"...And The Oscar Goes To..."

The Holy Trinity: Kate Winslet, Sean Penn and Penélope Cruz

As was expected, I was pretty right about some of my predictions, pretty wrong about others, and pretty "what?!" about the rest...

Best Picture
I hoped: Milk
I said: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Slumdog Millionaire
I was: WRONG - Kind of... Slumdog Millionaire

WOW! The one I thought the academy would snub was the well-deserved winner! Of course, it would have been nice to see Milk take it away, but I'd pretty much given up all hope of that.

Best Director
I hoped: Gus Van Sant - Milk
I said: David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
I was: WRONG - ditto the above...

Slumdog Millionaire in fact turned out to be the biggest winner, this year, bagging eight awards. Good on them, I say.

Best Actor
I hoped: Sean Penn - Milk or Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
I said: Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button or Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
I was: WRONG

Sean Penn! Wonderful, caring, talented, intelligent Sean Penn. Once Madonna's husband, but we're all allowed to make mistakes. Most who saw him play Harvey Milk will agree with me when I say that his portrayal left the audience all warm and fuzzy, and indignant over the cruel taking of the real man after only a few months as the first openly gay elected politician in US history. To further increase the pleasure, Dustin Lance Black, the writer of the film's screenplay won in that category, too, and he is openly gay, so it seems its alright to "do gay" in Hollywood after all. As long as it isn't a cynical cash-in, (cough cough "Brokeback Mountain...)

Best Actress
I hoped: Kate Winslet - The Reader
I said: Kate Winslet - The Reader
I was: RIGHT!

YES! About bloody time, too! Nominated five times over eleven years, this poor woman has waited so long to be recognised officially by the Hollywood élite it even became a running joke among the British media. No longer: well done, Kate! Although, I have to say, some of us have not let the irony of your win being linked to "another" Holocaust film...

Best Supporting Actor
I didn't bother hoping.
I said: Heath Ledger - The Dark Night
I was: RIGHT

What a surprise... At least it was kind-of deserved, this time. His performance was very good - better than the "you made me this way, and I hate you for it" Brokeback character - but I do feel sorry for the other guys...

Best Supporting Actress
I didn't much care, since I saw this one coming, too.
I said: Penélope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
I was: RIGHT

Rather appropriate, considering that today most of the main news sites and papers have gone into overdrive on her win. Being the first Spanish actress to win an oscar means she'll never have to worry about working again, both at home and abroad. Further, judging by the fawning praise of El País (articles in Spanish only), she'll soon take over from SM Queen Sofia as the new monarch...

Ah well, wasn't that all good cynical fun?