The annual ritual of the Academy Awards was given a fun, light-hearted spin this year but was also an important event as far as awarding the coveted Oscar to those most deserving. Ellen DeGeneres, one of the world’s most famous female stand-up comedians and talk show queens, was given charge of hosting the Oscars ceremony where she lived up to her reputation as always giving the crowd something to look forward to and entertaining them non-stop. From the many side-splitting moments, two really stood out: Ellen serving major front-row stars pizza and taking a ‘selfie’ photograph — with the likes of Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and many more — which was ‘retweeted’ on Twitter immediately, going on to crash the site after more than one million views. On to the winners. The award for best picture went to 12 Years A Slave, the tear-jerking, incredible true story of Solomon Northup, an African-American man, kidnapped and sold into slavery. That the most prestigious award of the night went to a movie about such an important issue speaks volumes about how the Academy members now understand and give due credit to the relevance of stories based on human perseverance and courage. The award for best supporting actress went to Lupita Nyong’o, also from the same movie. The best actor award went to Matthew McConaughey — the southern actor has been on an upward trajectory in Hollywood lately — for his role in Dallas Buyers Club, a movie about AIDS and how difficult it can be for AIDS patients to afford the drugs needed to treat their ailment. These are issues of human and social importance, and it is heartening to see them receive the kind of spotlight that only the most sought after award in Hollywood can get them. Gravity, the gut-wrenching, white-knuckle ride through space, won the most golden statues due to its thrilling visuals, direction and music. All in all it was one of those magical nights that the movies have always been known for. A long standing tradition, these awards do something that nothing else does — for those few hours that they are on, star-struck people from all over the world switch on their television sets, no matter what time of the day or night, to eagerly watch their favourite movies and celebrities take the statue. If movies are meant to transport us and provide an escape from our humdrum lives, then the Oscars are pure magic altogether. *