Five Major Awards Including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress
Adrian Brody Wins Second Best Actor Oscar of His Career
'Emilia Perez' Takes Home Only Two Awards
Director Sean Baker's film 'Anora' won five awards at the Oscars, including the top prize for Best Picture. At the 97th Academy Awards held on the 2nd (local time) at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (LA), USA, it was announced as the winner of Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Editing. It set a record by winning in all nominated categories except for Best Supporting Actor (Yura Borisov).
'Anora' was last year's Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes International Film Festival. The story revolves around a New York stripper who marries a Russian tycoon and faces threats to her marriage from her in-laws. The film was praised for its witty farce that also portrayed the hardships of sex workers and class conflicts. Director Baker has previously highlighted minority communities in America with films such as 'Tangerine' (2018) and 'The Florida Project' (2018).
Upon receiving the trophy, he said, "This film was made with the blood, sweat, and tears of indie artists. I thank the Academy for recognizing independent films," adding, "Independent films will survive for a long time." He continued, "Watching movies in theaters is an important experience these days when the world feels divided," emphasizing, "Let us continue the great tradition of theatrical viewing."
Maiky Madison, who starred in 'Anora,' caused an upset by winning Best Actress over the strong contender Demi Moore. This marks the first time in 12 years since Jennifer Lawrence won Best Actress for 'Silver Linings Playbook' in 2013 that an actress in her 20s has won the Oscar. She said in her acceptance speech, "I grew up in LA, but Hollywood always felt distant. I am amazed to be standing here," and expressed gratitude to the sex worker community.
Actors Maiky Maddison (left) from the movie 'Anora' and Joy Saldana from 'Emilia Perez' are smiling at each other. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Adrian Brody of 'Brutalist' won Best Actor, beating strong contenders such as Timoth?e Chalamet of 'Complete Unknown' and Sebastian Stan of 'Apprentice.' Brody, who became the youngest Best Actor Oscar winner in 2003 for 'The Pianist,' won his second Best Actor Oscar after 22 years. He said, "War and systemic oppression have left trauma, anti-Semitism, racism, and othering," adding, "I pray for a healthier, happier, and more inclusive world. If there is a lesson we can learn from the past, it is not to let hatred go unchecked."
The Best Supporting Actress award went to Zoey Saldana for 'Emilia Perez.' She swept the awards, winning Best Actress at last year's Cannes International Film Festival and this year's Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, as well as the Oscar. The Best Supporting Actor award was given to Kieran Culkin for 'Real Pain.'
'Brutalist,' which was nominated in ten categories, won three awards including Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score. The film 'Dune: Part 2' took home two awards for Sound and Visual Effects. Meanwhile, 'Emilia Perez,' which was nominated in thirteen categories, only won two awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song. Although it was initially expected to sweep major Oscar categories, the situation changed after it was revealed that the lead actress Carla Sofia Gascon had previously posted hateful content on social media.
The Best Animated Feature award went to the Latvian film 'Flow,' and the Best Animated Short award was given to 'Under the Shade of Cyprus.'
Meanwhile, BLACKPINK's Lisa became the first K-pop singer to perform a congratulatory stage. She performed the new song 'Born Again,' which she worked on with American rapper Doja Cat and British singer-songwriter Rae, as well as the theme song from the '007' film series.
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