One of the most emotional moments of the ceremony was the presentation of the award for best documentary feature to the film “Navalny” by Canadian director Daniel Roer. The family of the main Russian opposition leader and his associates, as well as the director, took the stage.
Yulia, Navalny’s wife, who is languishing in a Russian prison, gave a heartfelt short speech, thanking the film academy and wishing her husband a speedy release.
As predicted by insiders, the biggest haul, 7 golden statuettes, went to the eccentric black comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once. It was named best film of the year, ahead of its closest competitor, the realistic war drama All Quiet on the Western Front. The director duo of the “two Dances” – Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert was named the best in the category “best director”. Oscar for the same film was also received by actress Michelle Yeoh.
For the best supporting roles, Jamie Lee Curtis and Ke Huy Kwan were rewarded. In addition, this image is awarded for the best original screenplay and the best editing. Thus, the tape, which many critics consider marginal and light, has become a triumph of the current cinematic season and makes think of a certain revaluation of values in the American cinematographic community. At the center of the plot “Everything everywhere and at once” is the conflict between the Chinese Americans, the owners of the laundromat and the agent of a powerful tax service. Beginning as a diabolical social satire, the story unexpectedly veers into the gonzo genre, where characters rush between different cosmic dimensions and settle things with the help of stylized kung fu.
Critics consider the victory of the film “two Dans”, which “lit up” during the ceremony, as a triumph for the independent studio A24, which managed to turn the strange and chaotic tape and bring in around $ 100 million to the box office, which is a record amount for a film of this caliber.
“Everything Everywhere” directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert
The ceremony was also a celebration for fans of Asian cinema, who had every reason to congratulate their idols, in particular Michelle Yeoh. She became the first Asian woman to win an Oscar in the Best Actress category. Michelle Yeoh is a veteran of martial arts films, including Crouching Tiger’s martial arts masterpiece, Hidden Dragon.
Brendan Fraser, as expected, won Best Actor for Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. His character is an obese, gay, reclusive college professor who attempts to mend his relationship with his adult daughter, who is offended by him. Analysts note that Fraser performed an acting feat, using special devices, makeup, and an undesirable diet, to accumulate layers of fat on his body and face, literally making him a whale man.
Academicians noted this image “Oscar” and for the work of makeup artists. Upon receiving the award, Frazier was visibly worried. “I started my career in this business 30 years ago,” he said. “And those years weren’t easy for me.” He thanked Aronofsky for “throwing him a lifeline and carrying him on board”.
Many were somewhat perplexed by the absence of Aronofsky, who masterfully settled into the bedroom of the hero’s apartment, and All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger, who masterfully combined close-ups of soldiers with epic battle scenes, among the nominees for Best Director. But perhaps the record holder for the abundance of emotions and tears was a native of Saigon, Ke Hugh Kwan. Years ago he made his film debut as a 12-year-old boy in Spielberg’s adventure epic Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and now, after a lifelong hiatus, he’s returned in the cinema and won an Oscar. “My journey started on a boat,” he said. “I spent a year in a refugee camp and ended up in Hollywood. They say stories like this only happen in movies. I can’t believe this is happening to me. is the American dream.”
When Harrison Ford, as presenter, opened the envelope and announced the main winner of the ceremony – the “two Dan” band, Kwan ran to the stage and threw himself on Ford’s neck, with whom they played Indiana Jones together.
Daughter of Hollywood nobility Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis, Jamie Lee Curtis saturates the image of the tax inspector in the winning tape with colors so bright and convincing that most academics voted for her, not Cate Blanchett. , as always brilliant, in Todd Field’s psychological drama “Tar” (Tar). However, apparently the fact that Blanchett already has two Oscars also affected. Considerations of fairness and insignia balance often become decisive for scholars in particularly difficult cases. Curtis dedicated his award to “everyone who has supported the genre film I’ve been in for all these years” and also paid tribute to his family history in the entertainment industry. She recalled that her mother and father received Oscar nominations.
“And so I won the Oscar,” the actress said in a trembling voice.
The winning actors Ke Huy Kwan, Michelle Yeoh, Brendan Fraser and Jamie Lee Curtis
All Quiet on the Western Front, the first German film adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel, won four Oscars, including Best International Film (formerly called “Best Foreign Language Film”). Cinematographer James Friend’s multi-faceted visual concept and composer Volker Bertelman’s eerie “post-modern” soundtrack leave a strong impression. They earned awards in their categories, as did the production designer for this image, Christian Goldbeck.
Canadian director Sarah Polley’s gritty feminist retrodrama Women Talking picked up the award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
There were no surprises in the animation category. Here, Guillermo del Toro triumphed with the latest stop motion musical version of Pinocchio. The ceremony underdogs among the nominees who failed to live up to their fans’ expectations were Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans, Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin and Todd Field’s Tar.
The host of the ceremony, Jimmy Kimmel, carried out this important mission for the third time. His jokes were mostly sweet and kind, but of course he couldn’t ignore last year’s high-profile scandal when actor Will Smith ran out of the room on stage and punched host Chris Rock. , who unsuccessfully joked about Smith’s appearance. wife, actress Jada Pinkett-Smith. “If anyone in this audience commits an act of violence during the show,” Kimmel said, “they will receive the Academy Award for Best Actor and be allowed to give a 19-minute speech.” The host hinted that after the slap, Smith received an Oscar and gave a lengthy speech.
Observers recall that last year the worldwide audience for the broadcast of the ceremony on ABC television was 16.6 million viewers, the second worst result in the history of the Oscars. For comparison: in 2014, the ceremony was watched by 43 million viewers.
