NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Celine Song鈥檚 earned top honors at the Gotham Awards on Monday evening at an award-season kickoff where the night's biggest drama came in a political speech by Robert De Niro that the actor claimed had been edited without his permission.
鈥淧ast Lives,鈥� a breakout at the Sundance Film Festival in January and an arthouse hit in June for A24, may be poised to be an Oscar sleeper this year after winning best feature film at the Gothams. Affection is strong for Song鈥檚 directorial debut, starring Greta Lee as a woman born in Seoul who, after marrying an American (John Magaro), reconnects with a childhood friend from South Korea (Teo Yoo).
鈥淭his is the first film I've ever made and a very personal film about an extraordinary feeling I had in an ordinary bar in the East Village, not too many blocks away from here," said Song, accepting the award. 鈥淎s this film has been shared with the world, it has taught me 鈥� and taught us 鈥� that you're never alone in that extraordinary feeling.鈥�
鈥淧ast Lives鈥� was expected to win, but the ceremony went off-script when De Niro, co-star in Martin Scorsese's 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon,鈥� took the podium to present a tribute award to the film. While giving his remarks, De Niro noticed a section had been omitted on the teleprompter. After attempting to scroll back through, he completed his speech before returning to read from his phone.
鈥淭he beginning of my speech was edited, cut out,鈥� De Niro said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know about it.鈥�
De Niro, known for his fiery rhetoric against former President Donald Trump, then expanded on what he called America's 鈥減ost-truth society" and chided Hollywood 鈥� specifically John Wayne 鈥� for earlier depictions of Native Americans.
鈥淭he former president lied to us more than 30,000 times during his four years in office, and he鈥檚 keeping up the pace with his current campaign of retribution,鈥� De Niro said. 鈥淲ith all of his lies, he can鈥檛 hide his soul. He attacks the weak, destroys the gifts of nature and shows his disrespect for example using Pocahontas as a slur.鈥�
De Niro seemed to blame Apple, which produced 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon,鈥� for the changes to his speech.
鈥淪o I鈥檓 going to say these things 鈥� to Apple and thank them, all that. Gothams. Blah blah blah. Apple. But I don鈥檛 really feel like thanking them at all for what they did,鈥� said De Niro. 鈥淗ow dare they do that, actually.鈥�
Apple didn't immediately respond to requests for comment late Monday evening.
It was still a big night for even though Scorsese unexpectedly wasn't in attendance. Lily Gladstone, who stars in the film opposite Leonardo DiCaprio, won for best lead performance 鈥� though not for that performance.
Gladstone won for a lesser-known film released earlier in 2023: 鈥淭he Unknown Country," in which stars as a woman embarking on a road trip though the Midwest. In each of her speeches 鈥� for 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon鈥� and 鈥淭he Unknown Country鈥� 鈥� Gladstone praised the filmmakers for prioritizing Native perspectives.
鈥淚 challenge everybody in this room who makes films: Invest. When you have a budget, invest it in the people,鈥� said Gladstone. 鈥淚nvest in the people that you鈥檙e telling your story about. Your film will be better for it. Your lives will be better for it.鈥�
The , now in their 33rd year, leapfrog most of the major ceremonies that lead up to the Academy Awards. But over time, they鈥檝e established themselves as the first big party of the season, and an early hint at some of the favorites.
Put on by the Gotham Film & Media Institute and held annually at Cipriani Wall Street, the Gothams have some quirks that make them different than other awards. Prizes are chosen by small committees of film professionals, critics and journalists. Their acting categories are also gender neutral, with 10 actors nominated for lead performance, and another 10 up for supporting performances.
This year, one of the most competitive categories was best international film. There, Justine Triet's courtroom drama triumphed over the likes of 鈥淧oor Things,鈥� 鈥淎ll of Us Strangers鈥� and 鈥淭he Zone of Interest.鈥� Triet's film also won for best screenplay.
Andrew Haigh鈥檚 tender metaphysical drama 鈥淎ll of Us Strangers,鈥� starring Andrew Scott as a screenwriter cast back into his childhood while developing a relationship with a neighbor (Paul Mescal), had come into the Gothams as the lead nominee with four nods, but went home without a trophy.
The Gothams this year removed a $35 million budget cap for nominees, but many big-budget films still opted not to submit themselves. The monthslong meant awards season got off to a slower start, but one of the early questions is if anything can rival those diametrically opposed
Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie of 鈥淏arbie鈥� were among the numerous tribute awards. In their joint speech, Gerwig said her partner, Noah Baumbach, found out he was co-writing the movie with her from a Variety article that cited them both. He sent the article to Gerwig with just a question mark, she said.
鈥淭hen he wrote back: 鈥業t鈥檚 OK, we'll make each other laugh,'" added Gerwig.
Best supporting performance went to Charles Melton of He plays a young father who first began his relationship with his wife (Julianne Moore) when he was a minor.
A.V. Rockwell, whose directorial debut 鈥淎 Thousand and One鈥� stars Teyana Taylor as a single mother, won for breakthrough director. She noted all of her fellow nominees were women. 鈥淚t's a fight just to get here,鈥� she said.
鈥淛ust to be frank, it is very hard to tell a culturally specific story when you look like this,鈥� said Rockwell.
Best documentary went to Kaouther Ben Hania鈥檚 Tunisian film 鈥淔our Daughters,鈥� a true story about a Tunisian women with two daughters who became radicalized. The film reconstructs their disappearance.
In the TV categories, starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as a pair locked in a feud after a road rage incident, won for both breakthrough series under 40 minutes and for Wong's performance.
"If you haven't seen 鈥楤eef鈥� yet, I swear it鈥檚 more than me and Steven crying." Wong said.
Tribute awards ensured that some star power hit the Gothams stage. They were given to: Bradley Cooper, the director, star and co-writer of 鈥淢aestro鈥�; Ben Affleck, the ; ; and Michael Mann, the director of 鈥淔errari."
Affleck, however, wasn't in attendance. The film's screenwriter, Alex Convery, instead accepted the award.
鈥淲ell, you thought you were getting Ben Affleck,鈥� said Convery. 鈥淪orry.鈥�
The Gothams have a checkered history of forecasting future awards glory. Last year, it was in what became and where Ke Huy Quan鈥檚 supporting-actor bid got its start. The year before that, Gotham winner 鈥淭he Lost Daughter鈥� faded on the campaign trail, but 2020-winner 鈥淣omadland鈥� went the distance to the Academy Awards.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
