100 Milliseconds

Ok, we’re one week away from the 96th edition of the Academy Awards aka the Oscars. Do you care about them or movies in general? In the aftermath of the ceremony I’ve read and heard a wide diversity of arguments–some of them entertaining–ranging from how each of the awardees contributed to the cinema to the quality of the show itself.

Was the ceremony a good show? I’d say it was good enough. There were a couple of funny bits, and no significantly awkward moments, although Al Pacino scared us for a moment. Also, Jimmy Kimmel was a good host if we take into consideration that the show is not about the host, but about the winners and nominees.

And then we have the winners. From one perspective, Nolan cemented his position as one of the most influential directors of his generation, while Emma Stone won one of the most competitive categories of this season. But at the same time, Cord Jefferson was notably over the moon after having won the Award for Best Adapted Screenplay thanks to American Fiction, which was my favorite among the ten nominees.

Would you say this year’s ceremony was boring since the major categories had been locked for weeks? Not necessarily if you watched the movies. At the end of the day, the conversations triggered by each of the movies are part of the most interesting consequences of cinema. For instance, I still believe Sandra Hüller was the best actress of 2023, but such is life –and I was not in contention, nor I’m being paid for my predictions–

Is the Academy sending a message to the streaming services by neglecting Killers of the Flower Moon? It could be. But the truth is that Oppenheimer and Poor Things made things difficult for them. At least in my ballot, Lily Gladstone was my only KOTFM-related pick and mostly because I believe her campaign would end up gaining more support than Emma Stone’s, not because of Mollie’s role in the movie.

Is it too early to talk about Oscars 2025?