Here is a reprint of some of my musings during the 32nd Annual Genie Awards as they sprouted from my mind, shot through my fingers and spewed into cyberspace.
By Greg Klymkiw
The pre-show show is now going on for the "less important" awards. They gave the Golden Reel Award to Starbuck. This is still the weirdest award ever - given to the highest grossing Canadian movie of the year. Do the Oscars acknowledge the highest grossing film of the year with an award? No, because supposedly such awards ultimately (or supposedly) have to do with artistic achievement.
A Dangerous Method won Best Art Direction and Production Design. Here in the press room, Richard Crouse is up on a mini-stage interviewing him (and other winners) for our benefit while the pre-show is broadcast without sound. Richard graciously takes a lot of time with the winners and allows ample opportunity for questions from the assembled press corps. Still, there are murmurings from a few that they'd rather be watching the pre-broadcast show onstage.
Crouse is now interviewing the winners of the various short film prizes. I think I will eat my hot buffet while this is going on.
Great, the Jutra prize for first feature films is also deemed unworthy of the live broadcast. Way to support emerging talent, CBC!!!! Winner Anne Emond, director of Nuit #1 is gracious in the press room and Crouse does a lovely job interviewing this clearly intelligent, talented young filmmaker. Too bad the CBC didn't think it was worth broadcasting her win to the rest of Canada.
La Nuit, Elles Dansent / At Night, They Dance is the winner of Best Feature Documentary Award. It's about a family of Belly Dancers. Something tells me Julia Ivanova's movie Family Portrait in Black and White about a woman who cares for unwanted mixed-race orphans in Ukraine got hosed.
Fantastic, they're doing the tribute to great Canadians in the movie business who died during the pre-show. Way to go, CBC. Way to support our cultural heritage and the passing of those who contributed to it, by NOT sharing it with the rest of the country.
I'll grant that Starbuck is not much good, but again it sucks that the Best Original Screenplay Award is presented in the pre-show. Way to go CBC! Way to support screenwriting!
HERE IS MY DELICIOUS MEAL:
The live broadcast has begun. Some guy I've never heard of is singing a lame song.
Viggo - not surprisingly - wins Best Supporting Actor. His speech is going on a bit. Big deal. It's Viggo. The orchestra is playing - signalling to Viggo to get off the stage. Viggo is making a funny Canadiens joke. CBC wants Viggo offstage. Now Viggo is unfurling a Habs flag. They still are trying to urge him to leave. What to go CBC! Real classy! I guess they have something better to air after the Genies. God knows, the CBC would not want to go overtime.
Oh Jesus, they have figure skaters skating during the Best Song nominees. Way to go CBC! Kitsch Galore!
Backstage, Viggo admits to wearing a pair of Ken Dryden's old gitch and that in spite of a few holes in them, they're very clean.
Ingrid Veninger has just asked if she should have some lasagna now. I choose not to stop her.
That cute little girl from Monsieur Lazhar just won. In my heart I knew this was the no-brainer decision, but part of me thought that the Academy would toss a nod to The Whistleblower here. I was wrong. Happily wrong.
Oh Jesus, more figure skating!
This show is moving so fast it's kind of oppressively dull because of it. Sort of like how Michael Bay cuts his movies.
Strombo: Wondering how people are doing in their Genie Pools? Genie Pools? Is this some kind of hot tub?
Had myself a nice cigarette outside while Falardeau picked up his Best Director Genie.
Sorry folks, I'm going to switch to Facebook and Twitter for awhile. See you there.
