Hugs, kisses, Madonna, and Barry in a vest
WITH no big controversies or cock-ups, a good spread of winners and a show-stopping performance from Ryan Gosling, this year’s Oscars was the most enjoyable yet for Ed Guiney of Element Pictures – even if he passed up on partying with Jay-Z and Beyoncé afterwards.
The producer of Poor Things – which yielded four statuettes last Sunday for Production Design, Makeup and Hair, Costume Design and Best Actress for Emma Stone – has been to the ceremony several times but said there was a notable ‘party atmosphere’ in the air this time around.
He said: ‘I think because Oppenheimer didn’t dominate completely – it won seven [from 13 nods] which is huge and they were obviously thrilled, but it wasn’t just one film [getting all the glory].
‘There was us, Zone of Interest, Anatomy of a Fall, American Fiction, so the love was spread a bit, which was good; more happy people.’
The Element team weren’t there when Will Smith came onstage to assault host Chris Rock two years ago but were in attendance in 2017 when La La Land was mistakenly read out as Best Picture winner instead of Moonlight – which Mr Guiney’s cofounder Andrew Lowe described as ‘chaotic’. ‘The room felt very goodhumoured and the Ryan Gosling Ken song went down a bomb,’ Mr Guiney said. ‘It was brilliant when [Guns N’ Roses guitarist] Slash came on.’ The Dubliner described the whole day as ‘one long “pinch me” moment’ and called the Dolby Theatre ‘weirdly intimate’.
‘All the big stars are sitting around you. I was sitting beside [Poor Things director] Yorgos Lanthimos who was sitting opposite [Oppenheimer director] Christopher Nolan. And he was sitting behind Stephen Spielberg, so you’re kind of right in the middle of it.
‘People are very friendly and warm, whenever there’s a break everyone gets up and mills around chatting... then they shout at us to sit down again.’
The Governors Ball upstairs afterwards was ‘very convivial, very nice’, with everyone ‘running around with their Oscars taking pictures’.
Then it was on to the after parties, with Mr Guiney popping in to events hosted by Poor Things distributor Searchlight and Vanity Fair, before one thrown by Dublin cinematographer Robbie Ryan, who was nominated for his work on Poor Things.
‘It was really good fun,’ Mr Guiney said. ‘Robbie had hired his own venue and he’s a DJ... lots of people from other films turned up and that went on to silly o’clock.’
The triple Oscar-nominated producer didn’t make it to JayZ and Beyoncé’s party at the Chateau Marmont hotel, but business partner Mr Lowe did.
‘He said it was very cool, amazing DJ, great food and wine,’ Mr Guiney lamented. ‘I was a bit sorry I was too tired!’