The Favorite… The Long Shot… The Hopeless.

Sounds a little bit like a movie… perhaps a little too much…

Last night I watched, along with millions of others, the hallowed and much anticipated, somewhat boring ceremony of The Oscars. Yes, Billy “The” Krystal boy was there, impersonating an old man… or, was it the other way around? As with the rest of us who were all younger, more agile and thinner, his appearance has given in to the passage of time. A little pudgy, a little slower and looking almost bored with the whole thing…

Perhaps 17 times is enough and the producing cadre should go and look for the next “Billy Krystal”. Not that he was bad, he usually is not but… that old feeling of fun’n games he used to bring with his shtick is gone. In Oscars past, most of his comments were biting and funny; last night many felt over rehearsed, with a “let’s-not-step-on-anyone’s-toes” attitude which does not fit his image… or, at least the image I remember and truly enjoyed.

For the men, the most memorable moment probably was when the two stage divas, J-Lo and Cam Diaz turned their back to the cameras and let them flow over their mutually famous derrieres.

Actually, I did truly enjoy in amazed admiration the gyrations of the folk from The Cirque Du Soleil… this troupe (multiple troupe, at that) of fantastic performers never ceases to amaze with their routines and their incredible conditioning. One always wants more… 

On to the heading of this particular entry. For the Oscars, I was ill prepared. In all honesty not many (any, for that matter) of the movies have been seen, nor did yours truly really know what these movies were about, except for one horse and a family tree (I think!) and, of course, the one about the illegal immigrant. And I say this last with tongue-in-cheek, for this is what this outburst is all about.

As the Oscars got nearer and nearer, there was much buzz about, what else? Who would be the big winners. On the women side, there was much said about Close and Streep, veterans fighting against several newer stars…  Whatever the rationale behind Streep’s win… I don’t care, she is that good! As she said… “probably the last time I will be standing on this stage” … there will be enough time for the newcomers to prove their worth.

On the men’s side… Boy! Nine movies is a lot of celluloid (OK, digital stuff…) Pitt on one side (The Jolie One looked a mere fraction of herself… she really has become a rail, arms flesh barely covering the bones inside…) vs. Clooney, Dujardin (Who?), Bichir (What?)… and the rest.  At the head of the note, it says: The Favorite, The Long Shot and The Impossible… We’ll take Pit out for he was never a real contender in this race. So, the old time favorite, George Clooney, acting as someone other than George Clooney. HUH? Well, much like the old stars (when this was a real moniker) like Clark Gable, Cary Grant and others like them, simply played themselves. Which was fine for the moviegoers because, guess what? That’s exactly what they wanted to see.

Same with Clooney. He manages to exude that same “Hollywoodness” those others did in the golden years of romantic films. He was the favorite in the early going but, as the time came closer, that Long Shot from France coming out of a black and white musical curve, and a silent one at that, overtook him in the waning moments. Those are the moments that count, ask any politician… He took the Oscar home with him. Actually, the picture “The Artist” did quite well throughout the night.

The Impossible? How about a Spanish speaking actor, very well known in his country and throughout the Hispanic world as an excellent actor with a long and distinguished film credits history?  He actually took on the role of an illegal immigrant, trying to make his own American dream come true.  His participation was front page news in all the Hispanic media yet, during the event night as well as in all English speaking shows that were hyping the occasion, he usually received a mere, almost passing mention. Like “Oh Yeah… there is this guy Bichir from Mexico who is also in the race”… I guess having a Spanish accent is not as “cool” as having a French accent. The Damian Bichir movie happens to be very good in human, theatrical and technical terms. But it is a real life storyline about a difficult topic which, in an election year, many of our “liberal” friends from the media and the arts world prefer not to expound. Much less single out for a major recognition.

Seems like the American Dream will have to wait a little longer for Mr. Bichir and his fellow Hispanic actors…

Be Well … Be Back!!!

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