Cool or not cool?: highlights of the Oscars 2011 ceremony

This is the first Oscars ceremony I watch having a movie blog online, so I guess I should post something about it. I watch the Red Carpet + Oscars every year, it marks the end of summer vacations down here, so it always was a way to cheer up before going to school/university and now getting a real job for the first time ever.

Photo by Michael Caulfield – © 2011.

So this is the idea: I describe a situation that for me was a highlight of the evening and we (well I write and you  think about it) label it as "cool" or "not cool". Here we go (probably not chronologically correct and not focused in the winner films):

1. Red Carpet: Gwyneth Paltrow says that she's terribly nervous (she looks that way) and that hasn't slept well because she has to sing in the ceremony. COOL: even the stars freak out sometimes, so why can't we?

2. Red Carpet: Latin American TNT reporters are kinda star-struck when Elli Wallach passes with his family and then he says a few words in perfect Spanish. COOL: Gotta love him.

3. Opening clip, including cameos of Alec Baldwin and Mr. Morgan Freeman. COOL: just because of these actors, even when the way they used movies like Back to the Future was boring.

4. James Franco hosting with the energy, tone of voice and facial expression like he's still feeling the pressure of the big rock from 127 hours on his hand. NOT COOL: a very forgettable presentation.

5. Anne Hathaway being Happy from Snow White, Pollyanna from Pollyanna and contagiously laughing at her own boring jokes. COOL: otherwise the ceremony would had been terribly plain.

6. Nervous people trying to give a speech with shaking hands and trembling voices. COOL: makes the whole thing more human (but yes, they made me feel nervous too!).

7. Out of nowhere, a screen shows Gone With The Wind pictures and the main theme is played. C...NOT COOL: if you're gonna pay a tribute, do it properly!!

8. Kirk Douglas introduces the Best Supporting Actress and funnily delays the announcement by saying "you know...". COOL: but I got really nervous, he is so old and his hands seemed to shake and I thought he wouldn't be able to open the envelope.

9. Melissa Leo makes history by saying fucking for the first time in a ceremony. COOL: I love the unexpected and not scripted bits.

10. In her astonishment, Melissa Leo doesn't notice that Kirk Douglas is standing behind her and almost makes him fall. NOT COOL: that would had been awful to watch.

11. James Franco dressed as Marilyn Monroe. NOT COOL: boring and unnecessary. 

12. Elli Wallach, accompanied by Francis Ford Coppola and...I don't remember, starts giving a speech and...they go to commercials! SO NOT COOL: I don't know if it happened only in the channel I was watching, but that was really annoying.

13. Helen Mirren speaks French. COOL: even when I find Russell Brand one of the weirdest people ever, I think his presentation with The Queen was funny.

14. Tangled not being nominated. NOT COOL:  I mean, it wasn't like the best Disney film ever, but it was OK. When they presented the nominees for Best Animated Picture, it was kind of lacking movies.

15. Bob Hope digitally appears on stage and speaks about...I don't remember. C...NOT COOL: again, it was a great idea, but what he "said" was very forgettable.

16. In memoriam montage + Celine Dion singing Smile. NOT COOL: it wasn't very emotive and Smile was sung before in this part.

17. Kevin Spacey sings the chorus of  "Top Hat, White Ties and Tails" when introducing Best Original Song and says that it's his favorite Oscar-winner song. COOL: super nice moment. 

18. Randy Newman (nephew of Alfred Newman) presents the Oscar nominated song We belong together and the mic has technical problems so you barely hear what he's singing. NOT COOL: I thought that only happened in school presentations.

19. Cate Blanchett says "that's gross" referring to the transformation of Benicio del Toro into a wolf in The Wolfman. COOL: Besides her Givenchy dress was something unique. 

20. Billy Crystal shows up (looking old) and gets a standing ovation. COOL: I guess people were bored with Happy and Rock and wanted him back. 

21. Jeff Bridges presents the award for Best Actress and each time he addresses a nominee with his deep voice ("Nicoole"; "Naatalie", "Micheelle", etc) they freak out. COOL: it was so funny, Michelle Williams was dying!

22. A very pregnant Natalie Portman receives the Oscar. COOL: even when it was hard to follow her train of thoughts. The clip they showed from "Black Swan" was terribly emotive. Made me remember of another very pregnant Oscar winner which was even cooler: Eva Marie Saint (watch, so classy!) 

23. Sandra Bullock presents the award for Best Actor and proves to be a great comedienne. COOL: one of my favorite moments, she said "Hola" to Javier Bardem. 

24. The ceremony ends with a kid choir singing "Somewhere over the rainbow" and the winners holding their Oscars while singing "dreams really do come true". COOL: that was nice.

25. Anne Hathaway highs five with the kids from the choir. COOL: that looked "young and hip" :)

PS--
Oh, guys, sorry for the delay, I just answered your recent comments in the posts about Son of Fury, Adsense and Cactus Flower.