The awards were polished, the red carpet was unfurled and the biggest names in Hollywood came together to honor the year’s finest achievements in film at the prestigious 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien.
Despite the strong Oscar buzz, it was a disappointing night for blockbuster films “A Complete Unknown,” “Wicked,” and “Dune: Part Two,” with underdogs “A Real Pain” and “Anora” ultimately coming out on top.
The rags to Russian riches Cinderella story, “Anora,” in which a New York stripper falls into a hasty marriage with the reckless son of a Russian oligarch, swept the Oscars winning a staggering five awards. “Anora” took home wins for best picture, best film editing, best director and best original screenplay for Sean Baker, with best actress for breakout star Mikey Madison’s performance as the title character.
Adrien Brody’s performance in the epic period drama “The Brutalist” won him the award for best actor for his portrayal as László Tóth, a Hungarian-Jewish architect who recently assimilated to the United States to escape postwar Europe. Though Brody’s win has been heavily criticized, as the film recently came under fire for its use of artificial intelligence to refine Brody’s Hungarian accent. “The Brutalist” also won Oscars for best original score and best cinematography
Zoe Saldaña secured her first Oscar nomination and win for best supporting actress for her performance as Rita Mora Castro, an undervalued lawyer in “Emilia Pérez,” a musical crime drama. The film has sparked controversy within the LGBTQ+ community for its disparaging representation of the transgender experience and for poorly depicting Mexico. “El Mal,” performed by Saldaña and Karla Sofía Gascón, who plays the title character, secured another win for “Emilia Pérez” for best original song.
Kieran Culkin capped off his impressive awards season run with a Best Supporting Actor win for his role as one half of a dysfunctional and dissonant cousin duo traveling through Poland in Jesse Eisenberg’s comedy-drama “A Real Pain.”
Brazil earned the award for Best International Film with “I’m Still Here,” based on the real-life experiences of Eunice Paiva, played by Fernanda Torres. “I’m Still Here” tells the story of Paiva, a mother and activist, as she confronts the disappearance of her husband, a nonconforming politician, during Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970’s.
“Flow” received the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, a dialogue-free film that follows a black shorthair cat who struggles to survive with only other animals after a disastrous flood leaves the world in a post-apocalyptic state.
The award for Best Adapted Screenplay went to Peter Straughan for “Conclave,” a political thriller based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Robert Harris. “Conclave” stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence as uncovers hidden scandals and shocking revelations while overseeing a secretive papal conclave following the sudden death of the pope.
“Wicked,” the film adaptation of the popular Broadway musical, claimed Oscars for best production design and best costume design, with celebrated costume designer Paul Tazewell accepting. Best make-up and hair styling went to satirical body horror film “The Substance,” an achievement for the horror genre that is notoriously overlooked for prestigious awards. “Dune: Part Two” picked up a modest two awards for best sound and best visual effects, despite projections that the film was a much stronger contender.
“No Other Land” won the Oscar for best documentary feature, a poignant film made by Palestinian activist Basel Adra and Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham that shows the devastating destruction of Palestine’s West Bank caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Best live action short was awarded to I’m Not a Robot, a Dutch-language science fiction drama written and directed by Victoria Warmerdam. Iranian film directed by Hossein Molayemi, “In the Shadow of the Cypress,” won for best animated short, and the Oscar for best documentary short went to musical short “The Only Girl in the Orchestra” directed by Molly O’Brien.
The 97th Academy Awards concluded after a night of celebrating breakout performances, remarkable achievements in film and setting the stage for the even bigger and better films to come out of the industry next year.
