Sunday, February 26, 2012

The Magic's Back!

  I was going to start this post telling you how I felt about the five Oscar Best Picture Nominations I saw Saturday night.  However, as the 2012 Oscar telecast comes to a close I decided to take a different approach.  I'd like to start by saying, "thank you Billy Crystal, thank you!"  You brought back the magic of the Oscars!

  Why do we watch movies?  What's the appeal of going to the theatre and spending two and a half to three hours in a dark room when you could be doing something more productive?  The answer in my opinion is simple, we like to get swept away by an incredible story.  A story that can not only move us to tears and laughter, but can inspire us.  That was the point of this years Oscar's.  To bring us back to the basics and remind us of the golden days of cinema.  Like Gil (Owen Wilson)  in the movie "Midnight in Paris" we all yearn to return to a time when things seemed simpler and life was an ongoing party.

  "The Artist" brought us back to a time when movies were simple.  Black and White, no sound and well there were no special effects.  I truly believed I was watching an old silent film and it did a great job embodying classic cinema, however this movie was lost on me.  I would love to say it moved me and had me wanting more, but I can't I was glad when it ended.  Maybe I'm just not artsy enough to love this movie.  I can see why the Academy nominated and awarded this film Best Picture, Director and Actor.  This was a truly "Artsy" film.  But was I moved, did I feel a connection to the characters, no.  I just felt like I wanted it to end and I wanted to see a move in color with sound.

  Like I said in the beginning I am not going to go on and on about what I liked and didn't like.  Because to be completely honest, I could have done without most of the Best Picture nominees this year.  But the show was spectacular.  Billy Crystal did a wonderful job.  He along with a sloo of celebrities told us why they like movies and why we are moved to tears and laughter!  And regardless of how I felt about all nine Best Picture nominees I cannot deny they all had one thing in common.  They reminded us why we go to the movies and why we will continue to go to the movies.

  We are all looking for an escape even for those short two and half to three hours. And even if we get it once a week or once a month we are all expecting the same end result, to be entertained.  I might not have been completely entertained by the movies this year, but I was very entertained by the Oscar's.  I can only hope Billy returns next year and the magic continues.  And for all those film makers and film lovers out there, lets remember the past and hope we can continue to embrace the new while infusing it with the old.

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