The Oscars spotlights well deserved films
The 97th Academy Awards took place earlier this month at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, highlighting the incredible, and not-so incredible pieces of film that have been produced this past year. This year had many shocking nominations, ranging from culture-based musicals to religious dramas, and there was a shock at every turn.
Conan O’Brien, American television personality and comedian, hosted the Oscars this year, using self-deprecating humor and a strong presence to draw in viewers at home. His jokes were witty and timeless, mixing in political and theatrical humor to poke fun at himself and the Karla Sofia Gascón controversy, where the star in nominated musical “Emilia Perez” had recently been dragged online for racist and Islamaphobic tweets. His presence brought the event together and supported the actors all the way through the nominations.
There were many nominations for best actress and best actor, and lots of talk of who would get what. For best actress in a leading role the nominees were: Mikey Madison for “Anora,” Fernanda Torres for “I’m Still Here,” Demi Moore for “The Substance,” Karla Sofia Gascón for “Emilia Perez,” and Cynthia Erivo for “Wicked.” There was immense tension and talk between Mikey Madison and Demi Moore for best actress, and the speculations online tore the internet apart. Ultimately, Mikey Madison took home the award that night for her dynamic role as a sex worker who falls in love with a Russian oligarch. From her previous roles in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and the “Scream” renditions, she has been a part of this industry since 2013, but the gritty drama showcased her talent.
The strongest leading male nominations were: Adrien Brody for “The Brutalist,” Timothée Chalamet for “A Complete Unknown,” Coleman Domingo for “Sing Sing,” Ralph Fiennes for “Conclave” and Sebastian Stan for “The Apprentice.” With so many strong movies, the audience knew it would be a difficult decision to make. All actors put in so much hard work into their movies, but there was controversy over some of the ethical practices between AI and movie making in Adrien Brody’s nomination for “The Brutalist.” For Brody to perform as authentic a Hungarian dialect as possible, “The Brutalist” team resorted to utilizing AI technology. A widespread community online found this unfair as Brody took home the award that night. The argument against Brody was that the use of AI diminishes physical jobs and contact within the film and movie-making industry. Regardless, he took home the award for his strong and complex role in the brutalist.
The supporting actors are just as important in a film than the leading ones, and Zoe Saldana and Kieran Culkin all won best supporting actress and actor. Kieran Culkin’s recognition is important as he has been working in this industry since he was a little boy, acting side-by-side with his brother Macaulay Culkin. Though he has been acting for many years, he rose to real fame from his show “Succession,” a deadpan comedy about familial relationships. Similarly to Kieran Culkin, Zoe Saldana has been in many movies, yet is most commonly known for her role in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” “Emilia Perez” is a 2024 Spanish-language French musical about a Mexican cartel leader transitioning into a woman with the help of a lawyer to escape their past. The movie had a lot of controversy surrounding the leading actress Sophia Gascón, as an inappropriate tweet surfaced recently, in addition her attitude towards the cast and crew members was disrespectful. The movie was not well-liked by the general population and was meant for a very specific audience and that was very telling. Both actors did an incredible job in their own way, showcasing their skills.
The night was full of dramatic speeches like Brody’s 15-minutes on stage and amazing upcoming shows with actors, directors and writers taking home awards they deserved.
Out of all of the fantastic nominated films,actors and actresses. “Anora” swept the Academy Awards, winning five of the six awards it was nominated for. It won best actress, best screenplay, best editing and best feature film. After watching the movie, it really showcases the effort the director, Sean Baker, put into working on this film, and the general population agrees that these awards were well deserved.
