Marion Cotillard at the Cesar Awards

Marion Cotillard won best actress in an upset for her performance as tragic French singer Édith Piaf.

Cotillard was shaking and was visibly nervous and excited as she accepted her Oscar. She first thanked director Olivier Dahan, saying “Olivier, what you did to you me, you truly rocked my life. Picture house… members of the academy, I’m speechless now, thank you life, thank you love. It is true there are some angels in this city. Thank you so, so, much.”

Cotillard covered her mouth as Forrest Whitaker led her off stage.

I’m just as shocked as she was that she won, as this was called as a race between SAG winner Julie Christie and newcomer Ellen Page. We prepared some quotes ahead of time for both, and even movie critic great Roger Ebert didn’t see this one coming.

Here’s the trailer for the film, and we’ll have up Cotillard’s acceptance speech tomorrow.

Update by Celebitchy: Here’s the video of Cotillard’s acceptance speech. This video is a little long as it starts with Forrest Whittaker’s introduction and the full clips. Fast forward to 3:20 to see the announcement and Cottilard’s acceptance. I heart her so much after watching this.

Tilda Swinton won the “Best Supporting Actress” category, which was generally considered to be wide open. The nominees also included Cate Blanchett for “I’m Not There,” Ruby Dee for “American Gangster,” Saoirse Ronan for “Atonement,” and Amy Ryan for “Gone Baby Gone.”

“Tilda Swinton’s soulless corporate drone was a marvelous performance; against all odds, you still feel something for her even though she so clearly deserves the fate that titular lawyer Michael Clayton orchestrates for her.”

[From the Chronicle Herald]

Tilda looked genuinely shocked when she was announced as the winner. Though her outfit left a bit to be desired, she was obviously thrilled to win – though it appeared she didn’t have a speech prepared. Swinton started her speech by saying, “Oohh, no.” She then looked down at her statue and noted:

“Happy Birthday, man. I have an American agent who is really truly the spitting image of this [her award]. The shape of the head… and it must be said, the buttocks. So Brian Swordstrom, I’m giving this to you.”

[From the Academy Awards]

Swinton then thanked George Clooney and his dedication to all his roles. She made a joke about the commitment George showed when he played Batman, noting, “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.” It was pretty funny, especially because of her dry delivery. It led to quite the visual image. Congrats to Tilda!

Header image of Tilda Swinton leaving a pre-Oscar party at Mr. Chow restaurant in Los Angeles, California. Photo thanks to Splash.

Note by Celebitchy - Here’s Tilda’s acceptance speech

Javier Bardem has won best supporting actor for his role as hitman Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. Bardem has gained international fame for this role, and his “man bob” hairstyle has become almost as talked about as the film itself. In fact, Javier gave the man-bob a shout out during his acceptance speech:

“Thank you to the Cohen brothers for thinking I could play that role while putting on one of the most horrible haircuts in history.”

Javier looked nothing like the cold-blooded hitman he played in the movie. He was probably one of the best dressed men of the night, and his five o’clock shadow and dimples were spectacular.

Update by Celebitchy: Here’s Bardem’s acceptance speech. This clip also contains the intro by Jennifer Hudson. The winner is announced at about 3:00 minutes in.

Since E! Channel lost Melissa and Joan Rivers, the network has been struggling to find the right commentators to attend Red Carpet events. Last year, the network had Izaac Mizrahi as a guest commentator, and the designer was completely out of control– he even felt up Scarlett Johannson live on television. It looks like this year, E! has decided that Ryan Seacrest should interview celebrities while either drunk or extremely sleep deprived. The results are rarely scripted, completely inappropriate and very funny.

While interviewing the pregnant Jessica Alba, who is notorious for refusing to answer personal questions, Seacrest asked her some very surprising questions:

Ryan: “How far along are you?”
Jessica: “Uhhh, I am in my third trimester now.”
Ryan: That’s the final stage, I know that. So what date do you expect to have the baby?
Jessica: “Um, I am kind of keeping that a secret.”
Ryan: “Will you be breastfeeding or what’s the process going to be?”
Jessica: “That’s kind of personal.”
Ryan: “Well, Ellen asked Christina that question.”
AWKWARD.

