Cillian Murphy, the second Irish citizen after Daniel Day-Lewis, has received the title of best actor at the 96th Academy Awards. His award-winning performance highlighted him as the title character in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the creator of the atomic bomb.
The film, Poor Things, led by Yorgos Lanthimos and supported by Dublin’s Element Pictures, secured four wins out of its 11 nominations. This includes Emma Stone bagging her second-best actress Oscar. The anticipated success of Oppenheimer well-reflected in the award ceremony which held no significant surprises. The biographical drama led the awards evening with seven wins, including top honours such as the best picture and best director for Christopher Nolan.
In his thank you speech, Murphy expressed deep gratitude towards Nolan and Emma Thomas, emphasising his 20-year creative journey felt nothing short of wild and exhilarating. Furthermore, he expressed love for his partner, Yvonne McGuinness, and their two sons, Malachy and Aran. Proud of his Irish roots, Murphy dedicated his award to peacemakers worldwide while acknowledging the universal impact of the atomic bomb creator, Oppenheimer.
Being the only fourth actor of Irish origin to win an Oscar, Murphy stands as the first born in Ireland to secure a best actor title. After a prosperous acting career that spanned over three decades without actively seeking attention, Murphy is expected to receive a substantial increase in demand.
Top news on Monday included Cillian Murphy’s best actor win at the Oscars along with queries surrounding a picture of Kate Middleton. A ‘monumental year’ for Ireland’s screen heralded by Oscars 2024, with Cillian Murphy’s best actor win and the grand earning of four awards by the Dublin-based film company. Lastly, Murphy, as a ‘Very proud Irishman’, accepted his best actor award, one of the seven awards clinched by Oppenheimer.
The uncertainty around the biggest awards of the night seemed to hinge on the ‘best actress’ category. Lily Gladstone, who stars in Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, was regarded to be in the lead, ahead of Stone from ‘Poor Things’. However, Stone, the 2017 award winner for ‘La La Land’, was evidently taken aback when her own name was announced. She was recognised for her role as Bella Baxter, a woman brought back to life after committing suicide. Initially reviewed favourably at Venice Film Festival in the past fall, she reflected on the win, emphasizing the collective effort it took to create the film.
Robert Downey Jnr, remembered for his portrayal of J Robert Oppenheimer’s adversary, had consistently been receiving precursor awards throughout the season. Predictably, he ended up as the recipient of the ‘best supporting actor’ award. He delivered an assured speech, reflecting a man who had envisioned this moment for forty years. Recounting his personal struggles, he expressed gratitude to his difficult upbringing, the academy, and interestingly, his spouse who he jokingly referred to as his vet. He disclosed a personal revelation about how he needed the job more than it needed him.
The night saw Da’Vine Joy Randolph win ‘best supporting actress’ for her role in ‘The Holdovers’, a result expected by many. As is custom, she received the first award of the night and was visibly emotional even before her name was announced. She expressed how she initially had not intended to pursue acting as a career and had wanted something different for a long time, but she now realised the importance of authenticity. She thanked everyone for acknowledging her presence.
The heated competition between Barbenheimer seen last summer was notably subdued during the Oscars event. Whilst Oppenheimer swept up a majority of prime accolades, Gerwig’s Barbie clinched a victory only in the best original song category. Billie Eilish gave an emotive rendition of the winning song, ‘What Was I Made For?’ early during the show. However, another track from the film received a far more extravagant production.
As the evening unfolded, Ryan Gosling was seen performing ‘I’m Just Ken’ backed by a 65-strong dance troupe. It was a performance that added humour and charm reminiscent of classic stage acts.
With this win, Eilish, the first Oscar recipient born in the years of the 21st century, now adds another to her trophy case at an impressively young age of 22. Looking relatively unfazed by her win, she expressed her gratitude by saying, “My deepest thanks are to Greta – this song and this film touched me deeply.”
The film Poor Things collected a significant number of technical awards, trumping Barbie in fields like production design, costume design, and make-up and hairstyling.
In the midst of all this, there were rumblings about whether winners of the night would speak up about the unresolved tension in Gaza. Of the victors, British director Jonathan Glazer – who won best international film for his Holocaust drama, The Zone of Interest – did address the issue. His speech, expressing his refutation of the current situation encompassing innocent victims in Israel and ongoing turmoil in Gaza, was met with applause of mixed intensity.
Several figures, including names like Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef and Billie Eilish, showed solidarity by wearing red badges in support of a Gaza ceasefire. Youssef took the red carpet as an opportunity to voice his support, making an impassioned plea for the safety of all involved and lasting peace for the displaced Palestinians.
The Zone of Interest’s victory marked a historic moment for the United Kingdom, clinching their first ever triumph in the category previously known as best foreign language film. In a surprising turn of events, the film also triumphed over Oppenheimer in best sound, due to its extraordinary portrayal of the largely invisible Auschwitz.
The overall ceremony was more functional than exciting. Recurring host, Jimmy Kimmel, considered a reliable choice, had a mixed performance with his jokes. His comments regarding Downey’s troubled history were received with mixed responses from the actor. Kimmel’s highlight was towards the show’s end as he referenced a post from Truth Social by an anonymous critic. The critic questioned whether there had ever been a poorer host than Kimmel at the Oscars and stated that Kimmel’s opening was akin to a below-par individual trying hard to be someone they’re not. The predictable punchline hinted at former President Trump as the poster, with Kimmel jovially thanking him for tuning in.
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