“I do not take tonight for granted”. Those were the words of the man who was the apple of everyone’s eyes at the Academy Awards last night. No, this is NOT a drill, Leonardo Willhelm DiCaprio finally won an Oscar. And our News Feed turned into LeoFeed. But amidst this hurrah we pretty much did not pay much attention to the talented individuals who swept in the Golden Man on the special night. So, to keep you all updated about the winners, here goes the list!
1. Best Feature Film—Spotlight
Tom McCarthy’s masterpiece stole the ‘spotlight’ in it’s true essence as it bagged the best movie at the Oscars. With an ensemble of nominees like Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams, the film explored the deep, veiled abusive institutions of the church in a city exercised solely by religious sentiments and where police and priests are BFFs. A media firm with the name Boston Globe, headed by a Jewish journalist and his team of five, dedicate themselves into exposing the cruel conduct of children in churches in the form of sexual abuse. The film, based on true events, gained rave reviews from audiences and critics alike!
2. Best Actor—Leonardo DiCaprio( The Revenant )
Have you ever felt the anticipation of experiencing something extremely terrible or glorious? That was exactly the entire world last night, as Academy Award winner and presenter Julianne Moore took her piece of time to announce the best actor. The crowd went bonkers and so did the internet. We all were reduced to a sobbing and sniffing Kate Winslet as we watched Leonardo take the stage. With anticipated breaths, we waited for Leo’s memorable speech, and it was truly memorable mainly because he spoke passionately about climate change. Not a hint of arrogance on his face or sweat of nervousness, Leonardo DiCaprio stole the show with his applaud-worthy portrayal in The Revenant, finally putting all the senseless internet memes to rest. It was a night that cinema would always have engraved in it’s memory.
- Best Actress—Brie Larson( Room )
How many actresses have had the honour of bagging their Academy Award in their first nomination? Very few. Brie Larson happens to be one of the stunningly talented few who projected the role of a traumatized young mother with extreme finesse in her movie Room. The movie revolved around a young mother and her son, subjected to sexual abuse and rape, in their isolated apartment, all ties cut off from the real world. Showcasing her extreme gratitude to her little co-star, Jacob Tremblay, a breathless Brie finally reached the stage, and went on to thank a number of people that contributed to the film. What stood out in her words, was the mention of the loyal “moviegoers” and fans who took out time to watch the movie, which immediately made her a fan favourite for the night. Larson also bagged the BAFTA, a Screen Actors, a Golden Globe and an Independent Spirit Award for her flawless portrayal.
- Best Director—Alejandro G. Inarritu( The Revenant )
Alejandro Inarritu very subtly hinted at the racial discrimination, people all over the world had to face, slamming the haters with his prestigious and well-deserved win. “What a great opportunity for our generation to liberate ourselves from the prejudice, and tribal thinking and make sure for once and forever that the color of [our] skin becomes as irrelevant as the length of our hair.” An excerpt from his acceptance speech, became the burning issue of the evening once again. This was Alejandro’s fourth Oscar and his seventh nomination in the Academy Award. Alejandro, in the world of cinema, is widely acclaimed for his raw and rustic perspective, which is clearly seen in his direction. His film, The Revenant, is based on a fur trapper who survives a bear attack and is left to trek the desolate landscape in acetous winter. He expressed his gratitude to Leonardo DiCaprio, for putting his soul, his art and his mind to the film. The famous director is known for his blockbusters, some being—“Biutiful”, “Babel”, “21 Grams”and “Amores Perros”.
- Best Supporting Actor—Mark Rylance( Bridge of Spies )
“I have always just adored stories. Hearing them, seeing them, being in them,” Mark Rylance was quoted for his acceptance speech as he held his Golden Man with the brightest grin. Mark, who had terse competition from Tom Hardy(Revenant), Slyvester Stallone(Creed) and Mark Ruffalo(Spotlight), paved his way from stage acting to cinema. In Steven Spielberg’s historic, cold war thriller, he plays a Soviet spy involved in a dangerous exchange. Mark, who is majorly revered for his stage work, has a limited number of films in his kit, some of his films being—The Other Boleyn Girl and The Gunman. With his grin on an Oscar, he also won the BAFTA. Mark is rumoured to be starring in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming work.
- Best Supporting Actress—Alicia Vikander( The Danish Girl )
If you had the opportunity to watch the piece of brilliance that was reflected in Tom Hooper’s “The Danish Girl”, Gerga Wegener (Alicia Wikander) is spotted recreating Lilli Elbe (Eddie Redmayne) beautifully on the canvas. Alicia Wikander left no stone unturned in bringing to life the character of Gerga, the estranged artist and wife, who leads her own personal battle of acceptance of her husband’s shocking reality. Vikander is quite probably the secret weapon of the film, displaying her brimming emotions with extreme clarity and grace. The Swedish actress who has notably acted in films like Ex Machina and Testament of Youth, has been critics favourite ever since. The 27-year-old actress had a face off with Academy favourite Kate Winslet, but as they say, may the odds ever be in your favour, Alicia!
7.Best Foreign Film—Son of Saul( Hungary )
Lazlo Nemes delivered a beautiful film in form of Son of Saul, a Hungarian drama which revolves around the menace of 1994 Auschwitz, a prisoner, who under crucial circumstances is forced to burn the corpses of his own people, who later finds moral survival in trying to salvage the burnt body of a boy, whom he takes up as his son. The film, very dramatically crafted, has been shot in the time span of only 28 days, making it a 107 minutes long film with 85 shots, each not longer than four minutes. The movie was first shown at the Golden Globes, and directors, actors, all alike gave generous comments regarding the film, which is said to be shot only under natural light. The music score in the film has been kept subtly low, so that the audience fails to notice it at all. The director, Nemes, was ecstatic as he received the award.
8.Best Animated Feature Film—Inside Out
“Inside Out, which takes place mostly in the head of an 11-year-old girl named Riley, is a thrilling return to form for Pixar Animation Studios”, New York Times reviewed as the movie bagged the Academy Award for the best Animation feature, Pixar producers grinned like proud fathers as the creators went up to take the award. The film revolves around the humanistic emotions that an eleven year old girl experiences, with a very real and humorous approach towards it. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, the Oscars is the sole proof that you should! Animated feature films are the one category that is said to have diverse competition, with varieties of genres. Inside Out was the one film that explored a very deep-delved topic with utmost ease.
All in all, Oscars this year, which was surprisingly hosted on the Leap Day of the year, came in with heck load of surprise elements, leaving the fans stunned. This year was dominantly of–Mad Max’s since they bagged awards for six categories and pretty much owning the red carpet. The glowing friendship of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio shone through the entire event, so was John Legend and Chrissy Teigen’s pre-baby excitement.
Priyanka Chopra’s presence cannot be unseen as she was one of the presenters and best-dressed at the awards, and that is again a reminder that Indians excel at everything!
– Gargi Pandey for MTTN
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