After the winter months’ preOscar award shows that loved “Emilia Pérez,” the Oscars surprisingly went in another direction.
It was “Anora,” a tale of an erotic dancer who marries a Russian oligarch that took home Best Picture at the Academy Awards in LA, Sunday. Set in Brooklyn, it was a low budget film made by Sean Baker for $6 million.
The Academy also saluted Baker as Best Director and “Anora” as Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. In addition, the film’s Mikey Madison won Best Actress.
In accepting the Oscar, Baker pleaded the case for people to return to movie theaters. “Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater,” he said. “Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen.”
Among the other notable wins were the Sci-fi film, “Dune: Part Two,” for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects and Adrien Brody as Best Actor in director\ producer Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” a period piece about a Holocaust survivor.
“I’m here once again to represent the lingering traumas and the repercussions of war and systematic oppression and of antisemitism and racism and ‘othering,’” said Brody who won Best Actor 22 years ago for “The Pianist.”
“I pray for a healthier and happier and more inclusive world. If the past can teach us anything it’s to not let hate go unchecked, he added to great applause.
Much applause and a standing ovation happened between awards when representatives of the first responders from the LA wildfires took the stage.
In other presentations Best Supporting Actress was awarded to Zoe Saldaña in “Emila Pérez” and Best Supporting Actor to Kieran Culkin in “A Real Pain.”
Also, Best International Feature went to “I‘m Still Here,” Best Adapted Screenplay went to “Conclave,” Best Original Song went to “El Mal (Emilia Pérez), Best Documentary Feature went to “No Other Land,” and Best Costume Design went to “Wicked.”
In all, it was a delightful, memorable night that would be fun to watch on tape.
Jodie Jacobs