A four-legged guest has become one of the main protagonists of the 96th edition of the Oscars. Messi, the talented border collie who fell in love in Anatomy of a Fall, was able to attend the ceremony after having managed to overcome the veto that had been imposed on him.
The dog’s presence at the gala has become known thanks to a reel shared by presenter Jimmy Kimmel on Instagram, in which the communicator is seen rehearsing his jokes and jokes with the dog, who also seems to be preparing for his big night.
This talented little dog, whose name pays tribute to the footballer Leo Messi, has played an important role in the success of the film, which is nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture. In fact, Messi managed to win the Palm Dog, a prize awarded at the Cannes Festival for the best real or animated dog.
His owner, Laura Martin Contini, shared that she decided to name him Messi not only because of the tradition of naming dogs with an initial letter corresponding to the year but also because of her children’s admiration for the Argentine soccer player.
The name, it seems, is very well placed. Messi is a true artist, as he has demonstrated in Anatomy of a Fall. Contini explained to Clarín what was the most complicated moment playing Snoop: “The poisoning sequence, when he was sick and took the medicine. That took a lot of filming time. And also the beginning of the film, where there is a very long shot…” Still, he nailed it.
The controversy arose because some people in the film industry thought that the dog’s popularity could give the film an unfair advantage in the competition. Due to these concerns, it was initially said that Messi would not go to the gala and that he would stay in France.
However, the decision has been revoked and Messi has been present at the Oscars. This news has pleased a large number of fans and followers of the film, who had really enjoyed Messi’s performance and wanted to see him participate in the gala.
And boy has he done it. This incredible dog has surrendered to Robert Downey Jr., who has been awarded Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer. Thus, the cameras have captured the animal ‘applauding’ the winner. Although it really wasn’t him, since due to the anatomy of his legs it is impossible. Most likely, someone used fake legs to simulate that Messi was applauding.
