The 97th Oscars: Critiques and Recaps
Written by Carol Luna Morales, Program Coordinator and Engagement Specialist
The Oscars was hosted on March 2nd this year and although the run of women in film winning an award was low we’re still very excited for the ones that stood before us that night. Audiences are split in their opinions of what film deserved to win and choices that were made by directors and actors alike. Although as the writer for the monthly newsletters I try my hardest not to allow biases to be presented so forthright it is unfair to highlight films when the decisions made impact not only the Latine community but of those that intersect it. Before highlighting the wins, we would like to explain the decision to not include Emilia Pérez and Zoë Saldaña’s win. In her press room speech, it was not only disappointing but hurtful to hear Saldaña’s choice of words in regards to the hurt many Mexicans felt towards Emilia Pérez’ perception of the community.
To say “I am sorry you feel that way” is not an apology.
To say that Mexico was not the heart of the movie as if that was not a factor to the film’s plot is appalling.
It is not Zoë Saldaña’s fault for how the movie was made, of course, as there is to put some blame onto the director making a film about a community and identity he has no relationship or understanding of. However, we can critic a fellow Latina, a daughter of immigrants, invalidating a voice of concern from our community just because she doesn’t see an issue on how the film represented not only Mexico but Latinos as a whole. Saldaña has been applauded for her previous work and her vocalization of Latin voices in the industry so to see her interview was severely a hit to the chest. We wonder what our audience thinks of this situation and hope this leads to an open dialogue with each other.
Moving on, we celebrate the winner of the Best Documentary (Short Subject) division, director Molly O’Brian and producer Lisa Remington won for their work on Only Girl in the Orchestra. The film is a celebration of the trailblazing double bassist Orin O’Brien, the first woman to become a full-time member of the New York Philharmonic. Finally, Mikey Madison won her first Oscar nomination for Best Leading Actress in Anora, the film focused on a young escort from Brooklyn meeting and marrying the son of a Russian oligarch. Once the news of the marriage reaches Russia, Anora’s fairy tale ending is threatened as threats of annulment are made. This win also had audiences split, particularly in reference to Sean Baker’s previous controversies. Similar to the notions made previously, we ask our readers to form their own opinions on the films nominated and awarded this Oscar season.
BAVC Media and Reel Stories strives to uplift voices, wanting to emphasize voices of underrepresented backgrounds. Although we encourage and support all women and gender expansive individuals being celebrated for their achievements it does not prevent us from criticizing the decisions made. We encourage our readers to delve deeper into the films like Emilia Perez and Anora to develop your own opinions on the films and their wins.