’12 Years a Slave’ wins best picture Oscar

PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

’12 Years a Slave’ wins best picture OscarPhuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: Harrowing historical drama “12 Years a Slave” won the coveted best picture Oscar on Sunday and Mexican Alfonso Cuaron won the best director for 3D space drama “Gravity” at the climax of the 86th Academy Awards.

The movie by British director Steve McQueen beat eight fellow nominees – “American Hustle,” “Captain Phillips,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Gravity,” “Her,” “Nebraska,” “Philomena,” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

Mr Cuaron spoke of the “traumatic experience” of making the film, which had already won several other Oscars earlier in the night, and thanked his stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. “Sandy, you are ‘Gravity’,” he said.

“You are the soul, heart of the film, the most amazing collaborator and one of the best people I’ve ever met.”

Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett won the best actress Oscar for “Blue Jasmine”. She was the clear front runner for the award, beating fellow nominees Amy Adams (“American Hustle”), Sandra Bullock (“Gravity”), Judi Dench (“Philomena”) and Meryl Streep (“August: Osage County”).

Matthew McConaughey won the best actor Oscar on Sunday for his role in true-life Aids activist drama “Dallas Buyers Club”.

Mr McConaughey beat fellow nominees Christian Bale (“American Hustle”), Bruce Dern (“Nebraska”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf of Wall Street”) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years a Slave”).

— Phuket Gazette Editors