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HOLLYWOOD, California — Deaf family drama “CODA” won best picture honours at the Oscars on Sunday, the first ever triumph for a streamer, in a ceremony that was overshadowed by best actor-winner Will Smith striking comedian Chris Rock on stage for making a joke about his wife.

Seeking to reassert its relevance, the Academy Awards gala was packed with big musical performances and three wise-cracking female hosts — but will enter the history books for the shocking Smith-Rock altercation, which changed the mood of the night before the final prizes were announced.

“CODA”, a feel-good indie drama starring deaf actors in lead roles which had been presumed a longshot for Hollywood’s biggest prize until very recently, pulled off a remarkable late surge to emerge triumphant. 

The film bagged the historic prize for Apple TV+, a relative newcomer in a streaming market dominated by rivals like Netflix.

“Thank you to the Academy for letting our ‘CODA’ make history tonight,” said producer Philippe Rousselet.

Taking its title from the acronym for child of deaf adult, the movie also won for best adapted screenplay, and best supporting actor for Troy Kotsur, who plays the father of a teenage girl who can hear and wants to pursue a career in music.

Kotsur dedicated his golden statuette to the deaf and disabled communities.

“This is our moment,” he said.

Jessica Chastain won best actress for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”, in which she played a real-life televangelist who became an unlikely champion for the LGBTQ community.

“We’re faced with discriminatory and bigoted legislation that is sweeping our country... in times like this, I think of Tammy and I’m inspired by her radical acts of love,” she said.

‘Art imitates life’

But Tinseltown’s biggest night was dominated by a shocking moment in which Smith — who won best actor for his work on “King Richard” — slapped Rock on stage, before returning to his seat alongside his wife Jada Pinkett Smith and shouting profanities.

The moment left stunned viewers questioning if it had been scripted or genuine. 

Smith, who plays the father of tennis greats Serena and Venus Williams in “King Richard”, added: “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams.”

Los Angeles police said they were aware of the incident but that Rock had not filed a police report. The Academy tweeted that it “does not condone violence of any form”.

‘Diverse characters’

Until recently it had appeared that dark, psychological Western “The Power of the Dog” was set to earn Netflix its much-coveted first best picture statuette.

As it turned out, the film won only best director for Jane Campion.

She is only the third woman to do so in Oscars history, just a year after Chloe Zhao became the second (“Nomadland”). Kathryn Bigelow was the first for “The Hurt Locker”.

Kenneth Branagh triumphed for best original screenplay for his childhood-inspired “Belfast” — another presumed best picture frontrunner.

Ariana DeBose won best supporting actress for playing Anita in “West Side Story”, and Disney’s “Encanto” was named best animated feature.

DeBose, who first made her name on Broadway, celebrated her historic win for “an openly queer woman of colour, an Afro-Latina”.

Yvett Merino, producer of Colombia-set “Encanto”, said she was “so proud to be a part of a film that put beautiful, diverse characters in front and centre”.

“Summer of Soul” won best documentary for musician Questlove’s first movie about the huge “Black Woodstock” festival that took place in 1969 Harlem.

Japan’s “Drive My Car”, a Japanese arthouse film based on a short story of the same name by Haruki Murakami, was named best international film.

Powerhouse music

Pop megastar Beyonce began the televised broadcast with her nominated tune from “King Richard”, from the Compton courts where Serena and Venus trained as girls.

But the award for best original song went to Billie Eilish for her James Bond theme song “No Time to Die”.

In another musical highlight, viral sensation “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” was performed live, with Megan Thee Stallion adding an Oscars-themed verse to the “Encanto” hit song.

Hosts Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer and Regina Hall kicked off proceedings inside the Dolby Theatre — where the Oscars returned after a year away due to the pandemic — with an opening skit that poked fun at everything from sexism in Hollywood to Florida’s “Don’t say gay” bill.

“This year, the Academy hired three women to host because it’s cheaper than hiring one man,” said Schumer.