Gary Busey was apparently drinking the same stuff as Ryan. The wingnut actor accosted Laura Linney and Jennifer Garner on the red carpet while being interviewes by Ryan Seacrest. Gary congratulated Laura for her nomination, said “God bless you,” then kissed Jennifer Garner on the neck! Garner, for her part, looked mortified but handled it like a pro–she even joked that she wished her husband, Ben Affleck, was there.

Finally, Seacrest presented “Enchanted” star Patrick Dempsey with a Disney doll version of the character he played in the movie. Dempsey was clearly embarrassed, but played along, and his wife was a good sport, too.

I think Ryan is a little overworked right now, what with three nights of “American Idol” and his work at E! Maybe I’m mean, but I see a possible 5150 hold in this man’s future.

Update: Here’s the video of Busey assaulting Garner, thanks to Huffington Post for linking it:

Jaybird, MSat and I are all on and chat talking about the red carpet arrivals.

Heidi Klum is wearing a big red dress with too much fabric. There was an incident with Gary Busey licking Jennifer Garner’s neck, which MSat will cover a little later, and George Clooney’s girlfriend is wearing a gorgeous blue strapless dress with pink detail.

Kelly Preston looks silly in orange, and her husband John Travolta has Ronco spray on hair.

Ryan Seacrest looks drunk, according to MSat, and he pissed off Jessica Alba by asking her how far along she is and if she will breastfeed.

Here are some initial red carpet pics. We will be posting the winners and notable incidents tonight as they happen.

Note: Updates will have dashes in front from now on.

- Jessica Alba is wearing a plum colored strapless dress with feather detail on the front. She was talking to the German interviewer and got very excited talking about the SciTech Awards and the fog machines that were invented by Germans.

- Ellen Page is wearing a cute dress, according to MSat and JayBird. I have yet to see it.

- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Director Julian Schnabel says “Painting is like breathing” and “Directing is like translating.” The interviewer asked a very interesting question about what was the difference between the two. Schnabel is a renowned artist with works in the Moma, Metropolitan Museum and Whitney.

- The interviewer asked Tilda Swinton “How easy is it to play someone that mean?” Tilda said “If anyone was ever mean to you, it’s really easy… She’s just a mess, she’d do well to play a little meaner.”

- Regis Phillbin is interviewing George Clooney and the crowd is screaming.

- MSat loves Marion Cotillard’s dress, but I think it looks too much like a messed up mermaid.

- Laura Linney looks gorgeous but her overuse of botox is obvious.

- Javier Bardem is working the Elvis hair, but he still looks hot.

- Jennifer Garner looks cute in a tight black dress and says it’s due to her stylist Rachel Zoe.

Note: We will be updating the site with posts throughout the ceremony.

Juno writer Diablo Cody has blogged about how surprised and mortified she was to learn that the elegant shoes she was lent by famed designer Stewart Weitzman to wear to the Oscars were worth a cool million. She said that no one from the company told her ahead of time and that she assumed they were adorned with rhinestones, not diamonds.

Yesterday, my stylist took me to go try on my Oscar shoes, which were made for me by Stuart Weitzman. They were sparkly. Kind of retro. With hefty brooches to be affixed atop each narrow toebox. I was pleased, but it wasn’t, like, an event.

Today, I read this. NEWS TO ME, kids. I must have somehow missed the part where my shoes cost a MILLION FUCKING DOLLARS and my “choice” of footwear would be publicized nationwide. I honestly thought they were just sparkly shoes. Mr. Weitzman did mention that the diamonds were real when I tried them on, but I’m not Nancy Rockman, Expert Gemologist. I didn’t, you know, bust out my miniature spyglass and assess the potential worth of my kicks.

I swear to God, I have the most bizarre life. Truly.

