[ad_1]
There was talk of war: past conflicts and the current ones – and pleas for peace. There was a painful reminder of the recent death of Alexei Navalny. There were protests in front of the Dolby Theater, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. And there was also a bit of election year politics from host Jimmy Kimmel.
But Oscar awards Television broadcasting is always a chaotic mix of moods and tones, and so even on a night dominated by somber themes, where the academy crowned a film about the atomic bombThere was also a jolt of joyful silliness when Ryan Gosling took the stage (with a bunch of fellow Kens) to sings “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie” causing what could only rightly be called “Ken-demonium”. Ken may not have his own house in Barbie Land, but this was certainly his.
The night, however, did not belong to “Barbie” but to her partner in the cultural and marketing phenomenon known as “Barbenheimer”. Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” won seven Oscars and cemented Nolan’s place in Hollywood history. The film’s haul also included a satisfying win for Nolan’s longtime collaborator Cillian Murphy, who won best actorand an emotional victory for Robert Downey Jr., his first Oscar in a career of ups and downs.
Those wins were expected, but there were still some surprises. In the tightest race, Emma Stone won her second Oscar for her wildly inventive performance in “Poor Things,” a victory that denied Lily Gladstone the chance to make history as the first Native American to win an Oscar.
And lest anyone forget that this is an election year, Kimmel, back for the fourth time, took the stage at the end of the show to read a critical social media post from Donald Trump.
“Thank you for watching,” said Kimmel, an enthusiastic critic of the former president. “Haven’t you already spent your time in jail?”
More of the night’s notable moments:
A LATE START…
Viewers who tuned in at the beginning may have been stumped to find commercials. When he walked in, Kimmel noticed that the show was already five minutes late. His monologue was perhaps a little sarcastic: Maybe it’s okay to joke about the length of “Killers of the Flower Moon” (as long as you can drive to Oklahoma and solve the case yourself), but maybe it’s less okay to joke about a movie. about the Holocaust is considered “romantic comedy” material in Germany. Still, he warmed hearts by introducing beloved dog Messi from “Anatomy of a Fall” and earned a standing ovation when he brought out film crews and truck drivers, praising them for refusing to cross the picket line during recent labor strikes by actors and writers. .
BUT THEN A KILLER SPEECH
After 30 minutes only one prize had been awarded, but fortunately it was Da’Vine Joy Randolph. She had always been the favorite to win best supporting actress for “The Holdovers,” but she brought many to tears with a moving speech about her path to victory. “For a long time I always wanted to be different,” Randolph said. “And now I realize that I just need to be myself.” She thanked a mentor and said, “when I was the only black girl in that class, you saw me and told me I was enough.” And she thanked her publicist, saying she knew that was unusual “but you don’t have a publicist like I have a publicist!” Randolph added toward the end: “I pray to God I can do this more than once.” Listen Listen.
DOWNEY JR. THANK YOU ‘MY TERRIBLE CHILDHOOD’
Downey Jr. Victory as supporting actor for “Oppenheimer” Perhaps it was expected too, but that didn’t make his speech any less moving. It was his third nomination in a long Hollywood career marked by ups and downs. “I’d like to thank my terrible childhood,” Downey said, pausing, “and the academy, in that order.” He acknowledged that he had “needed this job more than he needed me,” and thanked not only Nolan but also his stylist, his publicist and, finally, his longtime entertainment lawyer, who spent half of that time “trying to make sure.” – a reference to a series of arrests on drug charges and a year in prison that followed Downey’s first Oscar nomination 30 years ago.
A DRAMATIC CALL FOR PEACE IN UKRAINE
Associated Press journalist Mstyslav Chernov, accepting the Oscar for best documentary by the burning “20 days in Mariupol” He proudly noted that it was the first Oscar in the history of his country, Ukraine. He said he was honored, but then added: “I’ll probably be the first director on this stage to say I wish I’d never made this movie. I wish I could trade this for Russia never attacking Ukraine.” The film, a first-person account of the early days of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, was a joint production of AP and PBS’s “Frontline,” with awards going to Chernov, producer-editor Michelle Mizner and producer Raney Aronson . Rath. Chernov called on Russia to stop aggression in Ukraine. “We can make sure that history is righted and that the truth prevails, and that the people of Mariupol and those who have given their lives will never be forgotten,” he said. “Because cinema forms memories and memories form history.”
AND IN GAZA
Jonathan Glazer’s “The Hot Spot” may be about World War II (a chilling depiction of a Nazi commander’s family living next to the Auschwitz death camp), but the writer-director talked about a current war when accepting his Oscar for best international film. “Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst,” Glazer said, before addressing the conflict in Gaza. “Right now we stand here as men who refute their Judaism and the Holocaust held hostage by an occupation that has driven so many innocent people into conflict,” he said. “Whether it is the victims of October 7 in Israel or the current attack on Gaza, all the victims of this dehumanization, how do we resist?”
A SAD REMINDER
“If they decide to kill me, it means that we are incredibly strong.” Those words from Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, began the in memoriam segment, a devastating reminder of his death last month in a Russian prison. Navalny was subjected to Last year’s winning documentary, “Navalny,” and his wife went on stage that night and spoke directly to him: “Alexei, I am dreaming of the day when you will be free and our country will be free,” Yulia Navalnaya had said. Stay strong, my love.”
EMMA STONE TRIUMPHS, HER DRESS NOT SO MUCH
Many were anticipating a historic victory for Gladstone for her subtle and moving work as an Osage wife in “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Gladstone would have become the first Native American to win an Oscar and had won several precursor awards, but it was Stone’s masterfully physical comedic performance in “Poor Things” that won, with the actress making some history of her own as one of the few. her to win the best actress category several times, and at only 35 years old. Stone told Gladstone that he shared the prize with her. She also confessed to the crowd that she had a “torn” dress, a back that had unraveled, apparently during the highest energy moment of the night…
TONIGHT, KEN WAS MORE THAN HAPPY
…namely, the deliciously raucous performance of “I’m Just Ken,” in which Gosling proved once again that he can do almost anything (drama, action, comedy, song and dance) without breaking a sweat. It was a moment long awaited by “Barbie” fans and, well, practically everyone, and it did not disappoint. Gosling, dressed in shocking pink and sequins, began his performance in the audience, singing in the ear of his co-star Margot Robbie, and then made his way to the stage, where he was joined by Mark Ronson, executive producer of the “Barbie” soundtrack. , and a group of dancing Kens, including Simu Liu. The surprise guest was Slash on guitar, but the best moment was when Gosling came down to the front row to sing with a delighted Greta Gerwig, Robbie and America Ferrera, who sang with him: “I’m just Ken and I’m!” And I am excellent at making things!” Yes, he was great at making things.
NOLAN’S ‘INCREDIBLE JOURNEY’
Like many of the night’s awards. Nolan’s win for best director (and best picture for “Oppenheimer,” along with his wife, producer Emma Thomas), may have been a foregone conclusion. But it was still exciting to watch the coronation of a filmmaker that many thought was long overdue. Upon winning his first Oscar as a director, Nolan, 53, stated that cinema is just over a hundred years old. “Imagine being there for 100 years dedicated to painting or theater,” Nolan said. “We don’t know where this incredible journey goes from here. But knowing that you think I’m a significant part of this means the world to me.”
___
For more coverage of the 2024 Oscars, visit