Art imitates life—doesn’t it? There was an odd sense of irony in Demi Moore’s loss to Mikey Madison. The young ingenue beats out the experienced actress who was sure to win for her performance. Anora was an exceptional film. It was detailed, moving, entertaining and, overall, a wonderful piece of cinema. With that being said, was it deserving of the sweep it had across the Oscars? In my opinion, no. Although I do give credit where credit is due, Anora was overpraised at the Academy Awards. The film as a whole lacked nuance in comparison to its fellow nominees in certain categories. Anora was not as strong when compared to its competitors in each category—most obviously, Best Actress. Mikey Madison delivered her performance beautifully; it was detailed and well researched and her character was captivating. However, Demi Moore was clearly the stronger choice for this category. Her performance in The Substance was deeper, more layered, and far more demanding in its emotional arc than Mikey Maddison’s. As well as that, since Moore’s character was not rooted in a conventional world or narrative, the challenge of navigating, creating, and performing her character was far greater than channeling one based on a real community or person.
Although Demi was the realistic winner of the Oscar, I personally would have wanted Fernanda Torres to win for her performance in I’m Still Here. It was unlike anything I’ve seen in years. The complexity of her performance was astounding. She portrayed grief in such a deep way. One might think that when one’s husband disappears, the initial emotion is sadness and panic. Torres, however, portraying Eunice Paiva, wife of Rubens Paiva—a man who was made to disappear by the Brazilian military dictatorship regime—took a different approach. Rather than inconsolable pain, Torres portrayed the strength and perseverance of a mother and wife faced with an impossible situation. Her acting transcended language barriers—her expression and subtlety said it all. That’s the beauty of a seasoned actress: the experience, nuance, and subtlety of performance. There have only ever been two other actresses to win in this category for a foreign-language film. So, sadly, it was unrealistic for her to have won.
The internet has now entered the debate stage. Some are defending Anora, claiming it was the most deserving, and some are saying it was overpraised. All I will say is that despite the criticism, Anora was an Oscar-worthy film. Was it the most deserving compared to its competition? No. Mikey Madison is a beautiful and incredibly talented actress, completely deserving of the Academy’s recognition; however, her time is yet to come. To reiterate what many people have been saying: Mikey is an Oscar-worthy actress, but this has come far too early. She needs more experience. Acting is a talent, but it also strengthens through experience and time. If she’s delivering performances of this calibre at this point in her career, I cannot wait to see what is next. As for this Academy Awards, there were more deserving nominees.