Dutch 'I'm not a robot' wins Oscar, 'Anora' big winner of the evening

The Dutch I am not a robot by Director Victoria Warmerdam Won the Oscar for best short film in the night from Sunday to Monday. The other Dutch nominated, Nina Gantz, grabbed her Wander to Wonder In addition to the Oscar for best short animation film. The big winner of the evening was Anora: The dark romkom about a sex worker who marries a Russian oligarch won five Oscars.

On stage, director Victoria Warmerdam kept a short and not overly emotional word of thanks. « Thanks to Ellen Parren and the rest of the cast and crew: your heart and soul is in every image. » She also thanked her 'production and life partner' (in the profession only familiar with that name): « We don't often say this, but I love you! »

I'm not a robot is about someone who doubts his humanity after the failure of a captcha test, and has been released by The New Yorker. Never before has a Dutch film in this category won. Warmerdam is the twelfth Dutchman who wins an Oscar. Last year Hoyte van Hoytema was the eleventh, with an Oscar for best cinematography in OPPENHEIMER.

Will Warmerdam be celebrating? Afterwards she said to present press: « I think as sober Dutchmen, so not too hard. » Henry van Loon was a bit more exuberant. It was a « holy-shit-what-the-fuck moment, » he told ANP. « Something you never experience. »

These were the most exciting Oscars in years. Where it is normally clear months in advance who will win, there was no clear favorite now. Riots and criticism floored leader Emilia Pérez (13 nominations). Predictions of gambling offices changed every week. And yet Sunday night, in the theater at Hollywood Boulevard, was only one movie sovereign. Anora.

Four out of five Oscars for Anora In addition, were on the name of the beloved American filmmaker Sean Baker: best film, director, scenario and assembly – Baker is the first person to get so many Oscars for one film.

On stage he also showed how you are charming and targeted. He distributed his three speeches about sex workers (« They have shared their stories with me (…) and have my deepest respect »), the state of « the cinema » (« a common experience that you don't get at home ») and his crew members.

The 25-year-old Mikey Madison won an Oscar for her role as sex worker Anora. It was her first leading role. With that she defeated favorite Demi Moore in the popular Bodyhorror The substance. Presenter Conan O'Brien joked: « I think America is happy to see that someone is finally getting up against a powerful Russian. » It was his only swipe towards Trump of the evening.

There were mainly leftovers and 'technical categories for the other (former) favorites. Runner-up The Brutistan architectenepos, won three Oscars: cinematography, music and male lead (Adrien Brody). Brody speeche and thanked for minutes. When the direction encouraged music to move him to departure, he raised his hand and asked for silence. « I did this before! » To then continue with thanking and ending with a vaguant statement against racism and anti -Semitism.

The prize for best documentary went to No other country. The film records the atrocities of Israeli soldiers and settlers in Masafer Yatta. Remarkably, no large American distributor has released the film in the US.

Emilia Pérez only won two Oscars. The film broke a record with thirteen nominations; Most for a non-English-language film ever. But the film was discredited by Hate -Twets that lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón had sent, and by criticism from Mexico. The film cashed in only two of the thirteen nominations (best song and best female supporting role).

Even the Oscar for best international film lost it to Brazilian I'm Still here – That seemed unthinkable months ago. Although Zoë Saldaña (best female supporting role) did create a highlight with a very emotional speech. She started by crying « Mommy! » To call and said to great applause: « I am the proud child of immigrants! »

The biggest loser was Bob Dylan-Biofilm A Complete Unkownwho did not cash in one of the ten nominations.

Stayed last year OPPENHEIMER public and critics by winning seven Oscars. Finally there was another public film that won the Grand Prix. But this year the Oscars put back on the race that has been started for years: more arthouse, more international, further away from the blockbusters of Hollywood.

Anoraa film with a production budget six million, this year won from public pullers as Dune: Part Two,,  » Wicked and A Complete Unknown.

