award season
The award season came to an exuberant crescendo on Sunday night when the stars of the big screen gathered in Hollywood for the 92nd Academy Awards.
The evening belonged very vehemently to Parasite, the black comedy that has been gathering accolades throughout the season. The South Korean film walked away with four trophies, winning not just the Best Picture honour but also earning the coveted golden statuettes in the Director (Bong Joon-ho), Original Screenplay, and International Feature Film categories. Sam Mendes’s critically acclaimed 1917 also enjoyed some success, but mostly in the technical departments (Sound Mixing, Cinematography, and Visual Effects).
There were no surprises in the acting categories. The four victors – Joaquin Phoenix (Best Actor), Renée Zellweger (Best Actress), Brad Pitt (Best Supporting Actor), and Laura Dern (Best Supporting Actress) – were all widely predicted to win.
The ceremony – conducted sans a host for the second year in a row – featured many memorable moments. Here’s a look at what went down.
Janelle Monáe’s opening performance
The show began with a gloriously bizarre number by the wonderful Janelle Monáe, who “celebrated the art of storytelling” with a performance that featured references to several movies. Beginning with a tune inspired by A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood before transitioning to ‘Come Alive’ with Billy Porter, the singer celebrated the world of cinema, applauded female directors, gave a mention to Black History Month, and invited her famous cohorts to sing along. It was an energetic, if weird, start to the show, and by the end of the outlandish piece, it did feel a bit like the Oscars were interrupting a Monáe gig.
Steve Martin and Chris Rock’s monologue
In the absence of a host, the duties to deliver the opening (non-)monologue fell on the legendary Steve Martin and Chris Rock, who took shots at everything from Hollywood’s diversity issues to Jeff Bezos’ wealth. The comedians, both of whom have hosted the ceremony in the past, also lamented their demotion to presenters this year. Seeing how good they were, maybe having a host next time wouldn’t be a bad idea after all.
Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig’s witty display of dramatic chops
If the Academy Awards are indeed in search of a host for the next ceremony, then they might want to consider the delightful Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig, who humorously used their presenting gig as a platform to audition in front of the many directors present at the gathering, showing off their dramatic skills by pretending to storm off in a rage, tearing up, and singing. In a bid to prove they do “more than comedy”, the actresses showed us just how terrific they are at their comedic craft.
Eminem’s surprise appearance
No one may be entirely certain why Eminem showed up at this year’s Oscars, but his surprise appearance did turn out to be a treat and also earned him a standing O. The rapper came onstage after a montage celebrating the music in films, and performed ‘Lose Yourself’, his Oscar-winning song from the 2002 film 8 Mile.
International Elsas
Idina Menzel and singer Aurora were joined by nine of the world’s Elsas – that is, nine women who have voiced the character of Elsa in different countries/languages – for a rendition of ‘Into the Unknown’ from the Frozen II soundtrack. It wasn’t the most seamless performance, but it did stand out for its concept, and the nod to both the international artists and viewers was surely admirable.
Billie Eilish’s performance
Fresh off her conquest of the Grammys, teen singer Billie Eilish took to the Oscars stage to perform a cover of the Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ for the In Memoriam segment. Accompanied by her brother Finneas on piano, the singer delivered a touching, sombre rendition of the Fab Four classic, as the film fraternity took a moment to remember all the men and women that the industry lost during the last year.
Kobe Bryant featured prominently in the segment, which opened with his picture alongside his quote, “Life is too short to get bogged down and be discouraged. You have to keep moving. You have to keep going. Put one foot in front of the other, smile and just keep on rolling.”
Joaquin Phoenix’s acceptance speech
After receiving his Best Actor trophy, living legend Joaquin Phoenix took the opportunity to talk about injustice, highlighting in particular the plight of animals and humanity’s disconnect from the natural world, imploring the audience to reconsider our egocentric world view in the process. It was raw and heartfelt, and ended with a tip of the hat to his late brother, River. A well-deserved standing ovation followed.
Also notable was the acceptance speech of Best Supporting Actor Brad Pitt who was as witty and charming as he has been throughout the award season. Best Actress award winner Renée Zellweger’s rambling speech, on the other hand, was memorable for a whole other reason, and a gloomy reminder that the legendary entertainer she portrayed for her winning role never won an Academy Award in her own right.
Parasite’s victory
In what feels like much-needed course correction following the Green Book controversy last year, the Academy bestowed its highest honour on a non-English language film for the first time in Oscar history. South Korean dark comedy Parasite was the night’s biggest winner, which might be seen as an upset given the momentum with which 1917 entered the race, but which wasn’t exactly a surprise to anyone who was following the predictions; those in the know (including Rotten Tomatoes) had been forecasting a Parasite triumph all along. The victory of Bong Joon-ho and his team was nothing short of historic, and what it represents for inclusion and diversity is, in itself, a reason to celebrate.
- Sameen Amer
Instep Today, The News International - 5th February, 2020
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