The 97th Academy Awards

A Word from Max Markowitz of moviecritic.today

The 97th Academy Awards went better than I could have EVER anticipated. It was fun, celebratory, humorous, beautiful and clever. Everyone was dressed to the nines and glitzy glistening gowns were the dress code for Hollywood.

Of course, the biggest victory was Sean Baker’s Anora! I KNEW it would prevail! I think it’s THE BEST FILM OF THIS DECADE. It's a film the world needs so desperately at this moment in time. Now that it’s won, I recommend it to everyone who hasn’t seen it yet. Everyone who has seen it knows how rewatchable it is. Anora is a victorious battle cry for the soul of cinema and the excellence of art. I cannot wait to see it again. It NEVER loses its enchantment.

Mikey Madison’s speech was so beautiful as was Adrien Brody’s. I loved seeing Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande sing so angelically, and host Conan O’Brien was adorable, funny, jittery, and altogether wonderful. I also LOVED the sandworm from Dune playing an instrument. It was so adorable it made me melt very slowly.

I send the utmost congratulations to all the winners and nominees from last night.  I can’t wait to move forward with another great year of cinema. I hope we can all heed Sean Baker’s plea to get seats back in the movie theater. “Watching a film in a theater with an audience is an experience. We can laugh together, cry together, scream and fight together, perhaps sit in devastated silence together. And in a time in which the world can feel very divided, this is more important than ever.”

On that note, stay tuned to what’s playing at a.cinemas. Our upcoming lineup is packed with films that will bring people together in a shared cinematic experience—where movies truly come to life. Each a.cinema screening offers a luxurious, intimate atmosphere designed to make every movie feel like a special event. 

Max, the founder of moviecritic.today and our a.cinema programming, was asked to be a guest on the well-known weekly morning show, This Week in Connecticut, with Dennis House to discuss his Oscar predictions! You can watch Max HERE