And Flow -A dialogue Latvian film about a cat on a raft, animated with free, open-source technology-won best animation film of millions and billions of films such as The Wild Robot and Inside Out 2.

Trump and flaring world problem

It was also an exciting evening for other reasons. Because: how would presenters and winners deal with Trumps second term, constant wars and other flaring world problems? And could the Oscars give the fires in LA a spot in a ceremony that is mainly about gold -spredded ego rim?

It became a tame and disappointing ceremony in both respects. The fires were mainly a footnote. The ceremony opened with a clip show of fragments from films that take place in LA. Brad Pitt in a convertible, Jeff Bridges flying through the air – to end with a tourist logan: « We love la. »

After that, occasionally a QR code came into the picture with which it was possible to donate, as previously also at the music prizes The Grammy's. Halfway through, firefighters also came on stage who all aid one joke.

Politics was remarkably absent for most of the evening. That is unexpected. In 2017 there was harsh criticism of President Trump, then in his first term. Two years later, Spike Lee asked the audience to vote for Biden.

Now the president was not immediately called (even barely indirectly). And there was hardly any reference to wars. There were some pins: Guy Pearce wore Free Palestine, screenwriter Peter Straughan the Ukrainian colors. Daryll Hannah called before a prize: « Slava Ukraine! »

Only then No other country The prize for best documentary won, implicit groceries and verbal winks were pronounced. Co-director Basel Adra said that « serious actions » are needed to stop the « the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. » After that, his Israeli co-director focused on the US: « Foreign policy in this country helps to block the path to rights for Palestinians. « Do you not see that we are connected to each other? » Standing ovation, with an undertone of surprise. Then groceries became apolitical or vague again (« keep love each other! »).

Long and boring evening

It was part of the reason that it ended on a very long (almost four hours) and boring evening. Presenter Conan O'Brien turned out to be an uncomfortable match with the Oscars. Sometimes his childish absurdism worked out well: like during the opening with him from the back of The Substance Demi Moore climbed and his shoe lost.

But he often looked nervous and did not seem to have calculated that his jokes were always interrupted by applause. His material was often good, but he missed warmth, charm, and yet some guts: such an exciting, political and messy year could have received more attention.

In addition, the ceremony lasted far too long. After an hour, despair already struck: only five of the 24 prizes were awarded. And then the quarter -of -year -old, emotional ode to costume design had to come. And the Medley of James Bond songs from Lisa, Doja Cat and Raye-who felt so crazy and out of place that you started to wonder if it was paid for by Amazon.

There were highlights: Ben Stiller who presented the price for Best Set Design on a 'defect' stage. Or Mick Jagger who came up with loud applause to present the Oscar for best song: « Bob (Dylan) didn't want to do it. He said that the best songs of the movie are clearly in A Complete Unknown were. ”

And you could also call it reassuring. Even though films are discredited, fires are raging in the city, and wars of wars rage … The Oscars still succeeded in being boring.

The most important Oscars in a row

Best movie: Anora
Dear female lead: Mikey Madison (Anora)
Best male lead: Adrien Brody (The Brutist)
Best director: Sean Baker (Anora)
Best female supporting role: Zoë Saldaña (Emilia Pérez)
Best male supporting role: Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain)
Best original scenario: Anora (Sean Baker)
Best editing: Anora (Sean Baker)
Best adapted scenario: Conclave (Peter Straughan)
Best foreign film: I'm Still here
Best animated movie: Flow
Best documentary: No other country
Best cinematography: LOL Crawley (The Brutist)
Best music: The Brutist (Daniel Blumberg)
Best song'El Mal' (Emilia Pérez)
Best makeup and hairstyling: The substance
Best Production Design: Wicked
Best costumes: Wicked
Best visual effects: Dune: Part Two
Best noise: Dune: Part Two
Best Documentary Short: The only girl in the orchestra
Best short movie: I am not a robot (Victoria Warmerdam)
Best short animation film: In The Shadow of the Cypress

To share





Mail the editors