Sci-fi epic “Dune” ended the night with the most wins, earning six in craft and technical categories — best sound, score, editing, production design, visual effects and cinematography.

‘Devastation’

The annual “in memoriam” paid tribute to cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was shot dead by Alec Baldwin in a tragic accident on the set of Western “Rust” last year.

Recently deceased Hollywood greats also honoured in the segment included Sidney Poitier — the first Black man to win best actor.

The gala held a moment’s silence for Ukraine, while presenter Mila Kunis — who was born in the country — said it was “impossible not to be moved” by the resilience of “those facing such devastation”.

Several attendees wore blue ribbons reading #WithRefugees.

A common feature of most European and Japanese manufacturers’ model lines until not too long ago, the small sports saloon was a mildly more powerful but practical, relatively affordable and keen drivers’ car version of garden-variety offerings. 

In recent years, this segment has largely given way to hot hatches, almost oxymoronic sports crossovers and larger, heavier, pricier and far more powerful prestigious executive sports and super saloons.

Notable examples like the Subaru WRX STI, Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG A45 — and slightly toned down WRX, S3 and A35 variants — steadfastly still deliver big thrills in a small saloon package. However, they are more complex, costly and specialised than the small sports saloons of past that walked a fine line between the common and quick, without being over-complicated. Ever rarer, slightly larger and more modern, similar such small sensible sports saloons, however, still carry on at Honda, Mazda and MG.

Honda Civic Si

Introduced last year for 2022 in the US and elsewhere, the Honda Civic Si is the sportiest and most powerful of the Japanese manufacturer’s eleventh generation compact saloon line yet. Whether it will be usurped as such by a full-blooded high performance Civic Type-R remains unknown, but the Civic Si nevertheless brilliantly captures the small sports saloon niche, with its athletic yet not overstated styling, potent but not overwhelming output and expected keen handling characteristics.

Powered by an up-rated version of Honda’s turbocharged 1.5-litre 4-cylinder engine, the Civic Si develops 200BHP at a moderately peaky 6,000rpm and a muscularly meaty 

192lb/ft torque throughout a broad 1,800-5,000rpm band. Brisk through 0-100km/h in around 7-seconds, the Civic Si meanwhile rides on sophisticated multilink rear suspension and features wrist-flick quick 2.17-turn lock-to-lock steering. Standout for enthusiasts driver are the Si’s limited-slip differential for agile cornering, and its engaging manual gearbox as standard.

Shark-nosed and snouty with an elegantly descending roofline, rear spoiler and seemingly descending waistline that bucks current design trends, the Civic Si is offered with a sportier HPT appearance package. Not launched in Middle East markets yet, it is expected that a slightly toned-down Civic RS version might instead be eventually offered in Jordan, as with the previous generation. Available in Indonesia, the Civic RS is instead tuned to 180BHP, driven through continuously variable transmission.

Specifications: Honda Civic Si

• Engine: 1.5-litre, turbo-charged 4-cylinders
• Gearbox: 6-speed manual
• Drive-line: Front-wheel-drive, limited-slip differential
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 200 (203) [149] @6,000rpm
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 192 (260) @1,800-5,000rpm
• 0-100km/h: approximately 7-seconds
• Top speed: 240km/h (estimate)
• Length: 4,674mm
• Width: 1,801mm
• Height: 1,410mm
• Wheelbase: 2,735mm
• Weight: 1,318kg
• Suspension: MacPherson struts / multi-link
• Tyres: 235/40R18

Mazda 3 2.5L

An elegantly athletic take on the mainstream small sports saloon, the Mazda 3 edges towards a more premium positioning with its “Kodo” design philosophy. Stylishly upmarket with flowing lines, delicately contoured surfaces, urgent posture, huge jutting, hungry mesh grille and slim squinting headlights, the Mazda 3 is meanwhile refined and tastefully “human-centric” inside. Under the bonnet, its sophisticated and innovative Skyactiv engine options keep the internal combustion engine relevant, even as other manufacturers wind down further development. 

