A Reel Opinion: Oscar Night - The Good, The Bad, & The Glorious

It was one Oscar after another for Paul Thomas Anderson and his film, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER last night at the 98^th Academy Awards. The thriller with the stacked cast took home six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Screenplay, and Directing. Here is how the rest of the night played out in The Good, The Bad, and The Glorious. 

 

THE GOOD 

 

-Returning host Conan O’Brien was excellent in the role once again. His jokes were sharp and didn’t overwhelm with political jabs. 

 

-The presenters were well-paired and had good material. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans were a blast, as were Sigourney Weaver and Pedro Pascal. 

 

-Warner Bros. has been in the news a lot lately, mixed up in a sale or a merger or who knows what. But they were the big winning studio, taking home a combined 11 Oscars for their three films (SINNERS, WEAPONS, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER). 

 

-Sean Penn’s win for Best Supporting Actor for ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER makes him the fourth male actor to win three career Oscars; an elite club that includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Jack Nicholson, and Walter Brennan. 

 

- FRANKENSTEIN, SINNERS, and WEAPONS combined for eight Oscars, capping off a great year for the horror genre. 

 

 

THE BAD

 

-The production of the show was like watching a low budget B-movie horror flick. There were many technical issues like missed cues, and the timing just seemed off. There was also a rush to get people off the stage, with the mic dropping away too quickly and speeches cut short. No one seemed to be on the same page. 

 

-The In Memoriam was a muddled mess, doing a combination of still photos and archive clips. Although there were touching tributes to Rob Reiner, Diane Keaton, and Robert Redford (by Babs herself!!!), the lack of flow made it difficult to keep the emotion going. 

 

THE GLORIOUS

 

-Jessie Buckley’s win for HAMNET makes her the first Best Actress to sweep the awards season this decade (Oscars, Globes, BAFTA, SAG, Critics Choice). She is also the first Irish winner of Best Actress.  

 

-Leonardo DiCaprio joins Dustin Hoffman and Clark Gable as the only actors to lead three Best Picture winners: TITANIC, THE DEPARTED, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. DiCaprio’s filmography has now won 39 Oscars, more than any other actor. 

 

-Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win the Oscar for Best Cinematography, for her stunning work in SINNERS. 

 

-Michael B. Jordan’s Best Actor win for SINNERS. Well-earned. 

 

-And as mentioned above, and as mostly expected ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER took home Best Picture. A proper win for Paul Thomas Anderson who has made some of the best films of the last 30 years. The Academy got it right, making it a wonderful night for Oscar. 

 

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The 99^th Academy Awards are scheduled for March 28^th, 2027.