Hooray for Hollywood. The Academy got it right in the end. Best Director went belatedly to Martin Scorcese.

I don’t know about you but it felt like The Academy were clearing up a mess in the best way they knew how. Scorcese had been overlooked so many times with infinitely superior films that they had to do something special.

So, one of the worst kept secrets of the awards ceremony was let out of the bag when the triumvirate of Copolla, Spielberg and Lucas came out of the wings to present the award. It must have been really disheartening for the other directors in the running for Best Director. “I’ll get my coat” time!

How better to receive your Oscar than from your mates, your contemporaries? It was like the Academy was saying “sorry” for all the past rejections. Even Scorcese displayed a little cynicism when he asked for them to check the name on the card. But like any true Hollywood professional he quickly gave in to the schmaltz and saccharine. Why oh why couldn’t it have been for Raging Bull or Good Fellas or, even, Taxi Driver.

Still, the monkey is off his back now. Let’s hope he continues making superior Hollywood films for many years to come.