Fabian Perez paintings

Fabian Perez paintings
Francois Boucher paintings

With over one billion viewers globally, the Academy Awards draws the biggest viewing figures of any single televised event, making it more than a multimillion-dollar cash bonanza for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The 73rd Annual Academy Awards, which take place tomorrow night, will no doubt throw up a few surprises, although Russell Crowe seems likely to scoop Best Actor for his role in Gladiator.
As Tinseltown gowns up for another night of posing and saccharine speeches, Alastair McKay looks back at the Academy Awards’ habit of leaving truly great performances cruelly unrewarded 'More than merit, the Oscars are about marketing. The prizes sell the idea that Tinseltown is still in pretty good shape.’In a recent interview with the New York Times, to coincide with his Oscar nominations for Traffic and Erin Brockovich, Steven Soderbergh was asked to talk a reporter through one of his favourite films. The idea, similar to the