With the Academy Awards come and gone, here are my thoughts on the winners, losers, and the show in general.

- Chris Rock’s monologue wasn’t nearly as funny as his in-show material, particularly that bit where he went to a local theater to see what the average moviegoer was watching (i.e., none of the nominated films). Nice Albert Brooks cameo.

- Rock had some funny lines: Renee Zellweger packing on 80 lbs. to play Deacon Jones (Star Jones would have been even funnier, and meaner); you’ll like our next four presenters, Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek; and that Catherine Zeta-Jones gag with Adam Sandler playing off stupid teleprompter banter worked for me.

- Sean Penn proved why he hasn’t been cast in a comedy since that horrible We’re No Angels remake in 1989. Get a sense of humor.

- Did Jay-Z threaten the producer with bodily harm if Beyonce didn’t get to sing all the original song nominees?

- Andrew Lloyd Weber should be exiled to a desert island with Elton John. That would make one hellish reality TV show.

- I thought bringing the nominees together on stage worked fairly well, as opposed to going into the audience to hand out awards, which seemed really low-rent compared to the rest of show.

I’m not sure if Rock will, or should, be back next year. It was clear that he was on a tight leash, along with the rest of show. The only real objective seemed to be “finish on time,” which it still failed to do. My recommendation for next year would be to loosen up before it gets even more stiff and pompous than it already is. Mike Myers as host anyone?

As for the awards themselves…

BEST PICTURE
In any other year, Sideways would be a no-brainer for best film of the year, but it would never win an Oscar because it’s a comedy. But that’s irrelevant thanks to Million Dollar Baby, which was not only the best film of 2004, but one of the best films of the past 10 years.

DIRECTING
Martin Scorsese goes 0-5 (joining Hitchcock), but he really didn’t deserve it for this movie anyway. Clint Eastwood, of all people, has become one of the best storytellers in cinema and delivered his second masterpiece and the best film of the year.

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jamie Foxx won for mimicking Ray Charles so impeccably, it was mistaken for a great performance. Johnny Depp is the best actor working in film today, but Clint Eastwood should have won for handling the most complex role of the bunch and delivering the best performance of his career. Of course, Paul Giamatti could have won had he been nominated. His absence in this category was shameful and the Academy should reconsider its limit of five nominees per category. Usually it’s enough, but not this year.

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Swank, who probably should have lost to Bening in 1999, deserved this one for a transformative role that combined the physical and the emotional into a powerful mix of willpower, loyalty, and love.

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Foxx was better in Collateral than he was Ray in what was essentially a leading role, not a supporting one. But Morgan Freeman rightfully won as much for career achievement as his performance in Million Dollar Baby, which is full of grace and dignity, traits that mark his entire career.

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Katherine Hepburn isn’t gimmicky and stays strong while staying out of DiCaprio’s way. But I would have gone with Virginia Madsen, who emerged from a career spent mostly in B-movies to lend reason and sanity to a cast of malcontents and immature fools.

WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
Charlie Kaufman finally won the golden boy he should have gotten for Being John Malkovich.

WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
It was good to see Sideways win here, thus getting some acknowledgement beyond its nominations.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
If there weren’t an animated category, The Incredibles would have had to be considered for best picture. Shrek 2 was a bit more scattershot in its satire, and the lack of focus made it slightly less entertaining than the original.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
For all its flaws, The Passion of the Christ is a visually stunning piece of filmmaking. From the Garden of Gesthemane to the crucifixion on Calvary, Caleb Deschanel photographed a stunning variety of settings and scenarios with a deftly artistic eye. The Aviator‘s sweep of the non-effects technical awards should have ended here.

MUSIC (SCORE)
The absence of The Incredibles here practically invalidates the award.