This looks really attention-whorey, and for once, I didn’t do it on purpose.

I’m flattered that they picked me (surprise!) to wear the Pimp Shooz, but WTF, right?

ETA: I’m actually really pissed about this, now that I think about it. They’re using me to publicize their stupid shoes and NOBODY ASKED ME. I would never consent to a lame publicity stunt at a time when I already want to hide. I’m sorry if I sound like a party-pooper, but Jeebus.

[From Diablo Cody’s MySpace blog via WENN]

I love that she called them the Pimp Shooz! I’m not too familiar with Diablo Cody, but she’s on my short like of people to write favorably about after reading her blog. MSat says she’s a fan of hers and that she’ll gladly cover it when she wins the Oscar as expected for best original screenplay.

I enjoyed reading Cody’s Wikipedia entry and learned that she worked as a stripper in Minneapolis for a year in her early 20s and wrote a book about her experiences, called Candy Girl: A Year in The Life of an Unlikely Stripper. It was published when she was 24 and she wrote the screenplay for Juno shortly afterwards.

JayBird, MSat and are all on live tonight to cover the Oscars. None of us will be wearing clothing worth more than $30, but I guess I should speak for myself.

Here is Diablo Cody at the National Board of Review Awards along with a pic of those million dollar shoes, thanks to PRPhotos and D-Listed.

Update! Here’s my quickie transcript of the red carpet interview with Diablo Cody and the interviewer Steven from ProSeiben, the German channel covering the Oscars.

Interviewer asks question I didn’t write down…
Diablo answers: “I didn’t anticipate the film being made, so to be at the Academy Awards is amazing.”

When they called you and told you were being nominated, how was it?
Shocked… This whole experience was surreal.

What are you doing next?
I’m just a writer and I’m going to go write more.

She’s wearing a leopard print dress and her hair is in a bob.

I’m in Europe so staying up for the whole Oscars means that I’m usually up until 4 or 5 in the morning, but MSat and JayBird are in the states and we’re all going to work together to get you quick Oscar coverage. We’re trying to figure out how we’re going to coordinate everything, so if you could please vote in the poll below and add your comments we would appreciate it.

We were thinking of doing our usual posts, with a quicker format, on the fashion and winners. We could alternately live blog with an ongoing thread. Which would you prefer, or would you like us to do both?

I don’t think I am alone in saying that this writers’ strike is really beginning to suck for those of us who enjoy intelligent, well-written programs. Don’t get me wrong, I understand and appreciate what these writers are picketing for, and I believe they deserve Internet and DVD residuals. However, if I have to hear about the premiere of another stupid reality show, I think I’m going to throw the TV out the window.

While some media outlets are reporting that the nearly three-month-long Writers Guild of America strike is very close to ending, others are saying that it’s not even close to being over. The AP has this to say:

An agreement to end the three-month-old Hollywood writers strike could be ready in time to avoid disrupting the Oscars but studios and the union are still haggling over the precise language, two people familiar with the talks said.

The Writers Guild of America bargaining committee and board of directors received updates on the status of informal talks with studio executives, the pair said Monday. They were not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity.

One of the people has said a formal deal is possible by the end of this week.

[From The Associated Press]

Let’s all cross our fingers and hope that’s accurate– although other reports contradict this and say that the strike is still far from over.

Even though most of Hollywood is acting as if the strike is already over, as if the ink just needs to dry on the dotted “i”s and crossed “t”s, the Writers Guild of America’s leadership doesn’t want its membership to exhale just yet.

During today’s upset Giant win, I received this from the WGA’s mailing list:

While fully mindful of the continuing media blackout, we write you to address the rumors and reports that undoubtedly you have been hearing.

The facts: we are still in talks and do not yet have a contract. When and if a tentative agreement is reached, the first thing we will do is alert our membership with an e-mail message. Until then, please disregard rumors about either the existence of an agreement or its terms.

Until we have reached an agreement with the AMPTP, it is essential that we continue to show our resolve, solidarity, and strength.

