Who knows precisely what Globe and Mail critic Andrew Ryan was smoking when he filed his scathing review of last night’s inaugural Canadian Screen Award telecast? Calling the awards a merging of the Genie and Gemini awards, “Schlocky Night in Canada,” Ryan wondered if anybody in Canada had seen the film that swept the awards show: War Witch. The film (known as Rebelle in Quebec) was Canada’s nominee for Best Foreign Film in last Sunday’s Academy Awards, a show seen by millions worldwide. Was Mr. Ryan suggesting we need to have blockbusters in this country for an award show to have any merit? What is the point of these new screen awards if not to help build an audience for worthy projects? To paraphrase the Academy’s CEO Helga Stephenson, to create cultural collateral? I thought Canada bashing went out after the Vancouver Olympics. Our award shows don’t need to look like the Oscars or the Golden Globes. Trying to be anything like the Oscars is a fool’s errand. Martin Short (host of last night’s show) was fabulous, and no, he is not Seth MacFarlane, thank goodness. War Witch is terrific, as you’ve read here before. Seeing the young star of that film, Rachel Mwanza, scoop the best actress in her gorgeous colours was a moment we would never see at the Oscars. Mwanza accepted the award for all the other street kids in the Republic of Congo. Two years ago, she was one of them.
Courtesy Reuters |
Seth McFarlane cannot enjoy any post-Oscar glow south of the border. The beleaguered Oscar host received a bashing for his performance on Oscar night. In an op-ed for Huffington Post, Jamie Lee Curtis frowned on MacFarlane’s opening number and said she was offended by the Oscar show.
“As an Academy member, as the child of former Academy members and as a woman, I expected more from the best the movie business offers. The Oscars are about honouring art and artists. It is not supposed to be a cheesy vaudeville show.”
From cheese to soap…
Wanted: New housemaid with a pleasant demeanour and no record of soap crimes.
Downton Abbey fans may have heard that conniving O’Brien is leaving the hit show.
Courtesy Carnival Film and Television Limited for Masterpiece Theatre |
Siobhan Finneran has confirmed she will not return for Season 4, although she admits playing a “thoroughly despicable human being”was great fun. Placing a slippery bar of soap for her mistress Cora to slip on and endure a miscarriage was her character O’Brien’s low point. Creator Julian Fellowes is rumoured to be moving away from those melodramatic moments as he deliberates on how long he will stay with the show. The writer is developing a new period drama called The Gilded Age for NBC and says he never intended for Downton to extend beyond two seasons. Say it isn’t so, Julian! Rumours are also swirling about a possible new love interest for Mary as a new cast member, British actor Tom Cullen has been added to the show. How long should Mary remain a grieving widow?
Courtesy Carnival Film and Television Limited for Masterpiece Theatre |
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