won for Best Animated Picture and Best Original Song, despite the fact that the singer behind its success was puzzlingly introduced as Adel Mazeem. (You had one job Travolta, ONE JOB!)

A big props to Let It Go’s creators, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez who gave an adorable duo acceptance speech. Robert Lopez is also responsible for The Book of Mormon music and after winning the Oscar on Sunday is now part of the prestigious EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) club!

All in all, it was an enjoyable show that, as always, eventually ran too long for anyone’s liking. But thanks to Ellen, (mostly) short and (mostly) eloquent acceptance speeches, pizza and selfies, and the fact that for the first time ever, we watched all of the nominated films beforehand—the 86^th Academy Awards were pretty solid in our opinion. What did you think?

Thanks for following us through our Oscars extravaganza, artsies!

-A&K

Follow us @WeArtsy

And the Nominees Are: Dallas Buyers Club

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Dallas Buyers Club, Jared Leto, Matthew McConaughey, Oscar, Oscar Nominations

“You gotta die somehow.” – Ron Woodroof

Up next on the Oscar Nominee Watch List is Dallas Buyers Club, a movie about disease and the drive to keep living. The movie centers on Ron Woodroof, a gamblin’, bull ridin’, cocaine snortin’, whisky drinkin’, sex addicted, Texan cowboy who don’t take no scuff from no body. (Can you tell I don’t really speak Texan??) One day Ron gets electrocuted and brought to the hospital. The doctors run some blood tests and discover that Ron has AIDS. The doctor then tells Ron that he has thirty days left to live, as though he’s talking about the weather: with a complete and utter lack of empathy.

Yet, despite being given a month to live, Ron refuses to accept this fate without a fight. He spends the remaining six years- that’s right, screw 30 days- of his life fighting to help himself and fellow AIDS patients get the medication they need and that the FDA is forcibly denying them. The year is 1986.

Ron Woodroof is Matthew McConaughey’s strongest performance to date. He is completely uninhibited and has given himself over entirely to the character. Weight loss aside, McConaughey’s entire physicality is almost unrecognizable with hands on his hips, both feet planted firmly shoulder width apart, neck arched uncomfortably forward, and a look in his eyes that says, “I dare you.” And he did. Let’s be honest, McConaughey’s regular image is that of a hemp wearing, weed smoking, beach bum. But there’s not a trace of that man in Dallas. McConaughey shows all sides of Ron’s fight. From open mouth sobbing in his car to playing a preacher pretending to have cancer in order to get past boarder control.

Though the movie deals with AIDS and Ron’s fight to bring FDA unapproved drugs into the country, (which are in fact protein and vitamin supplements) that’s not necessarily what Dallas is about. For me, this movie is about Ron and his character. It’s about the man rather than his fight. The movie is sprinkled with fantastic character moments like when Ron arrives at his trailer and there’s a padlock on the door. He takes a shotgun from his trunk and blows it wide open to find it’s been ransacked. The next succession of shots is Ron frantically scavenging around his trailer for hidden pockets of money. He flips his mattress only to find that cash has already been taken. But there’s a couple bucks under the silverware, some in a crumpled pair of jeans, and even a wad in an old cassette case. Kudos to screenwriters Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack because this moment is so precise and deliciously character driven.

Ron tussles back and forth between homophobia and compassion, fear and survival. And McConaughey fully commits to each one. It’s a fascinating observation of the before and the during of life changing news and how this man attempts to balance both. I mean yes, he is bringing in life saving medicine, but he’s also doing it for a profit. At least, initially.

And let me tell you, I think Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto have the best on screen chemistry out of all the Oscar nominees I’ve seen thus far. They riff off one another and don’t hold back in the emotional moments. They’ve managed to find the perfect blend of insult and respect their characters need to have. And seriously, let’s take a minute to commend Jared Leto because he brought a whole new level of sass to his performance that I truly was not expecting. Rayon is all heels, wigs, blinding makeup and stockings with runs. She could have easily been over the top but Leto grounds her in real, tangible pain and humour.

There was really only one scene with which I had an issue. And you’ll know it when you see it. It involves a crap ton of Mexican butterflies. And I know there’s supposed to be a kind of quiet beauty to this scene but I just don’t think, artistically speaking, they were successful.

Other than that, I love the documentary, grittiness of the cinematography. The camera follows Ron, crashing into walls and passing out on the lawn with him. Not only that but director Jean-Marc Vallée has done all he can to make the audience feel Ron’s pain. Every time Ron has a head splitting migraine that knocks him unconscious, we hear the eerily shoulder clenching white noise alongside him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I think that is the biggest success of the movie. Historically, we know what these people were up against. Or at least, the information’s available. But for me, what I don’t know is what it was like for the individual. Not the statistic, not the case study, the plain and simple human being. And this is what Dallas Buyers Club offers. It just happens to be about an especially remarkable human being.

Happy Galentine’s Day artsies! Stay tuned for my review of American Hustle next Tuesday!

-K

Follow us @WeArtsy