Anora, The Brutalist win big at 97th Academy Awards with five and three wins, respectively

Sean Baker’s Anora, a movie about a sex worker who marries the pampered son of a Russian oligarch, won big at the 97th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, as it took home five Oscars, including Best Picture. Sean Baker, the maverick behind Anora, won for producing, directing, editing and writing the film’s screenplay.

His latest film was a favourite with critics and its Oscar success is a statement-making moment for Neon, the indie distributor behind Anora, which previously guided Parasite to a best picture statue in 2020. However, having earned $40 million globally, Anora also ranks as one of the lowest grossing Best Picture winners in history.

Best of the best

Adrien Brody and Mikey Madison took the top acting honours. Brody, a previous winner for The Pianist, played a brilliant, but troubled architect in The Brutalist, while Madison scored an upset victory for her portrayal of an exotic dancer under pressure to get an annulment.

Madison said, “I grew up in Los Angeles, but Hollywood always felt so far away from me, so to be here, standing in this room today is really incredible.” She went on to pledge her support to the sex worker community, calling herself, ‘an ally’. Brody’s win, one of three prizes for The Brutalist, came after a series of setbacks had seen him shunted aside by the movie business. “Acting is a very fragile profession ,” Brody, who had to hand his gum to his partner Georgina Chapman before taking the stage, said. “No matter where you are in your career, no matter what you’ve accomplished, it can all go away. And I think that what makes this night most special is the awareness of that. And the gratitude that I have to still do the work that I love.”

A Real Pain star Kieran Culkin was named best supporting actor for his turn as a troubled man on a tour of Poland with his cousin, while Zoe Saldana won best supporting actress for her performance as an attorney who helps a cartel leader undergo gender affirmation surgery in Emilia Pérez.

With tears streaming down her face, Saldana declared herself ‘a proud child of immigrant parents’. “I am the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award, and I know I will not be the last,” she added.

Among other major winners, I’m Still Here, a family drama set during Brazil’s military dictatorship, was named best international feature. It made history as it was the first time the country had ever won an Oscar.

Flow, a fantasy adventure from Latvia about a cat’s efforts to survive a flood, picked up best animated feature over the likes of The Wild Robot and Inside Out 2. And No Other Land, a look at the Israeli government’s efforts to force Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank, won best documentary despite struggling to get distribution.

Top draw

Best Picture: Anora

Best Actor: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Best Actress: Mikey Madison, Anora

Best Director: Sean Baker, Anora

Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Best International Film: I’m Still Here

Best Documentary Feature: No Other Land

Best Animated Film: Flow

Lisa dons Rahul Mishra’s outfit

Lisa of popular K-pop group Blackpink wore an outfit by Indian designer Rahul Mishra for her musical tribute to James Bond at the Academy Awards. Lisa, who is a rapper in Blackpink, created history by becoming the first K-pop idol to take the Oscars centrestage for a performance on the song Live and Let Die from the 1973 James Bond film of the same name.

Namaskar from the host

Indian viewers were in for a surprise when host Conan O’Brien greeted them in Hindi. “For those of you watching from India, I want to say Bharat ke logon ko namaskar wahan subah ho chuki hai toh mujhe ummeed hai ki naashte ke saath Oscars kar rahe hain (greetings to the people of India, it’s morning there, so I hope you’re having breakfast with the Oscars)” he said.