Academy Awards 2022

Well, it definitely was a night to remember — some big highs, and then a very big low. Many of us are still reeling.

Some random snapshots. The afternoon started out beautifully. I got to see many nominees up close during the red carpet. Ariana DeBose. A shirtless Timothée Chalamet (we will take him however). Benedict Cumberbatch. Oscar shoe-in, Troy Kotsur. And Marlee Matlin is a star, nominated or not. CODA!

The mood was joyous. I respect CEO Dawn Hudson for weathering the storms so gracefully.

At the pre-ceremony, I applauded Ted Sarandos for sitting through the entire pre-recorded section as DUNE swept one award after another.

And there’s the Apple streaming mogul, Tim Cook, down the aisle from his competitor.

I was thoroughly impressed with the production design on the stage. It looked truly gorgeous.

Naturally, I had to snap Simu Liu in his bright red suit as one of only two (along with Youn Yuh-jung) Asian presenters. Here he is alongside Tiffany Haddish.

And then it all cratered. You have all read about it. No need to recycle that devastating blow. All I can say is there’s no winners in this scenario, only losers.

Still, loved the moments with Lady Gaga and her choice of co-presenter, Liza Minnelli. Lady Gaga constantly reveals her infinite kindness and reverence for her musical predecessors.

I still had it in me to celebrate at the DRIVE MY CAR after party. A million congrats to Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Producer Teruhisa Yamamoto. Adore them to pieces.

Again, it was a night to remember.