Anne Hathaway, James Franco to host Oscars

[Front-Ranger]

I just saw bits and pieces of the Oscars. I was with friends and instead of watching in real time, we recorded the Oscars and watched Sherlock while it was going on. We fast-forwarded through the ceremony afterwards and I think I missed a lot. I especially would have liked to hear the nominated songs. Now I need to go back and see some of the movies I've missed, the documentaries, shorts, Winter's Bone, True Grit and yes, maybe even The King's Speech.

As for James Franco, I think possibly the reason he became more and more sub-dude as the evening went on was because, did you notice, his movie did not win anything at all? Not to mention some of the other good movies he was in this year that didn't even get nominated. That would throw a damper on my one-liners for sure.

[southendmd]

Yeah, James Dean and Debbie Reynolds about sums it up.  At least Anne's dress changes were fun to watch. 

I didn't check the credits, but Bruce Vilanch used to write for the host(s) in the past.  They could have used his one-liners, for sure.

I noticed several winners thanking their "UNION" crew, with emphasis. 

As for the songs, I thought they were all forgettable, with forgettable performances. 

So glad that Colin Firth thanked Tom Ford, as I thought he should have won last year for "A Single Man". 

Melissa Leo was clearly drunk.  I thought Kirk Douglas stole the show--because I was actually rooting for him.

A pretty ho-hum evening, over all. 

[Mandy21]

I always, always LOVE watching the Academy Awards, whether they're presented well, or badly.  I thought Anne was exceptionally charming and beautiful, and I agree that James wasn't quite all there, for whatever reason.  My favorite part of the entire night was the speech from the frizzy-dark-unkempt-crazy-haired guy who won for Short Film Live Action for "God of Love".  His first words were "I should have gotten a haircut". 

I almost fell off the bed laughing, thinking, "DUHHHHHHHHH"!


Lee, I saw the three movies you mentioned.  All of them are worth seeing.  Start with Winter's Bone.

[Jeff Wrangler]

A pretty ho-hum evening, over all. 

I didn't even bother. I watched Mildred Pierce on TCM. 

[Meryl]

I watched the beginning (switching back and forth from The Amazing Race) and the last hour (after Masterpiece Theater).  I thought Anne was charming, and stunning in each dress.  The lack of chemistry between her and James Franco is something I agree with the reviewer on.  Too bad. 

Overall not great, not bad.  Actually, one of my favorite things was the montage of those who'd passed away played to "Smile."  They all had really beautiful smiles, something we so often take for granted.

[southendmd]

Overall not great, not bad.  Actually, one of my favorite things was the montage of those who'd passed away played to "Smile."  They all had really beautiful smiles, something we so often take for granted.

Yes, except it was sung by Celine Dion.   

[Front-Ranger]

Whipping back and forth between twenty-somethings and the pre-War generations was difficult, IMO. I really thought the Oscars should be about NOW, or at least not go back before 2010. There were a lot of good performances, movies, etc. from 2010 that were overlooked because of the schizophrenic approach. I wish Julianna Moore and Andrew Garfield had been recognized as supporting actors. JM was the supporting actor in The Kids are All Right, not Mark Ruffalo.

Anne and James had chemistry to spare in the promos that were leaked on YouTube, so what happened at the event? Stage fright? I doubt it. Maybe James got some bad news just before going on stage, like the Brokeback Mountain cast got an hour or so before the announcement that Crash had won.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Yes, except it was sung by Celine Dion.   

You could have put the TV on Mute. 

[Jeff Wrangler]

I thought Anne was charming, and stunning in each dress.  The lack of chemistry between her and James Franco is something I agree with the reviewer on.  Too bad. 

Maybe next year they should get Ricky Gervais. 

[serious crayons]

Somewhere I saw separate suggestions of Robert Downey Jr. and Sandra Bullock. I think they'd be great together -- both are funny and appealing, relaxed on stage, young(ish) but with plenty of history and experience, totally Hollywood but with the right amount of ironic distance. They're hip enough not to seem like they're trying too hard, but not so hip they don't seem invested in the ritual.

James and Anne were too young for a ceremony that is intrinsically un-young. And as for hipness, one is too hip for the gig and the other's really not quite hip enough (I mean in terms of their image and chemistry, not so much their actual outlooks or level of sophistication or whatever the heck hipness is).