A smooth and refined ride, the Mazda 3 is nevertheless ager and sporty handling through twists and turns. With quick, accurate and intuitive steering and nimble maneuverability, the Mazda 3 keeps the driver at the centre of the action. A range-topping 250BHP turbocharged version available in the US and ultra sophisticated Skyactiv-X engines in Europe, but it is perhaps the US market’s 2.5-litre Skyactiv-G engine that best stands out in this segment for its progressive delivery. 

A high compression engine requiring just 91RON petrol, the 2.5L engine produces 186BHP at 6,000rpm and 186lb/ft torque at 4,000rpm. Capable of 0-100km/h in 7.9-seconds, its specs point to eager, slightly peaky, precise and responsive characteristics. An interesting grey market import proposition in 2.5L guise, the Mazda 3 is, however, available in the Middle East in naturally-aspirated 2-litre 153BHP spec, or in Jordan with a 1.5-litre 110BHP engine employing an un-intrusive, smoothly integrated mild hybrid system.

Specifications: Mazda 3 2.5L

• Engine: 2.5-litre, 4-cylinders
• Gearbox: 6-speed automatic
• Drive-line: Front-wheel-drive
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 186 (189) [139] @6,000rpm
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 186 (252) @4,000rpm
• 0-100km/h: 7.9-seconds (estimate)
• Top speed: 230km/h (estimate)
• Length: 4,660mm
• Width: 1,796mm
• Height: 1,445mm
• Wheelbase: 2,725mm
• Weight: 1,406kg
• Suspension: MacPherson struts / torsion beam
• Tyres: 215/45R18

MG GT 1.5T

A shark-nosed fast-backed addition to the increasingly popular “British born” Chinese car maker’s regional roster, the MG GT is a welcome addition to the dwindling small sports saloon segment’s ranks. Launched locally in short order after it debuting regionally late last year, the MG GT has however still not been available to test drive in Jordan, leaving the question hanging whether it lives up to sporting expectations stirred by manufacturer-led comparisons with classic MG sports cars.

Whether the GT delivers an unexpected but delightfully rewarding driving experience like the larger MG 6 or is instead a competent but not especially compelling economy saloon like the MG 5 remains debatable. However, the MG GT borrows from both, including the MG 6’s potent General Motor-derived turbo-charged 1.5-litre engine and 7-speed automated dual-clutch gearbox. The GT meanwhile shares a basic platform, torsion beam rear suspension, entry-level 116BHP naturally-aspirated 1.5-litre engine and CVT transmission with the MG 5.

With styling cues loosely harking back to the iconic 1970s MGB GT V8 and stylish driver-oriented cabin, the MG GT wears its sporting aspirations on its sleeve and is backed up by an XDS torque vectoring system for keener cornering. Safe to assume the top spec 171BHP turbo version will be the fun little firecracker it’s billed as, the question however remains whether the MG GT brings enough dynamic driving savvy to earn its sporting spurs in entry-level specification.

Specifications: MG GT 1.5T

• Engine: 1.5-litre, turbo-charged 4-cylinders
• Gearbox: 6-speed dual clutch automated
• Drive-line: Front-wheel-drive, XDS electronic differential lock
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 171 (173) [127.5] @5,600rpm (estimate)
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 184 (250) @1,700-4,400rpm (estimate)
• 0-100km/h: 8.5-seconds
• Top speed: 215km/h
• Length: 4,675mm
• Width: 1,842mm
• Height: 1,480mm
• Wheelbase: 2,680mm
• Weight: 1,318kg
• Suspension: MacPherson struts / torsion beam
• Tyres: 215/50R17

By Zenab Ishtay
Aromatherapist and Cosmetologist

Some essential oils spark passionate feelings as aphrodisiacs and can increase sexual desire. So why not spice things up with essential oils for love and romance.

