Finally, the night of the Oscars is here… I’ll watch it, even though the time difference makes it start at 2.00 a.m. here in Austria. Well… Maybe someone who organises the Oscars will read this: Would it be possible to make the next ceremony on a Saturday? Please? Makes it so much easier to watch it if you don’t have to get up for work the next day…

Anyway… I will update this post with the winners and the nominees and the jokes I like, so you may want to check in if you are not watching or read this tomorrow after everything’s done. Or maybe your are saying, “Fuck the Oscars… I’ve had enough of that…” Then you may want to skip this entry.

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Notes:
I’ve seen the films marked *. You can find links to all the films here.
My Tips are not necessarily my choices. Since I haven’t seen all of the movies (or to be more exact: have seen frighteningly few), I can’t really choose.
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Pre-Red Carpet-Interviews and Clips

Wolfgang Petersen’s tip for Best Motion Picture: There Will Be Blood. Scott Orlin thinks it will be Juno.

Interview with Adolf Burger (One of the main characters in Die Fälscher* and the guy who wrote the book the movie is based on). Interestingly enough, Adolf Burger looks like Karl Markovics but is played in the movie by August Diehl.

Red Carpet (German TV)

Diablo Cody looks like someone with a first name like Diablo.

Tom Wilkinson gets a needle stuck between his toes in Michael Clayton?! Ouch!!!

Interviewer: What did you like about Juno?
Jason Bateman: Being in it.

Stefan Ruzowitzky sends out greetings to the Gartenbau Kino, one of my favourite cinemas in Vienna!!! /patriotism end (for now… it may surface again if Die Fälscher* actually wins.)

Anne Hathaways sundays usually consist of church and karaoke… O_o She should get better sundays and get rid of the feather boa on her otherwise beautiful dress.

The interviewer knows how to pronounce Saoirse Ronan’s name… respect.

Steve Carell about the plastic tent that protects everyone on the red carpet from the rain: It’s better than rain but not as good as air.

Interviewer: George Clooney, you may be one of the coolest people in Hollywood.
George Clooney: Yeah, I think so too.

George Clooney (in leaving the German interviewer): You watch out for those Mercedes’. They’ll blow up on you like crazy.

Kelly Preston is such a beautiful woman and she’s wearing the most perfect dress.

Jason Reitman: You know, I was hoping that it [Juno] would get more Oscars than Ben Hur and Star Wars, but I’ll take it.
Interviewer: That’s quite modest.
Jason Reitman: I get it from my father.

I hope that at the age of 63 I look as good as Helen Mirren. Hell, I would like to look as good right now :). She’s gonna make a movie about Tolstoi… Sounds interesting.

Ruby Dee stutters a bit… Wouldn’t have thought.

Jessica Alba also wears some feather boa stuff… Obviously it’s in… Not good.

The interviewer is an idiot… He just told Alan Arkin that he (AA) didn’t have to work so hard tonight like him (the interviewer). That’s not a good way to start an interview (which is work for actors).

Julian Schnabel: Directing is translating.

Cameraman zooms in on P. Diddy. Interviewer: Everyone’s coming right now… Tilda Swinton, Marion Cotillard, …
*lol*

Interviewer: Sagen wir mal auf gut Deutsch, Tilda Swinton ist ein Bad-Ass-Lawyer. (Let’s put it in plain German: Tilda Swinton is a Bad-Ass-Lawyer…)

Tilda Swinton has a very strange haircut.

Red Carpet (ABC)

Interviewer: Years ago, everybody wanted to be Cary Grant. Now everybody wants to be George Clooney.
George Clooney: That’s because he’s dead and nobody wants to be dead.

Marillon Cotillard’s dress looks like fish scales (what was Gaultier thinking?). But Laura Linney’s dress is wonderful, very fitting for such a beautiful and talented woman.

Javier Bardem didn’t keep the haircut of No Country for Old Man. I think, all the world is glad. Where did I read about the Worst Acting of a Hairpiece Award?

Who the fuck is Miley Cyrus? And who cares?

