The Oscars 2023 is over. The event had a mix of predicted winners and unexpected upsets, giving moviegoers and critics plenty to talk about. Everything Everywhere All at Once, directed by The Daniels, was the big victor, taking home an amazing 7 prizes, including the major ones like Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), and Best Supporting Actor (for Ke Huy Quan). All Quiet on the Western Front, a German anti-war film directed by Edward Berger, received four awards. Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, which marked Brendan Fraser’s Hollywood comeback (called “Brenaissance”), received two awards: Best Actor and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
The ceremony itself was very remarkable, with Jimmy Kimmel remaining cool despite a number of solid jokes. Thankfully, there was no incident like last year’s slapgate between Will Smith and Chris Rock. Here are the highlights from the ceremony:
RRR’s historic win
The song ‘Naatu Naatu’ by India’s RRR received an Oscar. And the composer, MM Keeravani, sang a short song as an acceptance speech for the award. “Thank you, Academy. I grew up listening to the Carpenters, and now here I am with the Oscars,” he began. Then, he sang lines from the evergreen hit of the Carpenters, ‘Top Of The World’ interspersed with his own words. “There was only one wish on my mind / So was Rajamouli’s and all my family’s / RRR has to win, pride of every Indian / And must put me on the top of the world,” he crooned.
‘Naatu Naatu’ live performance
Granted, it wasn’t as amazing as the film version, but it was ‘Naatu Naatu,’ and you can’t go wrong with that. The loud applause and standing ovation added to the enjoyment of the relatively brief performance.
The emotional words of Ke Huy Quan
Ke Huy Quan is a real beauty, and his performance in Everything, Everywhere, All at Once was the mother of all comebacks. “Thank you. Thank you. My mom is 84 years old and she’s at home watching. Mom, I just won an Oscar! My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage. They say stories like these only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This… this is the American dream. Thank you so much.”
Oscar win for Brendan Fraser
Speaking of comebacks, Brendan Fraser’s triumph for The Whale was another celebration of an actor returning to film after a period of inactivity. The film may have been mediocre, but no one can deny Fraser’s performance.
Michelle Yeoh was named Best Actress
Michelle Yeoh, the great actress, has finally been recognized for her decades of effort. Her portrayal in Everything, Everywhere, All at Once earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Yeoh appears in practically every frame of the film, which is a good thing. Because she is indescribably good at portraying agony, perplexity, tiredness, and other moods with the ease of a veteran.
The opening monologue by Jimmy Kimmel
With the Oscar ceremonies becoming worse by the year, this was a very solid speech. Kimmel is always dependable, and as someone who is well-versed in the world of Hollywood, he understands what is and is not acceptable. This was a stunning start to a mostly drab affair.
Jenny’s presence
While the Irish film The Banshees of Inisherin may have departed empty-handed, a significant star from the film received a lot of attention when Kimmel brought the gentle little donkey Jenny to the stage (though the reports say that was a different animal, not Jenny from the movie).
