The 96th iteration of Hollywood’s most self-congratulatory evening, the Academy Awards, took place on March 10th, 2024, amidst large controversy. Outside of the Dolby Theater in downtown Los Angeles, Pro-Palestine protesters stood outside the venue, calling for a ceasefire. This topic reverberated through several speeches and red-carpet interviews, with numerous nominees proudly sporting buttons to signal their support. Jimmy Kimmel, in his role as host for the fourth time, delivered a performance that teetered between competence and mediocrity. His opening monologue really begs the question: shouldn’t the host of the Oscars like movies? Kimmel’s jabs at the length of nominated films and the purportedly juvenile nature of animated features garnered criticism online, with his jests regarding the personal struggles of the evening’s victor, Robert Downey Jr., especially falling flat and leaving a palpable discomfort in the room, evident in the actor’s strained expression.
The outcome of the awards themselves unfolded as expected. Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s triumph in the supporting actress category for her role in “The Holdovers” came as little surprise, given her consistent dominance across all major precursor awards. Similarly, Robert Downey Jr.’s victory in the Best Supporting Actor category for his compelling performance in Christopher Nolan’s opus, “Oppenheimer,” was practically preordained, given his unyielding sweep of precursor accolades. While I harbored a personal preference for Charles Melton in “May December” or even Robert Pattinson in “The Boy and the Heron” to take the prize, Downey Jr.’s win is undeniably justified. Additionally, Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of the eponymous figure in “Oppenheimer” rightfully earned him the accolade for Best Actor. The contention leading up to the evening revolved primarily around the fiercely contested Best Actress category, a showdown between Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Emma Stone in “Poor Things.” Both myself and the majority of industry pundits found ourselves leaning towards Gladstone, especially following her recent triumph at the SAG Awards, a historically reliable harbinger of future Oscar success in the Best Actress category. However, as the evening unfolded, “Poor Things” began to accumulate a slew of technical accolades, foreshadowing a potential upset. Much to the surprise of many, including the winner herself, Michelle Yeoh announced the winner as Stone. While my personal preference may have leaned towards Gladstone, it’s undeniable that both performances arguably rank among the finest of this century. “Oppenheimer” rightfully took Best Picture, presented by an exasperated Al Pacino. Highlights of the evening were Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken” performance featuring a guitar solo from Slash, a powerful speech by the filmmakers behind 20 Day in Mariupol, and continued reaction shots of “Anatomy of a Fall” canine sensation Messi.
I think next year, I’d like to return to clips of the acting nominees instead of each nominee being presented by past-time winners, an incredibly moving but time-consuming practice. I honestly don’t think these awards will ever feel as grand or important as they did in the 2010s, but I think this year was a good effort.