Helen Mirren makes a very good point: Unfortunately, the roles for the women are rarely very strong. But for the male actors, it’s always wonderful. [She’s presenting Best Actor.]
Now, after repeating this very true and feminist statement, on to commenting about the women’s dresses. O_o

Cameron Diaz shouldn’t wear pastel pink. Actually, nobody should wear pastel pink.

Spike Lee always manages to look so cool.

Ellen Page is very cute. She looks so much younger than 21… I can’t believe she’s only two years younger than me.

5 minutes to go… I’m so looking forward to Jon Stewart. Intelligent, funny, handsome, what more could you want in your Oscar presenter? Or any other man?

The Ceremony

They are showing a 3D-clip which is cool, but they could have prepared a non-3D version for the poor people having to follow the ceremony on TV… Everything’s double.

Jon Stewart: There are still many scars left from the Writer’s Strike – creatively, economically and maybe worst of all the cancellation of the Vanity Fair afterparty. Here’s a thought: Maybe invite the writers to the Vanity Fair Afterparty. Don’t worry, they won’t mingle. (…) So many psychopatical murder movie nominations. Does this town need a hug? No Country for Old Man, There Will Be Blood… Thank god for teen pregnancy! (…) Even Norbit got a nomination… too often the Academy ignores bad movies. (…) Diablo Cody… she used to be an exotic dancer, now she’s an Oscar nominated screen writer… I hope you like the pay cut! You know, to find out your Stripper name, you need the name of your pet and the street you live in. This would make my name … Olympia Dukakis. (…) Away from Her… A film about a woman who forgets her husband. Hillary Clinton called it the feel good movie of the year. By the way: normally, when you see a black man or a woman president, an asteroid is about to hit the Statue of Liberty.

Best Achievement in Costume Design (presented by Jenifer Garner)

Nominees: Across the Universe (Albert Wolsky). Atonement (Jacqueline Durran). Elizabeth: The Golden Age (Alexandra Byrne). La Môme (Marit Allen). Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Colleen Atwood).
My Tip: Sweeney Todd.
Winner: Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
Don’t have much to say about that. Except maybe Sweeney Todd deserved it probably more. But Alexandra Byrne’s dress is ugly as hell.

George Clooney: The one thing that has always been the same about the Academy Awards: It’s long….

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year (presented by Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway)

Nominees: Persepolis (Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi). Ratatouille* (Brad Bird). Surf’s Up (Ash Brannon, Chris Buck).
My Tip: Persepolis.
Winner: Ratatouille.
I can’t say I’m really surprised. I was torn between Persepolis and Ratatouille as my tips but I thought that they would go for the political one.

Best Achievement in Makeup (presented by Katherine Heigl)

Nominees: La Môme (Didier Lavergne, Jan Archibald). Norbit (Rick Baker, Kazuhiro Tsuji). Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End* (Ve Neill, Martin Samuel).
My Tip: La Môme.
Winner: La Môme.
First guess right! Woohoo!

First Performance: Happy Working Song
Jon Stewart actually starts singing it first! *lol*
Amy Adams sings it all alone. It’s not the same without all the animals…

Jon Stewart: In case you are wondering what we are doing during the commercial breaks. Mostly we just sit around and make snide remarks about the outfits your are all wearing at home.

Best Achievement in Visual Effects (presented by Dwaine Johnson)

Nominees: The Golden Compass* (Michael L. Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris, Trevor Wood). Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End* (John Knoll, Hal T. Hickel, Charlie Gibson, John Frazier). Transformers* (Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, John Frazier).
My Tip: Transformers.
Winner: The Golden Compass.
Wow, wouldn’t have thought. I would have definetily gone for Art Direction for Golden Compass.

