Oscars 2015!

Don't be mislead by the title of this post. I've nothing really to say about this year's Oscars, for one, because I didn't watch them, and two, because, in spite of the fact that a few really great films were considered for awards, I just don't care. At this point it's almost more enjoyable to read the twitter posts of people poking fun at the show than actually watching it.

That said, I do have one thing to say concerning the broadcast: If you were disappointed that Eddie Redmayne took home the Best Actor award (I love, love Michael Keaton and would have been happier over his taking home the gold than any Oscar win ever), be glad that he improved massively on his fellow-nominee Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as Hawking from the 2004 BBC film. Out of curiosity, I watched snippets of it through the night, and, for those of you who think Cumberbatch can do no wrong, check this out. It's an awful pairing of subject and performer, partly because Cumberbatch's physical appearance is nothing like Hawking's, and also because his impression comes across as a bad imitation of Eddie Redmayne playing the famed physicist. I know that's impossible since this film came out ten years before, but that's how desperate and silly Cumberbatch is in this. All one needs to do is see the final scene of the film, which is so clumsy and stupid (not just in terms of the acting, but from the choices of uninspiring shots from director Philip Martin) it makes The Theory of Everything look like a masterpiece. This is not, however, to bash on either Cumberbatch or Redmayne. They're two of the coolest actors working in Britain today. I thought Redmayne was the highlight of Tom Hooper's Les Miserables, and Cumberbatch has simply been so entertaining in everything since Sherlock premiered in 2010 that an early mishap in his career ultimately matters little.

 (P.S., I actually did see live the back-to-back technical victories for The Grand Budapest Hotel. The reaction shots of Wes Anderson's lovable smile made me think that if this film actually took home all the top prizes then I would be genuinely happy just to see him smile more)

Prediction Oscars 2016: When the the show finally ends, we'll be stoked that James Gray's Lost City of Z is coming before long.