The Artist wins the spotlight at 2012 Oscars

The Artist stole to the show at this year’s Oscars, winning 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture.

French actor Jean Dujardin accepted his Oscar on stage with a gleaming smile and was the man of the moment as fans around the world tuned in to watch the ceremony live. It was a triumph for the actor, who had earlier stole the show at the French Cesars Award ceremony.

Director Michel Hazanavicius was nominated for the first time this year and won Best Director for ‘The Artist’, thanking his best friend, Uggie, the dog who appeared in the film. It was an entertaining night for the whole cast and crew, who had flown to Hollywood after the Cesars to become part of the Oscar glamour. The film also won in two other categories including Best Costumes and Best Original Score.

Earlier on the red carpet, Sacha Baron Cohen poured the ‘ashes’ of late leader Kim Jong Il on the red carpet. Onlookers applauded the publicity stunt, but security quickly escorted the actor away.

Big names walked the carpet ahead of the opening ceremony including Oscar nominees Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Angelina Jolie, and Oscar winning actress Sandra Bullock also walked up the red carpet. Esperenza Spalding performed during the night whilst a spectacular show from the Cirque Du Soleil lit up the auditorium with an acrobatic performance. It was a night many won’t forget for a long time.

The Best Actress Oscar went to Meryl Streep for her portrayal of British Prime Minister Marager Thatcher. It was a powerful performance, and one that shined in ‘The Iron Lady’.

A notable winner at this year’s ceremony was ‘A Seperation’, an Iranian film that tells the story of a marriage breakdown, directed by Asghar Farhadi. Winning Best Foreign Language film, ‘A Seperation’ was a powerful, poignant story that truly deserved recognition. It was also a triumph for the Academy to put politics aside when considering the film for the nomination. All filmmakers regardless of their backgrounds have an equal chance to succeed, and it was very fitting that at this year’s ceremony, despite the political drama that’s happening in the world today, awarded an Iranian filmmaker the industry’s highest honour.

Oscar 2012 Winners List

Best Picture : The Artist
Actor in a leading role : Jean Dujardin
Actress in a leading role : Meryl Streep
Actor in a supporting role: Christopher Plummer
Actress in a supporting role : Octavia Spencer
Animated Feature Film: Rango
Cinematography: Hugo
Art Direction: Hugo
Costume Design: The Artist
Directing: The Artist
Documentary Feature: Undefeated
Documentary Short: Saving Face
Film Editing: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Make Up: The Iron Lady
Music (Original Score): The Artist
Music (Original Song): Man Or Muppet
Animated Short Film: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Live Action Short Film : The Shore
Sound Editing: Hugo
Sound Mixing: Hugo
Visual Effects: Hugo
Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Descendants
Writing (Original Screenplay): Midnight In Paris