Oscars

What has happened?

I usually look forward to the Oscars like others do to the Superbowl. For me, it's more than an event, it's a monumental moment in history. This ceremony confers awards on those very films that will continue to be discussed and cherished for generations after generations. Even the awards that go to the undeserving films remain a force to be reckoned with. It is always entertaining, and superbly interesting, to see which films are considered to be the best by those in the industry.

I disagree with those who declare the meaninglessness of Oscars. Of course, I have always known that the best films are not always awarded with the Oscar, for reasons that may be political, financial, or social. And sometimes, there are just too many good movies in one year to honor them all. Nonetheless, the receipt of an Oscar is a profound statement - a statement that this film, at this date, under these circumstances has been seen as being important enough to go down in history for the honor of mankind, throughout the ages.

This brings me back to my original question: what has happened? This year I have not seen a single one of the nominated films, apart from Kung-Fu Panda. What has happened to my love of cinema? I continue to enjoy films, but I have failed this year to spend any of my money or time to seek out the best movies. And this is a growing trend with me. Last year I saw very few of the films, and the year before that, I had also seen only a handful.

It's a pity, because, despite the critics' statements that this is a dull year for films, many of the movies look genuinely interesting. I hereby plan to have an Oscars night when the films become available on DVD, in which I will watch each of the films that win any of the major awards. Hopefully, this will renew my passion in cinema to its former glory.