Last Night I watched the delayed telecast of the 82nd Annual Oscar Ceremony on the FoxMovie Channel here in Abu Dhabi. What a night..

OK the Red Carpet presenters were really annoying with their plastic performances and air-head questions like "Who are you wearing tonight?" and "What fabulous jewelery you have on, who made it?" It's amazing the Stars put up with it but then again it's a bit of a symbiotic relationshp after all isn't it?

It always a bit startling when you see famous actors and realize how well or how badly they have endured the aging process.  Granted some seek the assistance of the plastic surgeon which can morph them into a younger somebody else and mask the passage of time. Overall it's all a sort of marker to our own mortatlity.

And speaking of mortality it's sad to see the featured "Who died this year" segment and learn about the loss of some very talented people.

Steve Martin and Alex Baldwin were funny and the award ceremony quite entertaining. I loved the references to Meryl Streep's 16 Oscar nominations and the targeting of George Clooney with the bunt of their jokes.

It was also satisfying to see OSCAR nominations going to films that were featured here in Abu Dhabi  during the 2009 MEIFF (Middle East International Film Festival). Great work such as Precious, Burma VJ, The Cove and Food Inc.

What a memorable night. 

Highlights of the 82nd Annual Oscars can be seen at http://oscar.go.com/