Did you know aromatherapy can play a powerful role in your relationship?

How aromatherapy works

Your nose is part of your respiratory system. Essential oils penetrate the nostrils and make contact with the olfactory cells, which send electrical impulses to the brain. The limbic system is the part of the brain associated with memory and emotion. Here is where aromatherapy plays a significant role: Breathing the aromas of essential oils can trigger emotional and even physical responses and allows you to recall vivid memories of people or places.

When a person smells any of the essential oils used to stimulate the feelings of passion, love, affection and warmth, the respiratory system’s senses immediately start working. The limbic system will recognise this smell and translate it into emotions and feelings and work in the layers of your experiences — in the memories you have made around what love means to you. The sensations will be like a blast, and they will burst inside you.

Therefore, essential oils can be effective physiologically and emotionally; physiologically where they work on the actual physical condition and emotionally where they affect your mood, senses, feelings and memories.

Essential oils for love

Essential oils should be used frequently if you are to benefit fully from them. They work naturally and without any side effects. Here are two essential oils to improve and energise our love emotion:

• Geranium is one of the most effective essential oils to stimulate self-confidence, regulate hormonal conditions and help relieve stress. You can combine it with Jasmine, grapefruit, Neroli, Ylang ylang and essential oils of roses. These essential oils are highly recommended for improving the feeling of romantic love, self-love or a general love of others

• Myrrh, a yellow-brown viscous oil with a warm, rich and spicy smell, inspires peace, calm and healing. It is an aphrodisiac essential oil commonly used in ancient Egyptian culture. It blends with orange, patchouli, sandalwood, jasmine and rose

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

PARIS — Kim Jones may be borrowing from Dior’s most iconic female looks for his latest menswear collection but that doesn’t mean he believes gender boundaries are ready to disappear yet. 

“We live in cities and they are incredibly open, but go outside and it’s not the same,” Jones told AFP at his studio in Paris. 

“There are 40 countries in the world where if you dressed like that, you’d be killed,” he said, referring to the increasing number of traditionally female clothes in menswear collections. 

His own new collection, presented at Paris Fashion Week, included a male reworking of Dior’s iconic female Bar Jacket and plenty of feminine touches, from earrings and handbags to a sweatshirt covered in handwoven silk flowers.

None of this raises an eyebrow at fashion shows these days, where genderless clothes and a mix of male, female and trans models have become the norm. 

But the 42-year-old Jones, who travelled the globe as a child with his geologist father, has a pragmatic view of life beyond the catwalk. 

“I’m lucky, I grew up all over the world so I’ve seen it all and I understand we live in a bubble,” he told AFP. 

“If you go to other places, you have to be respectful of the culture.”

‘People want easiness’

Jones himself works on both sides of the divide since he has also been the womenswear and haute couture designer for Fendi since September 2020.

“One thing I find now I’m doing womenswear is how constrained menswear is,” he said. 

“Men’s clothing hasn’t changed much since the 1940s.” 

He sees his current priority — with the world still mired in the pandemic — as making Dior’s classic styles into something more comfortable. 

“Easiness is what people want now — I see it through sales, through talking to customers, everything.”

It fits neatly with Jones’s pioneering work at Louis Vuitton where, as artistic director from 2011 to 2018, he helped pioneer streetwear styles on the catwalk. 

Now wearing three hats, he dismisses the idea that he has too much on. 

“I like working and I’m in a really good stride,” he said. 

“The only problem for me now is COVID, because when I go home I have to isolate and keep away from everybody because I can’t lose 10 days.”

He has made sure to build holidays into his hectic calendar every two months to avoid burnout. 

“I’m not going to kill myself for these people. I’m not stupid!” he said with a laugh.

On Virgil

He struck a more sombre note as he recalled his friend and successor at Louis Vuitton, Virgil Abloh, who died from cancer in November and had his final collection presented in Paris. 

“I can’t really talk about it still because I can’t believe it’s happened,” Jones said. 