Best Achievement in Art Direction (presented by Cate Blanchett)

Nominees: American Gangster (Arthur Max, Beth A. Rubino). Atonement* (Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer). The Golden Compass* (Dennis Gassner, Anna Pinnock). Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo). There Will Be Blood (Jack Fisk, Jim Erickson).
My Tip: The Golden Compass*.
Winner: Sweeney Todd.
Well, after the Oscar for Special FX for Golden Compass, I think it’s just logical that Sweeney Todd gets this one. Especially after they didn’t get costumes. Perfect.
And Cate Blanchett is just amazing. It’s not fair for one woman to be so beautiful, talented and intelligent.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (presented by someone I don’t know and who obviously can’t really read off a screen [Some Research done: it’s Jennifer Hudson from Dreamgirls])

Nominees: Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men). Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson’s War). Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild). Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton).
My Tip: Javier Bardem.
Winner: Javier Bardem.
Strike two! He earned it. Not only for No Country For Old Men (which I haven’t seen yet) but for every single role he ever played. That guy is amazing.

Jon Stewart: To translate what Javier Bardem said in the Spanish part of his acceptance speech – I happened to have taken Spanish in High School. I believe he told his mother where the library is.

Second Performance: Raise it Up
Presented by Keri Russell who is as beautiful as ever.
The little girl (Jamia Simone Nash) who sings in this song is so fucking amazing. Only 11. Unbelieveable.

Best Short Film, Live Action (presented by Owen Wilson)

Nominees: Om natten (Christian E. Christiansen, Louise Vesth). Il Supplente (Andrea Jublin). Le Mozart des pickpockets (Philippe Pollet-Villard). Tanghi argentini (Guy Thys, Anja Daelemans). The Tonto Woman (Daniel Barber, Matthew Brown).
My Tip: Om Natten.
Winner: Le Mozart des pickpockets.
Can’t really say aything about that. My guess was not even an educated one, just a blind one.

Best Short Film, Animated (presented by Jerry Seinfeld as Barry B. Benson from Bee Movie)

Nominees: Même les pigeons vont au paradis (Samuel Tourneux, Vanesse Simon). I Met the Walrus (Josh Raskin). Madame Tutli-Putli (Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski). Moya lyubov (Aleksandr Petrov). Peter & the Wolf (Suzie Templeton, Hugh Welchman).
My Tip: Madame Tutli-Putli.
Winner: Peter & the Wolf.
Again, just a blind guess from my side, so…

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (presented by Alan Arkin)

Nominees: Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There). Ruby Dee (American Gangster). Saoirse Ronan (Atonement*). Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone). Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton).
My Tip: Cate Blanchett.
Winner: Tilda Swinton.
I’m really surprised. I mean, I love Tilda Swinton, she’s a really, really, really good actress. But I would have bet almost anything that Cate Blanchett would get this one.
Tilda Swinton says her agent looks like the Oscar statue. Very interesting. I would like to see that guy.

Jon Stewart: Jessica Alba is pregnant, Cate Blanchett is pregnant. Two pregnant women at the Oscars tonight. Then again the night is still young and Jack [Nicholson] is here.

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced Or Published (presented by Josh Brolin and James McAvoy)

Nominees: Atonement* (Christopher Hampton). Away From Her* (Sarah Polley). Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (Ronald Harwood). No Country for OldMen (Ethan & Joel Coen). There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson).
My Tip: Atonement*.
Winner: No Country for Old Men.
I’m sure that No Country for Old Men is really good but Atonement would have really deserved it. Pity.
Anyway. James McAvoy has a good-looking day. And Josh Brolin is everywhere now, isn’t he? He was pretty much gone for the last years. Or did I miss something? And now, even though not nominated he plays in No Country for Old Man, In The Valley of Elah and American Gangster…

Miley Cyrus is also presenting something? I really did miss something for not knowing her, huh? She presents:
Third Performance: That’s How You Know
I don’t know who’s singing (it’s not Amy Adams) but she looks frighteningly artificial.

Jon Stewart: I just heard that I was wrong before. Not only Jessica Alba and Cate Blanchett are pregnant but also Nicole Kidman… this is so exciting… (Opens envelope.) And the baby goes to… Angelina Jolie!

