Oppenheimer Wins Big at Oscars 2024

Oppenheimer, the epic film about the father of the atom bomb, was this year’s most explosive winner at the Oscars. The movie which was expected to take home a slew of awards won in 7 categories, including the most coveted prize of Best Picture. Much-vaunted directed Christopher Nolan who has been nominated on 7 previous occasions, finally scored as winner of the Best Director and Best Producer awards. How’s that for perseverance!

Meanwhile, Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer's star who essayed the title role to near perfection - received the Best Actor award. Versatile veteran Robert Downey Jr., who played the key role of a chief naval officer involved in the top secret project, won in the Best Supporting Actor category. Adding to its haul, Oppenheimer was rewarded for Cinematography, Music and Film Editing.

The offbeat drama Poor Things seemed to be the only film to give Oppenheimer competition by ensnaring a total of 4 Oscars. These included the Best Actress honour for the accomplished Emma Stone - who portrayed a dead woman revived by the implantation of an infant’s brain. During her emotional acceptance speech, Stone drew attention to her ripped dress! (Perhaps some fans couldn't keep their hands to themselves). Poor Things, which is set across continents, also won richly-deserved awards for Production Design, Make-up and Costumes. 

The only other film to win more than one Oscar this year was the Foreign Language epic Zone of Interest. This historical co-production between the UK and Poland which is about the Auschwitz Commandant - Rudolf Hoess – and his wife, took home Oscars for Best International Feature and Sound. Meanwhile, for her delicious turn as a school cafeteria manager in the 1970s’-set The Holdovers, Da’ Vine Joy Randolph won Best Supporting Actress. In so doing, Rudolph became the tenth African American woman to be victorious in that category. One of the year's biggest disappointments was Martin Scorcese's Killers of the Flower Moon, which boasted 8 nominations but couldn't secure a single win. However, Lily Gladsone was the first Native American considered for Best Actress thanks to her moving performance as the persecuted wife of a caucasian American.

The 96th edition of the Academy Awards ceremony unfolded at Los Angeles’ famed Dolby Theatre before a rapturous audience of 3,400. Talk show host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel, known for his sharp wit and irreverent humour, capably lead the proceedings for the fourth time. Known for his frankness, Kimmel expressed outrage that Greta Gerwig was not even nominated as director for the blockbuster hit Barbie. However, as a small consolation, this Best Picture nominee did grab the award for Original Song (What Was I Made For?). 

The show which comes after a prolonged period of acrimony between the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Hollywood Film Industry,played out in exceedingly good spirits, prompting some to call it the proverbial “make-up sex”. And that seems especially true - going by the ecstatic reactions of some of the winners and their fans.