“[Virgil and I] messaged pretty much every week. We travelled the world together. We would sit on the floor of hotel rooms, designing together with Kanye [West], Pharrell [Williams]... I feel very lucky to have known him.” 

“It’s such a waste, to imagine what he could have done.”

HOLLYWOOD, California — Hollywood is anxious to find out if “CODA”, “The Power of the Dog” or “Belfast” will be named the year’s best film at the Oscars on Sunday — and whether audiences will actually tune in to see it happen.

Moody Western “The Power of the Dog” had looked set to ride off into the sunset with Tinseltown’s top prize, handing Netflix its much-coveted first best picture, but the Academy Awards race has been flung wide open in the past few weeks.

“CODA” — an uplifting drama about an eccentric deaf family — has surged in popularity, and industry insiders say Kenneth Branagh’s childhood-inspired “Belfast” cannot be ruled out.

“It’s a two- or three-horse race,” said Variety film awards editor Clayton Davis, who has witnessed “big momentum” for “CODA”.

“People have had a very rough last two years. And ‘CODA’ is positive, it’s feel-good. And I think voters are in a feel-good mood.”

“It’s a very tight race,” agreed Hollywood Reporter awards columnist Scott Feinberg.

While Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” is adored by many, it is “a bit more polarising” and “not everyone’s cup of tea” — a handicap, as Academy voters are asked to rank all 10 best picture nominees.

“CODA”, which began life as an indie drama, benefits from being perceived as “the underdog” — despite being bought and released by tech behemoth Apple, an Academy voter said.

“Some Academy members I speak to are still reluctant to vote for a Netflix film as a best picture. But then here comes Apple, a streaming service as well,” said the voter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, noting the “twist of irony”.

In a year when big-budget blockbusters finally hit reopened movie theatres and rival streamers amped up their libraries with star-packed new films, the acting categories are contested by some of the biggest names in the movie world.

Will Smith is the strong favourite for best actor for his turn as the father of Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard”.

“CODA” star Troy Kotsur, who is deaf, has swept the supporting actor prizes so far this awards season, melting hearts as a father who wants his daughter’s music aspirations to succeed, but depends on her to communicate with the outside world.

The best actress race is far closer.

Feinberg called it “truly one where any of the five nominees could win”, but said Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of a real-life televangelist in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” was the “likeliest” to strike Oscars gold.

Davis agreed that was the “smart money”, but said there was “a lot of love for Penelope Cruz”, who could spring an upset for Spanish drama “Parallel Mothers”.

Ariana DeBose is expected to win best supporting actress for musical remake “West Side Story”, although its revered director Steven Spielberg faces strong competition for best director from Campion.

Sci-fi epic “Dune” is expected to win the most Oscars overall due to its dominance in technical categories, from cinematography to visual effects.

The Oscars ceremony returns this year to its traditional venue at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, after pandemic protocols shifted last year’s ceremony to a downtown Los Angeles train station.

Television network ABC will hope for a return to the higher ratings of years past as well.

The 2021 gala was watched by a paltry 10 million viewers — a 56 per cent decline from 2020, which was already a record low.

Efforts to win back viewers include a new “fan favourite” prize voted for online by the public — introduced after popular blockbusters such as “Spider Man: No Way Home” and Bond flick “No Time To Die” received only a handful of nominations.

“Every award show is going through a ‘Come to Jesus’ moment,” said Davis, pointing out that nosediving audience numbers had hit all prize giving ceremonies.

“I think the Oscars are now finally trying something new, seeing how they can reach a new audience, this new TikTok generation.”

Among the new things on tap is the controversial decision to pre-tape the bestowing of awards in eight categories.

The pre-announced winners of best sound, best score and other less starry Oscars will have their speeches edited into the broadcast. But still, the perceived snub has been controversial in the industry.

The extra time will be allocated to longer musical performances and comedy skits from hosts Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall.

