In early March, while Brazil was celebrating Carnival and the win of I’m Still Here, the Oscars ceremony took place in Los Angeles, and, while many were thrilled with the results, others – including myself – weren’t as pleased and felt that different choices would have been fairer. So here are my winners and why they truly deserved to take home the award:
Best Original Score
Who won: The Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg
Who should’ve won: The Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg
Best International Feature
Who won: I’m Still Here (Brazil), Walter Salles
Who should’ve won: I’m Still Here (Brazil), Walter Salles
As a Brazilian, you could say I’m biased, but this movie is spectacular. It portrays the story of a family during the dictatorship in Brazil so well and with so much emotion that not a single person leaves the movie theater not liking this masterpiece. It’s also Brazil’s first Oscar, and we are very proud of the cast and crew of this movie.
Best Live-Action Short
Who won: I’m not a robot
Who should’ve won: I’m not a robot
Best Visual Effects
Who won: Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve
Who should’ve won: Dune: Part Two
Wicked would have been a stronger candidate if it had used more CGI instead of building the majority of the sets. This is mind-blowing, given that over ten thousand tulips were grown to be used in just a few scenes. So, it’s not a bad thing at all that the movie didn’t win this category.
Best Sound
Who won: Dune: Part Two
Who should’ve won:Dune: Part Two
Best Documentary Feature
Who won: No Other Land, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor
Who should’ve won: No Other Land
This powerful movie is so beautiful, and it’s amazing to see how a Palestinian movie won, considering how many Palestinian stories are being repressed. This prize has made the Palestinian scenario impossible to ignore on the global stage, and hopefully, it will make people realize the dark times these people are going through.
Best Documentary Short
Who won: The Only Girl In The Orchestra
Who should’ve won: The Only Girl In The Orchestra
Best Original Song
Who won: “El Mal”, Emilia Pérez
Who should’ve won: “Never Too Late”, Elton John: Never Too Late
How did we go from “What Was I Made For?” to “El Mal” as an Oscar win? I have never seen or heard such a terrible song as this one and the fact that it won over an Elton John and Brandi Carlile song will haunt me forever.
Best Production Design
Who won: Wicked
Who should’ve won: Wicked
Best Film Editing
Who won: Anora
Who should’ve won: Conclave
Although Anora had moments of tension and built good cinematography, Conclave made those and many other factors better, including significant transitions and creating tension that could be cut with a knife in the movie theaters.
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Who won: The Substance
Who should’ve won: The Substance
Best Adapted Screenplay
Who won: Conclave
Who should’ve won: Conclave
Best Original Screenplay
Who won: Anora, Sean Baker
Who should’ve won: Anora, Sean Baker
Even though I had some bad opinions about this movie, Sean wrote a bold and exciting movie that showed the reality of many women around the world who put themselves in a position to win some money as Anora did.
Best Costume Design
Who won: Wicked
Who should’ve won: Wicked
Best Animated Short
Who won: In The Shadow Of The Cypress
Who should’ve won: In The Shadow Of The Cypress
Best Animated Feature
Who won: Flow
Who should’ve won: Flow
Best Cinematography
Who won: The Brutalist
Who should’ve won: The Brutalist
Best Director
Who won: Sean Baker, Anora
Who should’ve won: Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
Coralie directed “The Substance” with such heartfelt raw emotions that showed what our world has become and what people are thinking about us women. At these moments, it’s important to see and appreciate the work of many women who put their hearts and souls into creating so many powerful films like Coralie’s.
Best Supporting Actress
Who won: Zoe Saldana, Emilia Pérez
Who should’ve won: Margaret Qualley, The Substance
This category was robbed as soon as the nominees came out and Margaret was not listed. She did an amazing job as Sue but we all know how horror has always been historically under-appreciated even when a lot of them spoke about so many social problems.
Best Supporting Actor
Who won: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Who should’ve won: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Kieran deserved it but the Brazilian actor Selton Mello should have been at least nominated for his role as Rubens Paiva in the movie I’m Still Here.
Best Actor
Who won: Adrian Brody, The Brutalist
Who should’ve won: Adrian Brody, The Brutalist
Best Actress
Who won: Mickey Madison, Anora
Who should’ve won: Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here
Mickey is a young woman who has a life ahead of her, full of great movies that can be Oscar-worthy. Unfortunately, I think this time was not her greatest movie, unlike Fernanda, who put on a performance of a lifetime and captivated tons of people around the world with her role as Eunice Paiva. This Oscar was Fernanda’s and nobody can tell me otherwise.
Best Picture
Who won: Anora
Who should’ve won: The Substance
Now, if I’m being completely honest, I think any movie between these three (Conclave, I’m Still Here, and The Substance) would be a better win. Each of these has its differences that make them great movies: Conclave had an amazing soundplay and the photography was beyond excellent, but the theme was about something not all people know about, so this could be something that could lower its chance.
I would say the same thing about I’m Still Here, a great movie with impressive acting but they focus on the Brazilian reality, and we know those types of movies don’t get enough recognition so it was an incredible surprise that it even got nominated.
Last but not least, The Substance is a horror film that explores societal issues, especially the objectification of women and the relentless pursuit of unattainable beauty standards. It portrays how these ideals affect individuals globally, making it an insightful reflection on contemporary social pressures. Given all of these impactful narratives and the exploration of universal themes, it was a strong and fairer contestant to win Best Picture.
The 97th Academy Awards sparked diverse reactions, highlighting both celebrated achievements and areas of contention. While Anora emerged as a dominant force, securing multiple awards, including Best Picture, films like The Substance and I’m Still Here resonated deeply with audiences, prompting discussions about representation and storytelling depth. These conversations reflect the dynamic nature of cinema, where personal perspectives and cultural narratives continually shape our collective appreciation of art.
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The article above was edited by Clarissa Palácio.
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