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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, February 25, 2008

Few surprises this year

Photo galleryPhoto gallery: Oscar Awards
 •  Stars are stately but safe in glamorous gowns on Oscar red carpet
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By Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

British actor Daniel Day-Lewis had one of the few witty moments of the night when he hammed up a fake knighthood ceremony onstage after accepting the best actor Oscar for his work in "There Will Be Blood."

CHRIS CARLSON | Associated Press

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"My deepest thanks to the members of the Academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town."

— Daniel Day-Lewis, star of "There Will Be Blood," accepting the best-actor Oscar.

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Spanish actor Javier Bardem was congratulated by his mother, Pilar, after winning the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role as a merciless killer in "No Country for Old Men."

MARK J. TERRILL | Associated Press

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

British actress Tilda Swinton accepted the Oscar for best supporting actress for her work in "Michael Clayton."

MARK J. TERRILL | Associated Press

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

French actress Marion Cotillard reacted to winning the Oscar for best actress for her role in "La Vie en Rose."

CHRIS CARLSON | Associated Press

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Writer Diablo Cody accepted the Oscar for best original screenplay for her work on "Juno."

MARK J. TERRILL | Associated Press

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Almost everybody won the Oscar they were supposed to last night, with "No Country for Old Men" taking the most — four, including best picture and best directors (Joel and Ethan Coen). Fittingly, the first big Hollywood event after the 100-day Writers Guild strike won't be remembered for clever words. Hollywood handed out awards at "the Oscars that almost weren't" to a lot of people who were, like best actress winner Marion Cotillard ("La Vie En Rose"), "speechless" when their big moment hit.

Nobody had much that was witty to say. Well, until best actor Daniel Day-Lewis took the stage and acted out a fake knighthood ceremony. But mostly the telecast, rife with clip tributes of Oscars past, played like the backup-plan Oscars that were to be broadcast had the strike not ended two weeks ago.

The 80th Academy Awards were to be Hollywood's "makeup sex," emcee Jon Stewart joked. But it was makeup sex for a long-married couple. With kids. Lots of interrupting kids.

They were predictable. They were very slow to get going. And there were constant interruptions, with winners hurried through acceptance speeches to make way for montages and mock montages.

"Oscar's salute to binoculars and periscopes" and "Bad Dreams: An Oscar salute."

In between, the Academy scattered awards hither and yon — an "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (costumes) here, a "Sweeney Todd" (art direction), "Atonement" (best score), "The Golden Compass" (visual effects) or "There Will be Blood" (cinematography) there. "Bourne Ultimatum" picked up three sound and editing Oscars.

As he has all awards season, Javier Bardem collected the supporting actor award (for "No Country for Old Men") thanks to his directors, the Coen Brothers, who forced "the most horrible haircut in history on me."

Heavy favorite Diablo Cody won the screenwriting Oscar for "Juno."

Disney-Pixar's award-collecting "Ratatouille" won best animated feature, for which writer-director Brad Bird thanked his "junior high guidance counselor," who tried and failed to talk him out of a career in the movies.

Day-Lewis, also a favorite, gazed on his Oscar and said "this sprang like a golden sapling from the head of ("There Will Be Blood" director) Paul Thomas Anderson."

More unexpected, Tilda Swinton won best supporting actress for "Michael Clayton." Swinton looked shocked, muttering "Wow wow wow" as she made her way to the stage, where she vowed to give her Oscar to her American agent, "the spitting image" of the naked, bald statuette, including, "it has to be said, the buttocks."

OK, it wasn't totally predictable.

The Austrian Holocaust drama "The Counterfeiters" won best foreign language film.

Stewart, the anchor of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," seemed more at ease than in his first attempt at hosting the world's premier master-of-ceremonies gig a couple of years ago. Mixing up inside Hollywood humor with topical gags, he was still most at home with political jokes — the nominated film "Away from Her" is "about a woman who forgets who her husband is. Hilary Clinton called it 'the feel-good movie of the year.' "

But the most political moment came when "Taxi to the Dark Side," about Americans torturing an innocent Afghan to death, won an Oscar. Director Alex Gibney voiced the hope that "we can turn this country around, move away from the dark side and back into the light."

It was a muted ceremony, with light laughs and polite applause floating off into the vastness of the Kodak Auditorium. The loudest, most prolonged applause of the night? That came when "Falling Slowly," a song from "Once," won. Co-star and songwriter Glen Hansard marveled that their little "100 grand" movie could win anything. That was followed by the classiest moment: Stewart asked co-star and co-composer Marketa Irglova, who was "played off" before she could say anything, back onstage for a few words: "No matter how far out your dreams are, it's possible."

At three hours and 20 minutes, it wasn't the longest Oscars of recent vintage. Lacking the best efforts of Hollywood's best scribes, it just felt that way.

• • •

Winners at 80th annual Academy Awards

Complete list of winners at the 80th annual Academy Awards, presented last night at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:

Best motion picture: "No Country for Old Men."

Lead actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."

Lead actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose."

Supporting actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."

Supporting actress: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."

Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."

Foreign language film: "The Counterfeiters," Austria.

Adapted screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."

Original screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno."

Animated feature film: "Ratatouille."

Art direction: "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood."

Sound mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Sound editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Original score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli.

Original song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

Costume: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."

Documentary feature: "Taxi to the Dark Side."

Documentary short subject: "Freeheld."

Film editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Makeup: "La Vie en Rose."

Animated short film: "Peter & the Wolf."

Live action short film: "Le Mozart des Pickpockets ('The Mozart of Pickpockets')."

Visual effects: "The Golden Compass."

Academy Award winners previously announced this year:

Honorary and technical Oscars: Robert Boyle; Eastman Kodak Co.; David A. Grafton.

— Associated Press.

Quotes from last night's 80th annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles:

"I don't have a lot to add to what I said earlier. Thanks."

— Ethan Coen, winning the best director Oscar along with his brother, Joel Coen, for "No Country for Old Men." They had earlier won the adapted screenplay Oscar for the film.

"This is for the writers. I want to thank all the writers. I especially want to thank my fellow nominees, because I worship you guys. I'm learning from you every day."

— Diablo Cody, choking back tears as she accepted the original screenplay Oscar for "Juno."

"I'm speechless. ... Thank you life. Thank you love. It is true there (are) some angels in this city."

— Marion Cotillard, after winning the best actress Oscar for "La Vie en Rose."

"George Clooney, you know, the seriousness and the dedication to your art, seeing you climb into that rubber batsuit from `Batman & Robin' — the one with the nipples, every morning under your costume, on the set, off the set, hanging upside-down at lunch — you rock, man."

— Tilda Swinton, thanking "Michael Clayton" co-star George Clooney after winning the best supporting actress trophy.

"Thank you to the Coens for being crazy enough to think that I could do that and put one of the most horrible haircuts (in) history over my head."

— Javier Bardem, thanking directors Ethan and Joel Coen while accepting the best supporting actor Oscar for "No Country for Old Men."

"The fight is over. So tonight, welcome to the makeup sex."

— Jon Stewart, on the post-strike Oscars.

"If we stay the course, we can turn these movies around."

— Jon Stewart, on the plethora of financially unsuccessful Iraq movies.

"I feel probably like Eli Manning felt at the Super Bowl. Glad to be in the show, ready for anything."

— Viggo Mortensen, nominated for best actor in "Eastern Promises."

"Unfortunately, so often the roles are not good enough for the women, but the roles for the men are always wonderful."

— Helen Mirren.

• • •

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