As One Battle After Another swept the Academy Awards, Paul Thomas Anderson, Javier Bardem and Conan O’Brien gave a welcome reality check to the glitzy ceremony

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In his opening monologue to the 98th Academy Awards, host Conan O’Brien issued a note of caution to easily offended viewers.

“I warn you, tonight could get political,” O’Brien said. “If that makes you uncomfortable, there’s an alternative Oscars being hosted by Kid Rock at a Dave & Buster’s down the street.”

I found myself rolling my eyes a little at the suggestion that Hollywood’s biggest night was ready to face up to the the bleak realities of the world. But this year’s Oscars turned out to be unusually polemical for a night of glamour and glitz, even if there was plenty of the latter too.