620 Chapter 620 - Best Director is...

This time, the competition for Best Director was fierce. Apart from Laila's "Chicago," there were "Gangs of New York," "The Hours," "The Pianist," and the recently awarded Golden Globe winner for Best Foreign Language Film, "Talk to Her."

All these films aligned well with the aesthetic views of the Oscar judges—depth, story, complexity, and darkness. It could be said that awarding any one of them wouldn't be unexpected.

Even if the award went to Laila, there wouldn't be many objections to such a result because her movie was just that good. If someone dared to bring up her qualifications and argue that she shouldn't win, they would probably be met with a barrage of criticism.

Apart from age, who could say she lacked the capability? The second-highest-grossing film in cinematic history bore her name!

"The Best Director is..." The presenter intentionally paused before loudly announcing the winner's name, "Roman Polanski, 'The Pianist'!"

"Clap, clap," a few abrupt applause sounds spurred the entire audience into applause. However, it was just applause; there were no cheers or whistles.

Roy's heart skipped a beat. He wrapped his arm around Laila's shoulders, planting a kiss on her forehead, expressing regret for her loss. "There'll be another chance."

"Sure." Laila smiled, accepting his and everyone's consolation.

They didn't know she was secretly relieved. The awards tonight had made her extremely nervous. Winning Best Supporting Actress, along with Best Actor and Actress, had already surpassed her expectations. If she were to be greedy and aim for Best Director as well, it would probably be too much even for the gods to overlook.

Moreover, she believed she would eventually win Best Director. Although it would take a few more years to accomplish, in her calculations, she would undoubtedly break the record for the youngest Oscar-winning director.

If someone knew she had already planned everything in her mind, they would either mock her arrogance or be shocked by her meticulous calculations. However, at this moment, she was more of a failure, a little girl in need of consolation.

The interaction between Laila and Roy was captured by the cameras, once again forcing those who witnessed it to consume another mouthful of dog food. Countless people envied the sincerity of their relationship, believing their love to be the most genuine.

Applause for the Best Director winner, in comparison to others, wasn't particularly warm. This was mainly because the person in question was quite controversial.

His talent was undeniable. In 1962, Roman Polanski's first feature film, "Knife in the Water," received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. After that, he ventured into many areas, garnering one award after another.

However, in 1977, he committed the crime of having an inappropriate relationship with a 13-year-old girl. Whether it was connected to the murder of his wife by a cult or some other reason, his actions led to accusations of child molestation. He couldn't set foot on American soil; entering the U.S. would result in his arrest. He had fled the United States before the verdict.

Therefore, when Harrison Ford announced he had won the Best Director award, he couldn't personally come to accept it.

It was this person who obtained the coveted trophy that Laila had dreamed of, making her gaze at the podium complex.

She knew that in later years, Roman would be a controversial figure, and someone even made a documentary about his experiences. Many people believed he was a talented person who shouldn't have his abilities overshadowed by one incident.

But for Laila, shouldn't a person who commits a mistake receive consequences? Especially when it involved inappropriate actions with a thirteen-year-old girl. Regardless of how others saw it, she felt this person's character was deeply flawed.

However, filmmaking was like this. Even if a director had questionable morals, they could still create astonishing works with their talent.

Now, the Oscar awards were reaching the final category—the Best Picture.

This was an overall evaluation of the entire film, not something achieved through the chemistry of one or two people. Every category in the Oscars was highly competitive. Just look at the nominated films; each one had the aura of a champion. Regardless of which film won, it wouldn't be unexpected for a certain group of people.

Laila watched as the presenter walked onto the stage, listened to him recite the names of the nominated films, and watched the movie clips displayed on the big screen according to his words. At this moment, she felt the voice in her head growing fainter as if her soul had left the venue.

In her previous life, "Chicago" did indeed win the Best Picture. However, it was later dubbed the "worst Best Picture in Oscar history" in reviews.

This was a shameful evaluation. Laila wasn't sure if she would be labeled with the same title. If so, she would prefer not to contend for that award...

Okay, if she thought like this, she wouldn't be herself. Similar thoughts circled in her mind before being swiftly discarded.

Kidding! For someone who, in the past, produced even the most sensational plots for ratings, would she care about such things? As long as the awards she deserved were in her hands, what did the opinions of others have to do with her? Moreover, she had confidence in herself. Although she wouldn't dare claim her film surpassed other Best Picture winners in history, at the very least, the "worst" label shouldn't apply to her!

Look at the awards she had already won! Best Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, and, more importantly, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, and Best Actress!

If all these combined couldn't prove the excellence of "Chicago," Laila truly didn't know to what extent one should be considered outstanding.

"And the Best Picture is... 'Chicago'!"

Amid the tense anticipation, the name "Chicago" resonated as expected from the presenter's lips.

Laila felt as if something in her chest had exploded, causing her entire being to soar into the sky. Even her feet seemed to have left the ground.

It turned out that Roy had lifted her and spun her around.

"Laila, we won! We're the best!"

Laila, now back to reality, exclaimed, "We won!" Yes, they had won!

"Haha! We won!" She laughed heartily.

During the award acceptance, Laila and Louise ascended the stage together. Typically, the Best Picture award should be received by the producers, and often directors and actors join them for a lively celebration.

This time, however, the rest of the crew didn't follow. Since most of them had already received awards, they left this precious opportunity to Laila and Louise, the leaders who had orchestrated the miracle of the film.