Best Achievement in Sound Editing (not presented by Judi Dench and Halle Berry as announced by Jon Stewart but by Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen wo are fighting about who looks more like Halle Berry)

Nominees: The Bourne Ultimatum (Karen M. Baker, Per Hallberg). No Country for Old Men (Skip Lievsay). Ratatouille* (Randy Thom, Michael Silvers). There Will Be Blood (Matthew Wood). Transformers* (Mike Hopkins, Ethan Van der Ryn).
My Tip: Ratatouille.
Winner: The Bourne Ultimatum.

Best Achievement in Sound (Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen are still fighting about it… :)

Nominees: The Bourne Ultimatum (Scott Millan, David Parker, Kirk Francis). No Country for Old Men (Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, Peter F. Kurland). Ratatouille* (Randy Thom, Michael Semanick, Doc Kane). 3:10 to Yuma* (Paul Massey, David Giammarco, Jim Stuebe). Transformers* (Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell, Peter J. Devlin).
My Tip: The Bourne Ultimatum.
Winner: The Bourne Ultimatum.
Well I got one of those right. Seeing as I’m no sound specialist, I’m proud.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (presented by Forest Whitaker)

Nominees: Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age). Julie Christie (Away From Her*). Marion Cotillard (La Môme). Laura Linney (The Savages). Ellen Page (Juno).
My Tip: Julie Christie.
Winner: Marion Cotillard.
She was my second guess. I can only congratulate in awe. But I wouldn’t have thought that Cate Blanchett wouldn’t get any Oscar (this year).

Colin Farrell should cut his hair. He presents:
Fourth Performance: Falling Slowly
Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová with one of the most amazing songs to come out all year, not only in a sound track.

Renee Zellweger sparkles! Although I’m usually not a fan of sparkle, it looks nice. She presents:
Best Achievement in Editing

Nominees: The Bourne Ultimatum (Christopher Rouse). Scaphandre et le papillon (Juliette Welfling). Into the Wild (Jay Cassidy). No Country for Old Men (Ethan & Joel Coen). There Will Be Blood (Dylan Tichenor)
My Tip: Into the Wild.
Winner: The Bourne Ultimatum.
Wow, I’d never would have foretold the Bourne Ultimatum getting 3 Oscars…

Jon Stewart: Film Editing… Wow… Somebody just took the lead in the Oscar pool based on a guess.

Nicole Kidman wears a really, really weird necklace. She presents:

Oscar for Life Achievement for Robert Boyle
He was the Art Director for a lot of movies.

Penelope Cruz also has some feather boa stuff on her dress. Get rid of it! (The feather boa stuff, not the dress… Although… Penelope Cruz… I’d take her without a dress as well…) She presents:
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Nominees: Die Fälscher* (Austria). Beaufort (Israel). Mongol (Kazakhstan). Katyn (Poland). 12 (Russia).
My Tip: 12.
Winner: Die Fälscher.
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *celebrates&dances* Go Austria, go Austria! Germany may be pope, but we are Oscar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Ok, I promise, I’m done with the patriotism AUSTRIAAAAAAA now.)

Fifth Performance: So Close (presented by Patrick Dempsey)

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song (presented by John Travolta)

Nominees: August Rush* (Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack, Tevin Thomas – “Raise It Up”). Enchanted* (Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz – “Happy Working Song”). Enchanted* (Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz – “So Close”). Enchanted* (Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz – “That’s How You Know”). Once (Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová – “Falling Slowly”)
My Tip: August Rush*.
Winner: Once!
I’m actually crying right now. That’s just perfect. And ok, I cry easily, especially when I didn’t sleep. But it is perfect.
Glen Hansard: Make art!

Jon Stewart: Just a short announcement: This is to the owner of a 707 Boeing parked [somewhere] – your landing lights are on. (John Travolta comes running.)
Our next presentor is talented and beautiful. Apparently, that’s what you need to get ahead.

Best Achievement in Cinematography (presented by Cameron Diaz)

Nominees: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Roger Deakins). Atonement (Seamus McGarvey). No Country for Old Men (Roger Deakins). Le Scaphandre et le Papillon (Janusz Kaminski). There Will Be Blood (Robert Elswit).
My Tip: Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Winner: There Will Be Blood.
Robert Elswit also did Good Night and Good Luck. Very good decision.

