With seven Oscars, Oscar night 2023 went to EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE.
Best Picture, Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Directors and Best Original Screenplay (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Schenert), and then Best Editing, Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis) and Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan): the Daniels' film, which arrived on the eve of the Academy Awards with eleven nominations, acted as the ace taker in an evening without particular incidents and full of emotion.
It was a triumph for Asian actors: never in the history of the Academy had two of them won in the same year.
Oscar 2023, Everything Everywhere triumphs with seven statuettes
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Michelle Yeoh Best Actress: 'This figurine is a beacon of hope
The Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once by the Daniels.
Everything Everywhere's only potential rival was the German film ALL NEW ON THE WESTERN FRONT, prized by older jurors who might have found washerwoman Evelyn Wang's dizzying multiverse adventures too eccentric: Edward Berger's pacifist film based on the novel by Eric Maria Remarque won four awards (cinematography, best international film, set and soundtrack), but lost for the film adaptation to Sarah Polley of the powerful feminist film WOMEN TALKING.
The triumphal evening had begun in tears - those of KE HUY QUAN - and ended in the final embrace with Harrison Ford with whom Ke, who fled by boat as a child from burning Saigon and who had lived in a refugee camp for a year, had starred in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Fear, but then, once he grew up he hadn't found a part so far.
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Everything's Ke Huy Quan: 'I was in a refugee camp for a year and I got here'
The Oscar for Everything Everywhere All at Once.
'It's about the American dream come true'
Curtis was also moved and dedicated the award to her parents, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh
Oscar, Best Supporting Actress Jamie Lee Curtis
MICHELLE YEOH finally beat Cate Blanchett of Tar: "A beacon of hope", she defined the film that put her back in the game at 60, "for all the boys and girls who look like me. And to all the women : don't let anyone tell you that you had your best years".
Oscar, Michelle Yeoh Best Actress
Again this year, the Academy had denied Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky from sending a few words from Kiev.
The political message arrived when NAVALNY, the film by Daniel Roher on the Kremlin's attempt to poison Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin's arch-rival, won a statuette for best documentary: "My husband is in prison for defending democracy. I dream of the day when you will be free and our country will be free. Stay strong, I love you,"" said the dissident's wife on stage.
Disappointment for Italy: Le Pupille by Alice Rohrwacher was beaten by AN IRISH GOODBYE in the live action short category, as was Aldo Signoretti, candidate for Elvis' hairstyles.
BRENDAN FRASER as best actor for The Whale brought to eight the number of Oscars won by films under the umbrella of A24, the independent production studio that takes its name from an Italian motorway: an absolute record.
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Fraser in tears, 'thank you for giving me a chance to save myself'
The Oscar for Darren Aronofsky's The Whale
Instead, it was a bad night for Martin McDonagh's The Spirits of the Island who at the start of the awards season seemed to be headed for an avalanche of victory.
Two awards went to films that brought moviegoers back: AVATAR: WATER ROUTES won for special effects and TOP GUN: MAVERICK for sound.
PINOCCHIO, by Guillermo del Toro according to forecasts took the Oscar for the animated film.
Despite the presence on stage of superstars such as Rihanna (Lift Me Up) returning from the Super Bowl and Lady Gaga (surprise return to Los Angeles for Hold My Hand during the filming of her new film), the Oscar for best original song and ' went to NAATU NAATU from Indian film RRR.
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Oscars: Lady Gaga, find your hero within you - Culture & Entertainment
"We all need heroes. Find your hero within you."
Lady Gaga said it before her live performance at the Oscars of the nominated song Hold My Hand from Top Gun: Maverick.
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Gina Lollobrigida, together with the makeup artist Maurizio Silvi were remembered in the short segment In Memoriam.
Notably absent Will Smith, winner of the last Oscar for best actor for A Winning Family.
Without naming it, Jimmy Kimmel mentioned Slapgate (the live slap at comedian Chris Rock) which a year ago caused his ten-year exile from Academy ceremonies.
The ceremony ended without incident, but with some unfortunate moments: like when Kimmel embarrassed Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai sitting in the audience or Hugh Grant, on stage, compared her withered face to a scrotum.