WINNERS OF 98TH ACADEMY AWARDS

“MARTY SUPREME”, was SMOKE/STACKED!!!!! Proof that “bad press” does not always lead to positive results. It was an interesting, stunningly attired evening, where the unnominated “Oscar” winner was Ozempic, succeeding in a myriad of size 2, zip ups; missed the rollie polies (pregnant exceptions). Host Conan O’Brien, blissfully starred in his sobriquets’ celebrating his Oscar fantasies; poise prevailed; not only in his dialogues but in the acceptance speeches (minus Sean Penn’s) of the awardees. Presenters, dismally dull, especially Anna Wintour and Javier Barden; these preordained roles need major script revitalization.

“One Battle After Another” (not my favored) scooped up 6 awards including Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Best Director (Paul Thomas Anderson); a film that resonated with most movie goers. After my convinced opinion that “Marty Supreme” was the finest film of the year, second place lauded “Frankenstein” (3)!  “Sinners” (4) and Best Actor, Michael B. Jordan, even after three viewings 16 nominations seemed unreasonable, and I am a lover of the horror genre. Jordan’s acceptance was gracious and intelligent.

Women and their capabilities garnished huge statute in the evening’s presentations; Academy President Janet Yang, Academy Award Winners Jessie Buckley, Amy Madigan, Cassandra Kulukundis (casting), Autumn Durald Arkapaw (cinematography), Chole Zhao, (“Hamnet”) Barbara Streisand honored costar and friend Robert Redford, magnificently singing
“The Way We Were”. There were tearful moments referencing loss, loss of unfinished, unrequited lives, tragically erased, penned forever in our psyches as injustices.

Overall, the evening seemed scripted, staged; thirsting for shock value, a “trip”, a “slap” instead of “same old”; absence of surprises gifted an enervating ennui, a yawning, yearning desire for closure. The evening before I attended Matthew Ozawa’s “Madama Butterfly” , a sold-out production proving that hundreds deeply, divinely “care” about opera.

Peneflix