The Oscars 2013 - Part 3: The Ceremony

Our seats were amazing: first row of the first balcony, a place with a view on the entire parterre of stars. One couldn’t ask for more (well… maybe a seat close to Daniel Day Lewis, or directly on his lap, but ok…). The stage was pretty amazing too: an arch of lights, a round big platform in the middle and two others, smaller, on the right and on the left side.
The stars were taking their seats: it was funny to watch and trying to recognize each of them. Everybody was being very polite: it was a question of greetings, kisses and embraces. I was wondering how many of them were sincere, but I guess you had the same percentage in real life at no-matter-what kind of mundane event. 

When the lights got out and a voice announced that the Oscars 2013 night was about to begin, I had one of those stupid thoughts I always have in these occasions. I thought: How is it possible that Zazie from Paris, coming in reality not at all from the French capital but from the most obscure little village of the Pianura Padana, is here at the Oscars night? I held my breath for a second, praying that no beam of light would be pointed directly at me to ask about my incongruous presence... luckily enough, Seth MacFarlane was already on stage, and the big show was about to begin! 

Standing Ovation for Shirley Bassey

I have to make a confession: I was convinced I would have found the ceremony a bit boring. 
I mean: it is long, and there are all those musical breaks, I was really afraid to reach the point of saturation. Well, it wasn’t the case: I was so excited that the almost three hours looked like 30 minutes.

I was particularly lucky, though: the musical breaks were kindly provided by appointment to their majesties Shirley Bassey, Adele and Barbra Streisand, among others. 
The awards started immediately to rain, and the first moment of joy, for me, was the Oscar to the short animation film Paperman by John Kahrs, a super sweet love story involving a lot of paper planes that, to my surprise, started to fly also from the balcony. If you don’t know this movie, you should absolutely see it, here it is:

Paperman - Short Film by John Kahrs par Flixgr
The other Oscar I was incredibly happy about, was the one for Best Documentary, given to the magnificent Searching for Sugar Man by Malik Bendjelloul. When, during his speech, the film maker said that Rodriguez (the singer the documentary is about) didn't come to the ceremony not to steal the scene to him, I really thought how amazing a human being could be. If you missed it, run to see this pure gem:


Have you ever wondered what happened in the theatre during the commercials? I was always curious to know that and I finally had the answer: the people seated on the balconies get out and have a drink at the bar, while the stars get up and talk to each other. The parterre is an ever changing place: actors and actresses are moving around a lot because they can introduce awards or take part into some musical piece. When they have an Oscar they simply disappear... I guess they're stuck in the pictures+interviews machine. 

The stars during the commercials

If you go to the bar for a drink, you have to be very careful: it is essential to be back in the theatre before the commercials are over, otherwise you'll be left outside. I didn't know about this rule, so when I saw my door closing I rushed, but the man in front of it was absolutely inflexible: no, I couldn't go inside. 
I was panicking, because we were almost at the end and I was afraid to miss some important awards. I was complaining about this with Susanna in Italian when a woman approached us: Which beautiful language are you talking in? Italian, we said. Oh, that sounds lovely even when you're unnerved! On a screen placed just outside the door we could see the images but without sound. What's the matter? the woman asked. We explained. Oh, don't worry, there is still time for the big ones. It was like this that we met Doris, a very nice woman who was an Oscar habituée (it was her 15th time at the ceremony!), and with whom we talked and laughed until the end of the commercials.
I wasn't lucky enough to escape the Oscar for Best Foreign Picture to Amour by Michael Haneke, though. As everybody knows, I'm a huge fan of the man. I think he has made the dullest speech ever (surprise, surprise!) and while the others were clapping hands, I remained perfectly still on my seat. Ta gueule! I just wanted to shout at him (but I didn't).

Then, finally, it was time for the one and only Oscar I was really waiting for, the one for Best Actor.

I remembered a day of many months before, probably almost one year, when I saw for the first time a picture of DDL as Lincoln: he was eating something in a cafeteria, dressed in modern clothes, but with the make-up transforming him in the President. I immediately posted the picture on my Facebook page, writing: I can already see an Oscar (the third) in his hands. Well, it wans't difficult to imagine it but, still, I was right. This is the picture:

And this is Daniel Day Lewis receiving his third Oscar at the Dolby Theatre on February 24 (from the hands of Meryl Streep):

And if you want to hear his funny and moving speech:

After Daniel, just two more Oscars were left: the one for Best Director (won by Ang Lee) and the one for best picture (won by Argo). 
Once the ceremony was over, we left our seats but not the theatre: we had in our hands the tickets to go to the Governors Ball... the funniest part of the night was about to start...