Things I love: Right chuffed for Falling Slowly
Not only didn’t I win an Oscar again this year — in truth, I’m not sure I was even nominated — but I didn’t get to watch the broadcast. Still, I’m thrilled to bits to learn that Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova won Best Original Song for the gorgeous, melancholy “Falling Slowly” from the lovely, melancholy uber-indy flick Once. I’m such a sucker for the little guy (and gal, in this instance) winning bi and it’s really nice to see “real” independent musicians and singer-songwriters triumphing over manufactured Hollywood power ballads and Disney Instant Soundtrack Hints.
Although I didn’t actually think that the Academy Awards performance of the song was the best (I caught it today on YouTube), with the full orchestra treatment overshadowing the spare ballad’s simple beauty, I thought that Glen Hansard’s acceptance speech was sweet and genuine. Even classier was John Stewart’s bringing Marketa Irglova back after the break to give her acceptance speech after she was cut off by the orchestra. Well played, Stewart. Well played. (Both Hansard and Irglova’s acceptance speeches are in this clip from, yep, YouTube.)
1 comment February 25th, 2008