Beyonce will perform her nominated track from “King Richard”, lending the gala much-needed stardust, while the latest 007 theme will be performed by fellow nominee Billie Eilish.

“If the ratings are steady, or go down even further, they have a real big problem,”  said Feinberg.  

LOS ANGELES — Released 50 years ago this week, “The Godfather” broke all box office records, won best picture at the Oscars and introduced millions of fans to a world of mafia bosses, murder-for-hire and cannoli.

But when director Francis Ford Coppola — then “about 29 years old” — was offered the job of adapting Mario Puzo’s best-selling mob novel, he says he very nearly refused.

“I was greatly disappointed when I first started to read... it was really a potboiler that Mario Puzo had written to get some money [for] his kids,” Coppola told a 50th anniversary screening event at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Monday.

“When they did offer me the opportunity of doing it — mainly because everyone else had turned it down — I turned it down also.”

Fortunately, a young associate by the name of George Lucas insisted that Coppola take the job, as their fledgling, counter-cultural film studio American Zoetrope was heavily in debt.

“’Francis, we need the money! The tax authority is going to chain the front door... You’ve got to take a job like this’,” Coppola recalled the future “Star Wars” creator saying.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The Godfather — released on March 24, 1972, in an unusually large number of theatres from day one — was by September the highest grossing film of all time, supplanting “Gone with the Wind.”

In doing so, it helped usher in the blockbuster era, which truly took flight when Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” took over the box office record three years later.

According to Peter Biskind’s book “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls,” Coppola won a bet that Paramount would buy him a stretch limo if the film grossed $50 million. It grossed more than $130 million.

Coppola became the first superstar director, with the financial clout to back up his artistic credentials.

“It was the beginning of a new era for directors,” wrote Biskind.

‘Not happy’

But in many ways, “The Godfather” was an unlikely hit.

By 1972, gangster films had fallen out of fashion. Paramount had released “The Brotherhood” starring Kirk Douglas four years earlier, and it had bombed.

But Mario Puzo’s mafia novel was soaring in popularity, and the same studio held the rights.

Still, Paramount had trouble finding a director — Hollywood’s reigning auteurs like Elia Kazan, Costa-Gavras and Peter Bogdanovich turned it down.

Though he was a leader in the New Hollywood movement of hot-shot, anti-establishment young directors, Coppola did not have a major hit to his name, and was approached in part due to his Italian ancestry.

“If it got a lot of pushback from offended Italian Americans who felt that it was casting aspersions on Italians, I would get the heat, you know?” said Coppola.

While Paramount wanted a quick, cheap adaptation, Coppola fought for a bigger budget, insisting the film be shot in New York, in its original 1940s setting rather than the present day.

“The budget was about $2 million, $2.5 million. And by my wanting to make it in New York and make it in period 1945, it meant that probably that was going to at least get doubled,” recalled Coppola.

“Which they were not happy about at all.”

‘Unique’

Paramount production chief Robert Evans, a major Tinseltown player who had bought the film rights, battled with Coppola over casting.

The only star name attached — Marlon Brando — was washed up, while Al Pacino was a relative unknown, and not the “tall, handsome guy” Evans wanted.

“Al is very handsome, but in his own unique way,” joked Coppola.

He added: “All the women just liked him a lot. Al Pacino was very attractive to girls. I was wondering why exactly. But this has always been the case.”

“Nonetheless, when I suggested Al Pacino for the part, people at Paramount really started to wonder if they had chosen the wrong person.”

As it turned out, “The Godfather” won best picture, Brando won best actor, and Coppola and Puzo shared the Oscar for best adapted screenplay.

Pacino was one of three stars in the movie nominated for best supporting actor, along with James Caan and Robert Duvall. The film had 11 nominations overall.

In a sign of its enduring legacy, Coppola was honoured with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame this week in the run-up to Sunday’s Oscars, and the Academy Museum announced a new gallery devoted to the film.

“’The Godfather’ was so much more successful than anyone thought it was going to be,” said Coppola.