Iraqis and Hollywood Go to the Polls

I am not in the habit of watching the Academy Awards, but deviated from normal habit since nothing else was on the television in my cableless secret lair. I've been on a bit of a movie run lately--The White Ribbon, Sherlock Holmes, An Education, Avatar, Shutter Island, Book of Eli, The Damned United, Edge of Darkness--and it always helps to be familiar with the films being judged. I'd also seen Coraline and Up on dvd.

If there was one surprising and welcome outcome, it was Avatar director Jim Cameron getting beaten by his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow and her film, The Hurt Locker. She took home both best director and best film, which in our eyes is a triumph of one type of political correctness (awarding a woman in both categories) over another type of political correctness (the unrelenting banality of Cameron's unoriginal liberal ecology tale). One wonders if the Hollywood establishment is making yet another effort to get people focused on Iraq as grand tragedy, and it was ironic that Bigelow could win twice, with not a word toward the massive show of democracy going on in Iraq today as citizens pushed out through sporadic bombing to vote. You could, if a thinking person, tie some of the danger and disability from the war tasks in "The Hurt Locker" to the display today, where formerly fighting opponents encouraged their people to take to the streets democratically.

Avatar took technical awards and that was fitting. The film is all in the visuals, with plot borrowed from other dubious films. One would have thought that all that money and effort would have been wrapped around an original story, and a story that did not poke you in the head with its point. The lack of a best film award was the perfect justice. Elsewhere newbies enjoyed the spoils.

First-time winners took all four acting prizes: Sandra Bullock as best actress for "The Blind Side"; Jeff Bridges as best actor for "Crazy Heart"; Mo'Nique as supporting actress for "Precious"; and Christoph Waltz as supporting actor for "Inglourious Basterds."

(ABC)

I would have liked to see Meryl Streep win for her wonderful portrayal of Julia Child, but getting past the broad support for The Blind Side was tough. That film had everything necessary to touch the mental lobes of both conservatives and liberals. For the liberal, you had the whole helping helpless black people thing going on, and for conservatives, you had the helpers being conservative Republican NRA supporters. The movie confirmed the less nuanced of  caucasian mental perspectives, leaving blacks to question exactly how they felt about the film: basically wanting to like it, but feeling uncomfortable at yet another film where they need to be saved from their own flaws. But I like Bullock, and you can't underestimate her basic appeal and it was going to be a good choice no matter who won. My second choice was Carey Mulligan from An Education. That film was a small delight- a quality cast that took you to a more original place than Avatar ever could with a bazillion times the budget. Mulligan was a wide eyed glowing presence, but strong minded.

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin worked well together, and dual hosts should be the norm going forward.

Other News:

• The winners at the 82nd Academy Awards in list form: The Hurt Locker (best picture), Jeff Bridges (best actor),  Sandra Bullock (best actress), Christoph Waltz (best supporting actor, Inglourious Basterds), Mo'Nique (best supporting actress), Kathryn Bigelow (best director, best film), Up (best animated).

• Iraqis ignore violence and head out to vote. This is the result of the war liberals, including Hollywood, frowned upon. 

We congratulate the true winners.