Were it not for the red carpet arrivals, which is the best appetizer you can ask for on Oscar night, the entire show would have been a drag.

It was an excessively long telecast largely filled with trips down memory lane given that Oscar turned 80. And we felt the pains of ageing- forgetting which trophy had been handed out every 15 minutes, which categories were called and already handed out and which were to come. Then it was falling asleep and waking up only to realise the show was not yet over. Sure Jon Stewart was Jon Stewart and he kept things alive with a string of wisecracks, but how much could he really have done.

Honestly, it was too much and from the reports that followed the telecast, it seemed we were not the only ones who thought so. This year’s television ratings were the lowest in recent times forcing the critics to ask whether the Oscars should go reality style on us. Kind of like American Idol and let the public pick the winners.

Just imagine, Julie Christie being honoured for her heart-breaking role in Away from her and stealing the thunder from France’s Marion Cotillard, who, though we have not seen the film, is said to have embodied her role to perfection in La Vie en Rose and pulled off an undeniably uncanny impersonation of French singer, Edith Piaf.

And we would have been raising our glasses to Cate Blanchett for her stunning portrayal of Bob Dylan in I’m Not There as opposed to Brit, Tilda Swinton for Michael Clayton. Come on the woman is simply untouchable. We would not go further as the outcomes in the other major categories likely would have been the same: Javier Bardem No Country for Old Men; Daniel Day-Lewis There Will be Blood and the Coen Brothers, Best Director for ‘No Country