Los Angeles, February 25
Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage drama ‘Argo’ rode to victory by taking home the Best Picture Oscar, the highest honour at the 85th Academy Awards while ‘Life of Pi’ helmer Ang Lee pulled off a surprise best director win over Steven Spielberg for his India-set drama.

Making an unprecedented appearance from White House through a video link, First Lady Michelle Obama helped actor Jack Nicholson present the final prize.

“I want to acknowledge the other great films that have as much right to be up here as we do and many of them who did not even get nominated this year,” Affleck, 40, said as he sped through his speech.

US First Lady Michelle Obama, on a video screen, announces the Oscar for Best Movie along with actor Jack Nicholson onstage on Sunday. — AFP

Played out against the backdrop of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, ‘Argo’ spins the real account of a joint Hollywood-CIA mission to pull out six American diplomats from Tehran while posing as a fake movie crew.

Taiwan’s Lee upset front-runner Spielberg to win his second Best Director Oscar for visually stunning 3D survival tale of a shipwrecked Indian boy lost in the ocean with a Bengal tiger.

“Thank you, movie god. Everybody who worked with me on Life of Pi. I want to thank you for believing in this story and share this incredible journey with me... Wonderful cast. Suraj, where are you? You’re a miracle... Thank you, Xie xie, namaste,” Lee said.

A five-time Oscar nominee, Lee previously won the Oscar for his 2000 gay cowboy drama ‘Brokeback Mountain’.

British actor Daniel Day-Lewis, 55, created history by winning his third Best Actor Oscar for bringing to life the 16th US President Abraham Lincoln in ‘Lincoln’. His previous wins were for ‘My Left Foot’ in 1989 and ‘There Will Be Blood’ in 2007.

“I’ve received so much more than my fair share of good fortune in my life... At the apex of that human pyramid there are three men to whom I owe this and a great deal more: Tony Kushner, our beloved skipper Steven Spielberg and the mysteriously beautiful mind, body and spirit of Abraham Lincoln,” said Day-Lewis in a gracious speech, acknowledging fellow nominees as “my equals, my betters”.

Best Actress winner 22-year-old Jennifer Lawrence saw off competition from Jessica Chastain, Naomi Watts, oldest nominee Emmanuelle Riva, 86, and youngest nominee, 9-year Quvenzhane Wallis in one of the most closely contested category.

Lawrence, who took a tumble while climbing the stairs, was given a standing ovation following the accident. “Thank you. You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that’s really embarrassing but thank you. This is nuts...,” Lawrence said.

The supporting honours were bestowed upon Christoph Waltz for his turn as bounty hunter Dr King Schultz in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Django Unchained’ and Anne Hathaway for her role of dying prostitute Fantine in Tom Hooper’s ‘Les Miserables’.

The best original screenplay Oscar went to Tarantino, who in an unusually long speech, said he was happy to win because it was one of the best years in cinema writing.

The best adapted screenplay was won by Chris Terrio of ‘Argo’. Terrio adapted the film from an article from Wired magazine and CIA man Tony Mendez’s book ‘The Master of Disguise’.

Mychael Danna won the Best Original Score Oscar for his work in ‘Pi’ but India’s hopes were dashed after sole nominee Bombay Jayshri lost the Best Original Song trophy to British singer Adele, who won it for James Bond theme ‘Skyfall’.

‘Amour’, nominated in five categories including the best director and actress, won its lone award in the best foreign film category over Norway’s Kon-Tiki, Chile’s ‘No’, Denmark’s ‘A Royal Affair’ and ‘War Witch’ from Canada’.

Claudia Miranda won the best cinematography trophy for his exceptional camera work in technically brilliant ‘Life of Pi’. The film, which won four trophies out of its 11 nods, also brought Oscars for its visual effects team.

‘Argo’ won the best film editing trophy for William Goldenberg while makeup and hairstyling award went to musical ‘Les Miserables’.

James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ won its first Oscar in three decades by tying up for best sound editing trophy with Osama bin Laden manhunt drama ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ while ‘Les Miserables’ won in the sound mixing category. Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes won the sound mixing award for ‘Les Miserables’. — PTI

Iran scoffs at ‘Argo’

Tehran: Iran's state TV today dismissed the Oscar-winning film "Argo" as an "advertisement for the CIA" and some Iranians called the award a political statement by America for its unflattering portrayal of the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Played out against the backdrop of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, ‘Argo’ spins the real account of a joint Hollywood-CIA mission to pull out six American diplomats from Tehran while posing as a fake movie crew.