Picketing will resume on Monday. Our leverage at the bargaining table is directly affected by your commitment to our cause. Please continue to show your support on the line. We are all in this together.

[From Wired Magazine]

The LA Times says that the WGA has been presented with a preliminary contract, but are still waiting for the final version. They also say that not all the members are happy with the contract, including the directors who are WGA members.

However, the directors’ contract sparked heated debate among members of the writers guild.

Last week, one of the guild’s prominent board members, writer-director Phil Alden Robinson (”Field of Dreams”) picked apart several aspects of the directors’ pact.

“It’s my strong conviction that if an unaltered DGA [Directors Guild of America] deal were put before our membership for a vote today, it would fail resoundingly,” Robinson wrote in a blog on the United Hollywood website. “If they insist on trying to shove this deal down our throats without improvements, this strike will not end any time soon.”

Reaction to Robinson’s missive was mixed, with some members supporting his message and others privately blasting him for what they viewed as an inappropriate move for a board member at a crucial juncture in the writers talks.

[From the LA Times]

Right now, the big rush to get a contract approved is to save the Oscars ceremony, scheduled for Feb. 24. I could care less about that– I just want more episodes of “The Office” and “30 Rock.” For all of you out there who are missing shows, let’s hope this agreement can be resolved soon.

Picture note by Celebitchy. Images are of The Writers Guild of America March on Hollywood Boulevard on 11/20/07, thanks to PRPhotos.

The writer’s strike is at an impasse, with studios and the union unable to negotiate a fair settlement for Internet airings of television shows and movies. There was a rumor that talks should be resolved by Christmas, but this was an incorrect story and/or an overly positive one, because the talks have stalled and the latest news is that both sides are nowhere near a compromise. This means that the upcoming awards shows like The Oscars and Golden Globes are likely to be scrapped as many high-profile celebrities will refuse to cross picket lines and most everyone else will follow suit.

The Golden Globes are most likely to go if the strike is still on as they’re scheduled for January 13th. If the strike is still not settled by February 24, the air date for the Oscars, the Oscars won’t be happening this year either:

“Golden Globes? Not happening. Oscars? Not happening.”

That’s the word — or the words — from a Writers Guild insider who knows the score concerning the long-running strike against the studios.

The Guild will, without a doubt, picket the Golden Globes on Jan. 13, my source says. This person knows the business. The Guild also will picket the Oscars, the Spirit Awards and, presumably, the Grammys. They’ll also picket shows such as the People’s Choice Awards.

So far, the WGA has been very effective with picket lines — far more so probably than the studios ever expected. Hollywood already is shut down because of picket lines.

Interestingly, Variety — “the bible” of show business — is taking a subtle pro-studio stand on the strike.

Tuesday night, the publication’s story indicating a Golden Globe picket line made it seem like the physical picketers would be so far from the Hilton that no one would care. Alas, a modern picket line is as virtual as anything else in 2008. If the Writers Guild says it’s boycotting the Globes, its members, and members of other guilds, are highly unlikely to attend.

It’s not just that the Guild turned down requests for waivers from the Hollywood Foreign Press (the Globes, Jan. 13) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars, Feb. 24). That happened on Monday.

According to this high-level source, the Guild will not negotiate a separate deal with Dick Clark Productions, the company that produces the Globes show for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and NBC.

Instead, the Guild will picket the show. And if the strike is still on when Feb. 24 rolls around, the Guild will picket the Oscars, too.

And this means that millions of dollars in advertising spent by the networks and the movie studios will go down the drain. So far, the Hollywood Foreign Press has pretended as if this weren’t happening. But it is.

Jan. 13 is less than a month away. A picket line around the Beverly Hilton Hotel means that big stars like George Clooney and Steven Spielberg will stay away. It’s that simple. And once they’ve announced their intentions not to cross, the rest will follow.

