New Jersey bookmakers are doubtless shelling out some long green today after Olivia Colman upset their (and my) odds-on pick, Glenn Close at the Academy Awards last night. Despite having the law of averages seemingly in her favor, Close continues to be second-best with Oscar voters. (I would have cast a ballot for Colman too, even though I picked against her.) Well. I’ve found something I’m good at predicting, right down to the Academy’s split-ticket of awarding Green Book Best Picture and giving studiously dull Roma the consolation prizes of Best Foreign Film and Best Director, as well as Best Cinematography. (It’s like one of those Italian films of the Sixties where nothing happens for two hours and you are left to debate What It All Means.) Rami Malek? Check. Regina King? Check. Mahershala Ali? Check.
As for the ceremony, a surprise opening by Queen gave everyone a tough act to follow, unless you count Melissa McCarthy‘s bunny gown — the woman is touched by genius. There was only one epic fail: The clusterfuck that was the Vice makeup crew trying to give an acceptance speech, an agony that lasted far too long before the vaudeville hook came and got them. So long as books in Atlantic City are taking bets on the Oscars, we’ll be able to make movies part of our forum. Won’t that be nice for a change of pace? And now that Oscar has discovered African-Americans and Mexico, will it get around to Asian-Americans next year? That would be nice.
