The 96th annual Oscar Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles attracted a diverse crowd of celebrities, filmmakers, and cinephiles. DeVon Franklin announced the attendees, starting with composer Laura Karpman of American Fiction and concluding with Robert Downey Jr., nominated for his supporting role in Oppenheimer. However, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, and the Dog From Anatomy of a Fall really stole the show.
Messi, the lovable pooch from Anatomy of a Fall, stole the Oscar Show
The breakout star of the Oscar Nominees Luncheon was the lovable pooch from Anatomy of a Fall. Messi, the canine actor portraying Snoop in Justine Triet’s film, stole the hearts of nearly every nominee present. From Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera of Barbie to the musical sensation Billie Eilish, everyone seemed to be enchanted by the furry star.
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The Anatomy of a Fall canine star traveled from France to attend the Academy Award Nominees Luncheon in Los Angeles on Monday, per the dog’s trainer Laura Martin Contini. The talented dog has been praised as the star of the French courtroom drama. Justine Triet’s movie centers on Sandra Voyter played by Sandra Hüller, a famous German novelist who is on trial in France, accused of pushing her husband to his death. Messi was popular with other stars at the luncheon, including Ryan Gosling, who was seen on video waving to the dog. NEON, which distributed the film in the U.S., also shared a photo of Bradley Cooper meeting Messi.
The Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards have voted Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall as the best movie of the year, with Sandra Hüller earning the best female actor crown for her star turn in the Cannes Palme d’Or award winner. The French courtroom drama also won the Best Picture prize, beating Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest.
Emma Stone, the best actor nominee from Poor Things, was also seen having a friendly exchange with Colman Domingo from “Rustin” and his wife Raúl Domingo, forming a potential friendship and collaboration. The entire team behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse also attended the event, including producers Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Amy Pascal, and directors Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson. Attendees included Hailee Steinfeld, who engaged in conversation with Finneas and Billie Eilish about potential music collaborations. Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya also spoke to Black British punk rocker Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk.
What is Anatomy of a Fall about?
Anatomy of a Fall is a 2023 French legal drama thriller film directed by Justine Triet, starring Sandra Hüller as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband’s death. The film won the Palme d’Or and Palm Dog Award at the 76th Cannes Film Festival and was released theatrically in France by Le Pacte on 23 August 2023. It received critical acclaim and sold over one million admissions in France, earning 11 nominations at the 49th César Awards. The film also gained international success, winning two Golden Globe awards seven at the BAFTAs and five at the Oscars.
Samuel Maleski, a German novelist, is found dead in his attic in an isolated mountain chalet near Grenoble. His wife, Sandra Voyter, requests a reschedule with a female student interviewing her, but their son, Daniel, finds Samuel dead below his attic window. Sandra believes the fall was accidental, but lawyer Vincent Renzi disagrees. Sandra shares Samuel’s previous attempt to overdose on aspirin six months ago after he switched off antidepressants. Vincent notes a bruise on Sandra’s arm, which she claims was caused by a countertop bump.
Daniel’s parents had a calm conversation when he left the house, but he gave conflicting accounts of his position. An autopsy revealed Samuel’s head wound, blood spatter, and an audio recording of a fight he and Sandra had the day before his death, prompting an indictment. Sandra’s defense team claims Samuel fell from an attic window and hit his head on a shed, while the prosecution claims Sandra hit him with a blunt object and pushed him from a balcony. Sandra admits her resentment towards Samuel due to his partial responsibility for Daniel’s impaired vision.
Samuel accuses Sandra of plagiarism, infidelity, and controlling his life in a violent argument. The prosecution claims all violence was from Sandra, who slapped Samuel’s face, threw a glass at a wall, and suffered bruises on her arms. The rest of the violence is heard as Samuel beats himself. Sandra admits to having an affair with a woman before Samuel’s death, and the prosecution claims that Samuel’s loud music was jealous, leading to a physical confrontation where Sandra killed him. The prosecutor notes Sandra’s tendency to write personal conflicts into her stories, implying that Samuel’s murder could mirror a minor character’s thoughts.
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