Angels and Angles: Trompes Triumph

Posted February 25, 2008

It seemed like a low-key Oscar night, although I haven’t watched in many years. Best joke: the John Stuart gag on Barack Obama’s politically challenging name ("His middle
name is the last name of Iraq’s former tyrant and his last name rhymes
with Osama."), recalling the presidential candidate "Gaydolf Titler".

Best moment: French actress Marie Cotillard accepting Best Actress for her phenomenal performance as singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose". (Update: Cotillard is charming, but after the ceremony she asserted here that 9/11 was a conspiracy and that men never really walked on the moon. Must be why the French, who know something about triumphant fools, keep the words "triomphe" and "trompe" so close together).

Cotillard was part of a strong and global field that included Brit Julie Christie, favored for a second Oscar 42 years after she won for "Darling", Aussie Cate
Blanchett for "Elizabeth: The Golden Age", Yank Laura
Linney for "The Savages," and upcoming star Canadian Ellen Page for "Juno.

Cotillard’s heartfelt acceptance was wonderful: "…I — thank you life, thank you love, and it is true, there is some angels in this city. Thank you
so, so much."

Well, Los Angeles is about angles and angels both. Biggest disappointment was seeing the Academy pass up No End in Sight for Best Documentary in favor of Alex Gibney’s torture expose "Taxi to the Dark Side" (yes, I did catch the announcer’s silly mistake when he solemnly declared this to be Gibney’s first nomination. Gibney won best documentary two years ago for "Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room" and was reportedly a close adviser to Ferguson.