This is it. It’s the biggie. This is the pinnacle of the movie calendar. So let’s take a look at who won what and were there any surprises?

 

You bet there were! Let’s see…(winners in bold)

 

Best Picture

BlacKkKlansman

Black Panther

Bohemian Rhapsody

Green Book

The Favourite

Roma

A Star Is Born

Vice

Trouper Verdict: Eh? Really? Driving Mr Daisy? Interesting that the directors of both Green Book and Driving Miss Daisy were not even nominated in the Best Director category. Perhaps the Academy was just not willing to give the Best Picture to a film in a foreign language? Or perhaps, Netflix was too blatant in its Oscar campaigning?

 

Best Director

Alfonso Cuaron – Roma

Yorgos Lanthimos – The Favourite

Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman

Adam McKay – Vice

Pawel Pawlikowski – Cold War

Trouper Verdict: Thank Goodness! The right man won for his wonderful vision.

 

Best Actress

Yalitza Aparicio – Roma

Glenn Close – The Wife

Olivia Colman – The Favourite

Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born

Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Trouper Verdict: Woh! Really? Much as we love Olivia Colman – and of course we do – her performance was not a patch on Close’s. And Close also has the body of work case too. This was particularly surprising as by the time it was awarded, The Favourite had lost all the categories it was in. Almost as if none of the Academy had seen it. In the end this was its only award out of ten nominations – which was almost embarrassing.

 

Best Actor

Christian Bale – Vice

Willem Dafoe – At Eternity’s Gate

Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born

Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody

Viggo Mortensen – Green Book 

Trouper Verdict: There’s has hardly been a year recently when the Academy has not given an Oscar to someone doing an impression. Whether Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher or last year Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill. It’s debatable how much Malek was impersonating and how much he was acting, but he’s gone from TV oddball to King of Hollywood in a very short space of time.

 

Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams – Vice

Marina de Tavira – Roma

Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk

Emma Stone – The Favourite

Rachel Weisz – The Favourite

Trouper Verdict: The Favourite ladies probably cancelled each other out here, leaving a pretty much free run for Regina King to romp home.

 

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali – Green Book

Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman

Sam Elliott – A Star Is Born

Richard E Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Sam Rockwell – Vice

Trouper Verdict: Ali’s seemingly unstoppable momentum carried him through.

 

While watching the Oscarcast, the Trouper did wonder a few things.

 

Host – what host? There is really no need for a host – apart from if there was a repeat of Envelope-gate or similar.

 

The Dead People bit. The Academy President normally has to do a bit at the show, but why was he doing this bit? Was it a sign that after all the hoo-hahs he’s been presiding over (the hosting, the awards during the commercial break debacle etc) he was a dead man walking? Surely, we need someone well-known with gravitas and bearing – Jodie Foster anyone? – to present this sensitive section?

 

Barbra – WTF? Barbra, love, you’re a Hollywood legend, a film icon, a worldwide queen. What on earth were you doing lowering yourself to presenting a clip to one of the nominated movies? Not only should a woman of your stature have been presenting an award, it should have been the Best Picture award.

 

So there you go, as far as Awards Season is concerned, that’s all folks!

 

 

Photo courtesy: Disney/ABC