The Oscars
SUNDAY 27th is Oscars night, which gives you just over a week to brush up on your motion picture arts and sciences. The awards will be broadcast live from Los Angeles – all the biutiful people of Hollywood will be there, but to the viewer at home having to sit through every speech, it may seem like 127 hours (see what I’ve done there?).
Will The King's Speechsweep the board and prompt president Obama to hand America back over to Britain? Will presenter James Franco's arm get trapped in the strap of co-presenter Anne Hathaway's dress during their opening duet? And will Banksy, nominated for his documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop, show up in person, or will a giant graffito Oscar with Mickey Mouse ears mysteriously appear?
The smart money is on The King's Speechgetting best flick, and David Fincher nabbing Best Director for The Social Network. Toy Story 3has made every grown man who's seen it cry – when it wins Best Animated Feature there won't be a dry guy in the house.
Last year, the academy brought back the original announcement, “And the winner is . . . ”. This year they’ve reinstated “And the Oscar goes to . . . ”.
Just one man carries all of Ireland's Oscar hopes for 2011. The Crush, the story of an eight-year-old boy besotted by his teacher, is nominated for best live-action short, so best of luck to writer and first-time director Michael Creagh.
