Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller wins best picture and director, while ‘Sinners’ takes four awards in a night of Hollywood celebration
HOLLYWOOD: Paul Thomas Anderson’s political thriller ‘One Battle After Another’ dominated the 96th Academy Awards, securing six Oscars including the coveted best picture prize.
The film triumphed over Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’, which had entered the evening tied for a record 16 nominations, in a thrilling finale to a highly competitive awards season.
Anderson personally claimed three statuettes, his first career Oscars, for best picture, best director and best adapted screenplay.
“You make a guy work really hard for one of these,” he joked to laughter while accepting the best director award.
The director dedicated his screenplay win to his children, stating he wrote the film as an apology for the world they are inheriting.
“I wrote this movie for my kids to say sorry for the housekeeping mess that we left in this world we’re handing off to them,” Anderson said.
“But also with the encouragement that they will be the generation that hopefully brings us some common sense and decency.”
The film, which tackles immigration raids and white supremacy, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a forgetful ex-revolutionary battling Sean Penn’s Colonel Lockjaw.
Penn won best supporting actor for his role, while the film also collected awards for best editing and the inaugural award for casting.
‘Sinners’ departed with four awards, including best original screenplay for Ryan Coogler and best actor for Michael B. Jordan.
Jordan, who played gangster twin brothers, told reporters he created detailed journals to flesh out the distinct backstories for both roles.
Coogler called his writing award “an incredible honour” and credited a creative writing professor for his success.
The bluesy vampire fable also won best original score for Ludwig Goransson and best cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw.
Arkapaw’s win marked the first time a woman has won the cinematography Oscar.
Both major winners were produced by Warner Bros., which claimed 12 of the evening’s 24 awards following an intense studio bidding war.
Jessie Buckley won best actress for portraying William Shakespeare’s wife Agnes in ‘Hamnet’, calling the win a “crazy” gift on Mother’s Day in her native Ireland.
Amy Madigan won best supporting actress for her role in horror film ‘Weapons’, joking about shaving her legs in anticipation of the special day.
Host Conan O’Brien kept proceedings light, joking about an alternate Oscars for those uncomfortable with the show’s political tone.
“I should warn you tonight could get political, okay?” O’Brien told the audience.
“And if that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternate Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock.”
The In Memoriam segment paid emotional tribute to director Rob Reiner, stabbed in December, and actor Robert Redford.
Billy Crystal hailed Reiner’s immeasurable effect on Hollywood, while Barbra Streisand gave a rare stage performance honouring her ‘The Way We Were’ co-star Redford.
The Sun Malaysia
