Something’s different about you, Oscar!

Since my childhood it’s been a tradition for me to wake up early and watch the Oscars ceremony. When I was small, I found the entire thing spectacular – full of song and dance and comedy. I’m dating myself here but I remember recording the episodes on my little VHS tapes and then watching them over and over again later on.

As the viewership ratings show, the Oscars has declined in popularity these last few years. Even up until a few years back I’d stay riveted, glued to the screen from the moment the red carpet rolled out until the best picture was declared.

This year I had it on for background viewing while I got my daughter ready for school. Both the program and the eventual list of winners did not disappoint!

My favourite moments from the show:

• It was only halfway through that I realized the program was truly host-less! And it worked! I liked Ellen’s hosting a few years ago, and I wonder why they didn’t hire her this time as well!
• Another late realization – such a diverse cast of presenters and winners! Basically this translates to “fewer non-white presenters” than before – a big win!
• The opening monologue by my favourite ladies
• Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s performance
• Olivia Colman’s winning speech!

Here are some of the stalwarts whose wins I was happy to witness:

Mahershala Ali for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Though I haven’t seen any of his Oscar-winning or Oscar-nominated performances, I’ve been a huge fan of his since his House of Cards days. It struck even from that time that he was star material. I discovered only later about controversy surrounding the movie Green Book.

Olivia Colman for Best Actress in a Leading Role

Though she was one of the frontrunners too, I feel like her win over Glenn Close was a big upset. I love Glenn Close too – who can forget her performance in Fatal Attraction – but this one was very well-deserved.

Rami Malek for Best Actor in a Leading Role

Despite stellar performances by all the other nominees, this one was almost ‘in the bag’ from the day the nominations were announced. I finally caught Bohemian Rhapsody on Tata Sky Showcase the other day, and it lived up to the expectations.

I did not make any predictions, but this piece of satire accurately reflects what I would have said.

Did you watch the Oscars this year? What were your favourite parts of the show?