Welcome to the Oscars....

Billy Crystal was there but wasn't hosting. WTF
         The time he was on stage was easily the best part of the night,
         though Kirk Douglas was also pretty awesome.
Anne Hathaway on some crazypants uppers? WTF
         I get it, you're hosting the Oscars, it's a big deal but seriously
         you totally ruined it for yourself by not being able to settle
         the fuck down. It was just awkward.
On the other hand you had a seemingly stoned James Franco
         ...dressed briefly as Marilyn Monroe, WTFranco.
         I don't think he made a single facial expression. It was like
         watching a Nicolas Cage movie (AKA extremely bland).

I wish I could say that they ended up balancing each other out but it was just like watching one of those car accidents where no damage is actually done to either car but the drivers are still yelling at each other. Confusing, awkward and a little irritating. As a friend of mine accidentally suggested, Snooki could have done a better job hosting, or if not better, at least it would have been funny to watch her make an ass out of her shameless self.

As for the actual awards, I have no complaints. Inception managed to be the movie to take home the most awards, so that was an exciting surprise.  Natalie Portman got her well-deserved Oscar. She essentially played two characters in a physically and emotionally taxing role and I can't think of any single other person that could have done what she did in that part.  I don't care what people say about Annette Benning "deserving" it.  Just because you've been nominated a certain number of times doesn't entitle you to get one honorarily, especially when your movie was just ohk.  Loved the message and the screenplay just thought that Mark Ruffalo and the kids were the best part (but that might be because I'm a bit biased against Julianne Moore, I just don't like her).  If anyone else should have come close to beating Natalie Portman, it should have been Michelle Williams, because what she did in Blue Valentine was beautiful.  I think all the other awards were pretty much givens, though I can't ever guess the documentary ones (and I actually do watch them, mostly).

Next year, please, please, please, bring back someone who's actually funny and entertaining without a specified script, and this is coming from someone who really enjoys both James Franco and Anne Hathaway as actors.