Chelsea Handler set an engaging tone at the Critics Choice Awards on Friday night with her opening monologue. The TV host, known for her sharp wit, "thanked" actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni during the ceremony held in Santa Monica. Her comments provided a lighter moment amid the serious backdrop of the recent deadly wildfires in LA, which she acknowledged by praising the first responders for their bravery.
The ceremony witnessed several notable wins, with Demi Moore bagging the best actress award. Moore, who also won a Golden Globe last month, triumphed for her role in the body horror film, The Substance. Her victory came at the expense of Karla Sofia Gascon, whose past tweets had stirred controversy. Moore expressed her gratitude to the audience, saying:
"This has been such a wild ride."
She also highlighted the significance of her genre, stating:
"Thank you for celebrating 'this genre of horror films, that are overlooked and not seen for the profundity that they can hold.'"
Meanwhile, Anora, a Spanish-language musical about a stripper and occasional sex worker, surprised many by winning best picture after missing out in earlier categories. Despite this setback, the film picked up several accolades throughout the night, including best supporting actress for Zoe Saldana.
In other major wins, Adrian Brody took home the best actor award for his performance in The Brutalist, while Jon M. Chu was recognized as best director for Wicked.
The evening was not without its controversies. Justin Baldoni is currently embroiled in a legal battle with Blake Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds. Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and a smear campaign in December. Baldoni, 41, is counter-suing on grounds of civil extortion, defamation, and invasion of privacy. Additionally, Baldoni is pursuing a libel case against the New York Times.
Handler's monologue humorously addressed the tensions surrounding these high-profile disputes, remarking:
"Thank you for providing us with that distraction."
She further quipped:
"I think everybody in this room, no matter whose side you're on, we can all agree to accept that there's probably not going to be a sequel."
Leave a Reply