I'd like to brake a lance to the fact that those VMA's might not be the best choice for a review, as you can hardly review the actual "performance" of who won what in which category. This is all subject to personal taste, and money, and who paid for what award... you know the drill.
That would be like reviewing the Acadamy Arwards ceremony over who won what, and this would lead to an absolute subjective and thus pointless review.
That being said, I don't give a damn about who won what this night. But I must stress, that at those 2011 MTV Music Video Awards were at least two major performances which I deeply recommend to watch.
I want to review this from the standpoint of an entertaining overall broadcast. And boy, did Lady Gaga open this show with a stunning performance. Which goes hand in hand with an incredible well thought producing. Having herself dress as a man with a self-deprecating monologue, collapsing in a great musical performance including Bernie May, Gaga slipping of the piano, dancing, great editing and a great sound for a live performance, is everything you can wish for your casual award evening.
Credits go to director Hamish Hamilton, which I - to leave a neutral review - admit to adore as a live director, and who captures all this in his usual effortless and entertaining way.
Especially the following act by Adele struck my search pattern on Youtube several times. The heartwarming song "Someone Like You" captured in a one-shot, wide-angle, dead-slow-moving Steadicam-shot is a second to non venture on an award show like this. Every other director would probably have cut this performance to bits and pieces with close-ups and stuff.
So.. put aside the actual award ceremony (and to be frank, no one should care about it anyway) those performances alone will give you 16 minutes combined of excellent entertainment. And that is a rare good nowadays, Award-Show or not.
Cheers.