[From Foxnews.com]

I wonder if they’ll carry on with the shows with whomever will attend or if they’ll be scrapped entirely. From the way this story is worded, it sounds like The Golden Globes will probably not happen at all and that the Oscars are at risk depending on how quickly the strike can be settled. The only reason I watch the shows is to see what the stars are wearing as I find the ceremonies incredibly boring, although last year’s Oscars weren’t bad. I can’t say I’ll miss either of those shows and to me it’s more about the effects of the strike on tv and movies.

I live overseas and unfortunately can’t watch US television until the older episodes are shown over here, but ironically I finally scored an invite to Hulu.com, which offers real streaming current TV shows legally on demand. Hulu is put out by NBC and has lots of current shows from NBC, Fox, Bravo, and FX, among others. 30 second commercials are shown in place of full commercial breaks. This is the type of content that the writers want to be paid for, but the studios are holding their ground.

The FoxNews article points out that the studios want to pay the writers almost nothing for Internet broadcasts of their shows. They also say it would cost $150 million for the studios to settle the strike with the Writer’s Guild, which is the cost of one medium budget flop. Instead of giving writers a fair share, they’re refusing to consider the offer. The result will be much more expensive for them as very little content is created for next year and advertising revenue and viewership goes way, way down.

Update: The Peoples’ Choice Awards have been all but canceled, with no press allowed and no red carpet. The event will air partially on CBS on January 8th, most likely to announce the winners.

Well the ever-so-fickle Academy has decided against asking Ellen DeGeneres, last year’s host, back again. Apparently there’s a different producer most every year, and the producer picks the host. So this year’s producer produced 2006’s Academy Awards and wants to go with 2006’s host, Jon Stewart. Stewart as given so-so reviews after his first hosting gig. DeGeneres was apparently considered “too nice” – though I didn’t realize the Academy Awards were supposed to be edgy.

“Jon Stewart will return as host of the Academy Awards. The star of Comedy Centrals ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ will get his second shot at hosting Hollywood’s premiere event, which will be held on Feb. 24 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. He hosted the 78th annual awards show in 2006.

“Stewart was ‘a terrific host’ for that event, Oscar telecast producer Gil Cates said Wednesday, announcing the selection in a statement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The academy didn’t indicate why it decided to go with Stewart after using comedian Ellen DeGeneres this year. ‘I’m thrilled to be asked to host the Academy Awards for the second time because, as they say, the third time’s a charm,’ Stewart joked.

[From the Associated Press]

I didn’t realize hosting the Oscars was such a revolving door situation. I know it’s considered kind of the “be all end all” for a lot of comedians, but I have yet to watch one that didn’t cure my chronic insomnia in 30 minutes flat. But that’s also the reason I haven’t watched one in a few years. I thought Jon Stewart’s humor didn’t really translate from his show to the Oscars. His political humor is funny, but there’s only so much room for it in an awards show format.

“Stewart, a political satirist, injected some political humor into his 2006 performance, taking jabs at the war in Iraq and ribbing Hollywood’s elite about their ties to the Democratic Party. However, some jokes bombed and he got mixed reviews. ‘His usually impeccable blend of puckishness and self-effacement fell flat,’ a review by The Associated Press said, adding he was ‘too deferential, too nice and too obvious in his targets.’

“The 44-year-old Stewart, who also hosted the Grammys in 2001 and 2002, noted the split decision on his own cable TV show the night after the Oscars, saying he had a great time but didn’t know how he did until he saw the reviews.

“‘I sucked and was great!’ he said. ‘I was a painfully smug and unfunny heir to Johnny Carson.’”

[From the Associated Press]

Does anyone else find Hollywood’s obsession with awards kind of annoying? Why is so much congratulation necessary? I guess it’s just the fact that they’re all awarding each other, like it’s some great accomplishment. I think it’s kind of the grown up children in us that want a blue ribbon for doing well at the science fair. Only the science fair involves a lot of low cut strapless dresses and cummerbunds. I don’t even want to tell you what’s in their juice boxes.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Jon Stewart at the Emmy Awards last year. Images thanks to PR Photos.