It was that time of the year when all rational movie buffs turn into bingeing maniacs. But in a good way — I, too, am one of them. Yes, the Oscar fever spread rampant last week. After all, it is the biggest night of the film fraternity, where we get to see the best players and their finest work.
Last year’s Academy Awards was one of the most watched events globally. Remember the fabulous Ellen DeGeneres and her celebrity loaded selfie that broke Twitter? She was so effortless and funny, even getting pizzas for the lah-di-dah (and hungry) Hollywood stars. And I was wondering if it would be possible to out-do that.
All eyes were on Neil Patrick Harris at the 87th award night, but his act left us missing Ellen and her selfies. In fact, it turns out that the show was watched by 16 per cent fewer viewers as compared to last year. Not very encouraging for poor Neil. But he did his bit and at least, avoided any major controversies, though a series of jokes about Oscars diversity and controversial nominee American Sniper left a few awkward moments.
And the real reason why a true fashion aficionado watches the Oscars — the red carpet. We’ve seen some outstanding moments over the past years on the red carpet as Hollywood’s A-listers strutted their stuff. This year no one really stood out, even the films that were nominated and those that won, weren’t my first preferences. Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel were the night’s big winners, but I would have loved to see Interstellar take home the big one. It deserved more nominations.
But what I loved was how every winner used their acceptance speech as a platform to be the voice of social justice. This brought immense awareness to the current social issues, such as wage inequality, immigration and gender bias. That lifted my spirits, as it wasn’t about winning film awards, it was about spreading an important message to the rest of the world. And they truly deserve a ‘Meryl Streep’esque applause.
Like any grand annual event, the Academy Awards will always have its share of expectations, let downs, applause and critiques. And yet, every year it gives us all something to look forward to, something to talk about and something to remember.