Hillary Swank presenting the tribute to those who died last year. Very fitting after PS. I love you. At least most were old. *sniff*

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score (presented by Amy Adams)

Nominees: Atonement* (Dario Marianelli). The Kite Runner (Alberto Iglesias). Michael Clayton (James Newton Howard). Ratatouille* (Michael Giacchino). 3:10 to Yuma* (Marco Beltrami).
My Tip: The Kite Runner.
Winner: Atonement*.
The typewriter. A stroke of genius. And at least finally an Oscar for Atonement. (As I don’t think it will get best movie, I guess it will be the only one.)

Jon Stewart: Our next presenter, Tom Hanks, has won two Academy Awards. But he wasn’t nominated tonight. So if you ask me, he has no place being here.

Best Documentary, Short Subjects (presented by Soldiers in Iraq)

Nominees: Freeheld (Cynthia Wade, Vanessa Roth). La Corona (Amanda Micheli, Isabel Vega). Salim Baba (Tim Sternberg, Francisco Bello). Sari’s Mother (James Longley).
My Tip: Sari’s Mother.
Winner: Freeheld.
Well, I could only guess, having seen neither of those documentaries. Woman Power!

Best Documentary, Features (presented by Tom Hanks who obviously has to be somewhere else, judging by the tempo he reads)

Nominees: No End in Sight (Charles Ferguson, Audrey Marrs). Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience (Richard Robbins). Sicko (Michael Moore, Meghan O’Hara). Taxi to the Dark Side (Alex Gibney, Eva Orner). War Dance (Andrea Nix, Sean Fine).
My Tip: War Dance.
Winner: Taxi to the Dark Side.
I would like to see each and every one of these documentaries. I would have thought all of them were fit to win (I didn’t think Michael Moore would win, though. After his last “Thank you”-speech, I don’t think the Academy wanted to deal with him again.)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (presented by Harrison Ford)

Nominees: Juno (Diablo Cody). Lars and the Real Girl (Nancy Oliver). Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy). Ratatouille* (Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobiano). The Savages (Tamara Jenkins).
My Tip: Juno.
Winner: Juno.
Yay, I guessed it again! About time.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (presented by the dashing Helen Mirren; Johnny Depp is chewing gum. I like that. It takes a little of the pompousness. Viggo Mortensen wears a beard and it suits him. Daniel Day-Lewis always looks different.)

Nominees: George Clooney (Michael Clayton). Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood). Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd: The Barber of Fleet Street). Tommy Lee Jones (The Valley of Elah). Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises).
My Tip: Daniel Day-Lewis.
Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis.
And again! Go Daniel Day-Lewis! And go me for guessing!
Daniel Day-Lewis (when Helen Mirren gives him the Oscar): This is the closest I ever get to Knighthood.

Best Achievement in Directing (presented by Martin Scorsese and his eyebrows)

Nominees: Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood). Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country For Old Men). Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton). Jason Reitman (Juno). Julian Schnabel (Le Scaphandre et le Papillon).
My Tip: Tony Gilroy.
Winner: Ethan & Joel Coen.
Well, I was at a loss here. It was either, Tony Gilroy, Paul Thomas Anderson or the Coen Brothers. So, congrats to the Coen Brothers for their second Oscar this evening.

Best Motion Picture of the Year (presented by Denzel Washington without hair)

Nominees: Atonement*. Juno. Michael Clayton. No Country For Old Men. There Will Be Blood.
My Tip: No Country For Old Men.
Winner: No Country For Old Men.
Well, I got it right. It’s nice to finish the night with a right guess. Congratulations again to the Coen Brothers and Scott Rudin.

It was a good show. It’s almost 6 a.m., in 6 hours I have to work, so I’ll try to get some hours sleep. Hope you enjoyed the show and probably you’ll even enjoy this post. Good Night and Good Luck :)