Sunday 26 February 2017

Oscars Best Picture - oh dear!

When I heard on BBC News Channel (we didn't get a live visual feed) that 'La La Land' had won 'Best Picture', though I was pleased I was also sorry that 'Moonlight' had only the single, well-deserved award to Mahershala Ali as Best Supporting Actor to its credit - a tally which hardly reflected the impact that film had had on me. Then, after reporting of the chaotic correction, I was rather more pleased because 'La La' had already received several more awards, despite it not finally getting the biggest accolade of all. 

It's easy to play the blame game (and it's clearly unfair to target Warren B and Faye D) - there'll be more than enough who'll be doing just that with glee. Someone will have had a very red face and that head well may roll. Think of the gift that's been handed to anyone who has a beef about inaccuracies in the news - should there be any such person. It's such a shame that this fiasco will now overshadow the worth of two very high standard films at the very time when at least one of them will not yet have had the chance to have achieved maximum returns in its potential box-office takings. Nevertheless, I've got to be satisfied with the eventual outcome, -though how we got here........dear oh dear!



Hearty congratulations to 'Moonlight', a most remarkable achievement.

4 comments:

  1. I was happy that La la Land won Best picture, but thrilled when Moonlight was given the award.
    La La Land was sweet without being sappy and saccharin, but, and I think you said this, Moonlight will stick with you much longer, which really makes it a better picture.

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    1. They'll both linger in the mind for widely different reasons, Bob. I'd hate to have had to choose between them but, as I say, in the final analysis it's because 'Moonlight' had collected just the one other major award as against 'La La's several, that I'm happier that it went the way it did. If 'Moon' had won for 'Best Director' and 'La La' for 'Best Picture' I'm not sure I'd have been equally as satisfied as I feel now.

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  2. It's a damn shame that this chaos took away from the moment that "Moonlight" should have enjoyed. Took a long time for the Academy to make up for their mistake in awarding Best Picture to "Crash" instead of "Brokeback Mountain". However, we did better than BAFTA and recognized this beautiful work.

    On another note, I was so pleased to see that Jimmy K. recognized Meryl Streep and urged the audience to give her a standing ovation for her earlier speech against Trump.

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    1. I agree that 'Brokeback' not taking the 'Best Picture' was completely absurd, Paul - even though I did also like 'Crash' a lot. It's been said that at that time the portion of those who could vote contained a lot of 'social conservatives' though liberal in other respects, who weren't comfortable about a film with a gay relationship at its centre. I think things have got better since then - and 'Moonlight' seems to indicate that this might be the case.

      Yes, the were much more realistic (and braver?) than the BAFTAs this year, though the latter did award 'La La' with Best Picture which I'm not complaining about.

      I haven't seen that bit about Meryl Streep yet at yesterday's ceremony. I'll look out for it. Maybe it'll be posted on YouTube.

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