Oscars overview 2009: and the Ailee goes to...

...Kate Winslet for Best Dressed Female (Anne Hathaway and Penelope Cruz get my runner-up nods).

...Hugh Jackman for Best Dressed Male.

...Mr. and Mrs. Robert Downey Jr. for Best Dressed Couple.

...the Kodak Theater interior for Best Makeover (mad props to the guys behind this year's stage design for brilliantly transforming the huge theater into an intimate venue with a posh ballroom feel).

...for Best Move: transferring the orchestra from the pit to the stage, bandstand style.

...Hugh Jackman for Best Oscars Host since Billy Crystal (g'job, mate!).

...Tina Fey and Steve Martin for Most Hilarious Presenters.

...for Best New Gimmick: previous Oscar winners delivering personal tributes to introduce the acting nominees (and to reduce the Best Supporting Actress contenders to weepy wrecks).

...for Best Courtesy: the orchestra NOT rudely cutting short acceptance speeches with that annoying please-wrap-up music.

...Baz Luhrmann for the Sportsmanship Award, for directing a fabulous musical production number for an award-giving body that doesn't seem to appreciate his work as a director (remember Moulin Rouge, the incredible self-directing Best Picture nominee?).

...John Legend for Best Pinch Hitter (suck on that, drama queen Peter Gabriel).

...Dev Patel for Best I'm-Just-Thrilled-To-Be-Here Expression.

...Anne Hathaway for Best Person to Seat in the Front Row (not only did she make a disarmingly charming "plant" for Hugh Jackman's opening number, she was also grinning broadly, applauding warmly, laughing gaily, or welling up with tears whenever the camera zoomed in on her).

...Philippe Petit, subject of Best Documentary Feature Man on Wire, for Best Oscar Acceptance Stunt.

...Ben Stiller, for Best Gag of the Evening (spoofing Joaquin Phoenix's dazed and confused-- and heavily bearded-- guest appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman).

...Zac Efron's agent for Best Deal Wrangled for a Client (Zac got to perform AND present).

...Jennifer Aniston's agent for Best Way to Publicly Humiliate a Client (i.e. make her present an award with Brangelina sitting right under her nose in the very first row).

...whoever made Miley Cyrus and her horrifically hideous dress disappear for the rest of the evening, for Best Public Service.

...Kate Winslet's father for Best Audience Participation (obliging his daughter with a whistle to help her find him and her mum in the crowd from the stage as she delivered her acceptance speech for Best Actress).

...Heath Ledger's family for Best Composure, accepting the Best Supporting Actor Oscar on Heath's behalf without breaking down even when there wasn't a dry eye in the audience.

...me, for winning our Oscar betting pool this year. Yay me! (I dedicate this win to John Tan, who burned me copies of almost all the Oscar-nominated movies this year-- the preparation did help!)