What do you do when everyone knows the outcome of the choices in a predictable awards season? You bring emotion and humour in the form of presenters and legends.
While Oppenheimer swept the nominations in the big categories — Best Picture, Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Cillian Murphy), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Robert Downey Jr), as well as cinematography, editing and score for a total of seven wins from 13 nominations, the big shock came in the name of Emma Stone for Best Actress for her role in Yargot Lanthimos’s Poor Things.
When Emma Stone’s name was called as Best Actress it produced an audible gasp in the press room. Lily Gladstone had been the front-runner and the sure bet for being the rare Native American nominee for Killers Of a Flower Moon.
Stone, also a producer on Poor Things, received attention at the Golden Globes for enthusiastically applauding Gladstone’s win for that award in the same category, celebrated Gladstone with the words, “Lily, I share this with you. I’m in awe of you.”
The prior winner of this award for La La Land in 2017 took to the stage noting a wardrobe malfunction — closure on the waist detail at the back of her gown appeared to have popped — which she attributed to her enthusiastic response to La La Land’s co-star Gosling’s rendition of I’m Just Ken earlier in the night.
The Oscars had moments of real emotion as prior winners, including South Africa’s own Charlize Theron, called out the names of each nominee in the big categories, with a tribute to their body of work. Many of the nominees teared up while receiving the accolades from previous winners.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph who swept every show including the Oscars for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Holdovers, confessed, “For so long, I’ve always wanted to be different, and now I realise I just need to be myself. I thank you for seeing me,”
Jimmy Kimmel proved an able host, straddling the line of poking the bear without insulting the celebs that packed the auditorium on a warm night after a week of thunderstorms and rain.
The route to the Oscars for the press was affected by protesters who drove cars at low speeds in both lanes slowing traffic, their vehicles emblazoned with the words “Free Palestine”, as they released green-, red- and white-coloured smoke into the air. A crowd of several hundred lined the route and police were a visible presence to ensure the red carpet was not breeched. The juxtaposition of a block of homeless people among garbage strewn tents made the designer gowns and pomp of a ceremony that celebrates the best in entertainment a moment of reflection.
Politics entered the evening with a moving speech from filmmaker Mstyslav Chernov, who declared that he wished he never had the opportunity to shoot his award-winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol. The Ukrainian noted he would exchange his award for “Russia never attacking Ukraine, never occupying our cities”.
Jonathan Glazer, director of Zone of Interest spoke out against the war in Gaza. He referenced that the Holocaust film depicts how dehumanisation “shapes all of our pasts and present”.
“Whether the victims of October 7 in Israel or the ongoing attack in Gaza or the victims of this dehumanisation, how do we resist?”
He added: “We stand here as men who refute their Jewishness and the Holocaust being hijacked by an occupation which has led to conflict for so many innocent people.”
Kimmel, who has had a long-running feud with Donald Trump, responded to the latter’s critique of Kimmel’s hosting duties posted on the former president’s media platform Truth Social, which read: “Has there EVER been a WORSE HOST than Jimmy Kimmel at The Oscars?”
Kimmel read the opening of the post from the stage without completing it fully, instead ending with, “Blah, blah, blah.” Kimmel then ad-libbed. “Make America Great Again.” As the high-octane crowd broke into gleeful laughter and applause, Kimmel closed with “Thank you, President Trump. Thank you for watching. I’m surprised you’re still ... isn’t it past your jail time?”
Hilarity entered the Oscars when John Cena pretended to have second thoughts about paying tribute to the streaker who disrupted presenter David Niven at the 47th Oscar awards in 1974. Cena was ultimately “coaxed” onto the stage to present Best Costume Design, apparently naked but for the large envelope strategically covering his delicate area containing the name of Poor Things’ Holly Waddington as the winner. Of course the former wrestler, Barbie and Argylle actor wasn’t actually naked, donning a skin-toned jock strap undergarment.
In a tribute to the debacle of the wrong winner being announced for Best Picture in 2017, Al Pacino took to the stage and eschewed numerating the “10 wonderful films” that were up for the Oscar — instead cutting straight to Oppenheimer as the winner.
“Only one will take the award for Best Picture and I have to go to the envelope for that and I will. Here it comes,” said Pacino as he opened his envelope and read from a card. “And my eyes see Oppenheimer.”
In the fashion stakes, Zendaya slayed in a metallic Armani Prive gown splashed with pink. Lupita Nyong’o also in Armani Prive, was radiant in a pale blue gown encrusted with crystal beading and feathers. Heralding the end of “Barbie pink”, Margot Robbie donned a metallic black Versace, while Ariana Grande chose a pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture column gown with a gigantic pouffe-sleeved evening coat.
Men were understated and classic with the now traditional diamond brooches very much on display. Ryan Gosling went open shirted in a Gucci suit with sequinned edging to his jacket and matching piping on his shirt and trousers. He brought the audience to its feet with his performance of I’m Just Ken.
America Ferrera, who has taken her look up a notch this award season, didn’t disappoint in a custom-made Versace. Emma Stone wore a column mint Louis Vuitton with flared waist detail. Jennifer Lawrence was a standout in a retro polka dot Christian Dior.
Emily Blunt and hubby John Krasinski stole the show in matching off-white ensembles. Blunt in a shimmering Schiaparelli with floating straps, Krasinski team in cream tux and matching bow tie with a diamond lapel pin, white evening shirt and black shoes. As a political statement some wore orange Artists4Ceasefire pins.
Other memorable quotes:
- Bradley Cooper’s tradition of bringing his mother to award shows: “It’s very sweet, but I guess the question is, how many times can one bring his mom as his date before he is actually dating his mom? Are you working on a movie about Freud right now and not telling us?”
- Robert De Niro and his girlfriend’s 35-year age gap: “In 1976, Jodie Foster was young enough to be Robert De Niro’s daughter. Now, she’s 20 too old to be his girlfriend.”
- Robert Downey Jr, who has become the new Jack Nicholson as a beloved actor sitting up front in the Dolby auditorium and the butt of much attention, endured this quip from the host on his past substance abuse: “This is the highest point of Robert Downey Jr’s long and illustrious career — well, one of the highest points.” As Downey touched his nose, Kimmel went further: “Was that too on the nose, or was that a drug motion you made?”
- To Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling: “Ryan, Margot, I want you to know that even if neither one of you wins an Oscar tonight, you both already won something much more important,” he said. “The genetic lottery.”
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