Catching up w/ Critics Prizes: Chicago, London, Kansas City, and SEFCA
Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 7:48PM Another week another big round of critics prizes. As previously noted we only cover about 16 groups (for sanity purposes) so here were a fourth of them as announced these past few days.
CHICAGO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
Chicago's association was first established in 1988 with a Best Picture prize for Mississippi Burning of all things. This year they liked The Handmaiden so much that it even broke into their Best Picture nomination, a rarity for the group. The last foreign language film to do so with Chicago was Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon back in 2000. It won three prizes, just shy of what Manchester by the Sea managed...
PICTURE: Moonlight
DIRECTOR: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
ACTOR: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
ACTRESS: Natalie Portman, Jackie
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea.
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Manchester by the Sea by Kenneth Lonergan
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Handmaiden by Seo Kyung-Chung & Chan-wook Park
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: The Handmaiden
DOCUMENTARY: OJ: Made in America
ANIMATED FEATURE: Kubo and the Two Strings
CINEMATOGRAPHY: La La Land, Linus Sandgren
EDITING: La La Land, Tom Cross
ART DIRECTION: The Handmaiden, Seong-hie Ryu
ORIGINAL SCORE: Jackie, Mica Levi
PROMISING PERFORMER: Lucas Hedges, Manchester by the Sea
PROMISING FILMMAKER: Robert Eggers, The Witch
LONDON FILM CRITICS CIRCLE
London Film Critics Circle frst began giving prives in 1986 (A Room With a View, yes!*) though they are part of a much older instittuation "London Critics Circle" which was established in 1913. They don't announce their winners until their actual ceremony which is quite different than most critics groups who use their wins as invites to potential celebrity guests. We don't normally report on the nominations portion of the hundreds of critics awards but we're happy to report that at least one organization didn't forget all about Whit Stillman's hilarious Love & Friendship which led the nominations!
Also of note: Given the Best Actress citations please note that Elle was not eligible for these prizes as it wasn't released in the UK during their eligibility period. Another release calendar quirk - Son of Saul, a winner of many critics prizes in 2015, was a 2016 release for them.
* this is another reason we object to the internet's commitment to going by IMDb dates for list. A Room With a View is listed in so many places as 1985 but it didn't qualify for the Oscars until 1986 -- And it's not just 1986 fo the Oscars. It's also 1986 in its home country!
THE NOMINEES
Film of the Year
“American Honey”
“Fire at Sea”
“I, Daniel Blake”
“La La Land”
“Love and Friendship”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“Moonlight”
“Nocturnal Animals”
“Son of Saul”
“Toni Erdmann”
British/Irish Film of the Year
“American Honey”
“High-Rise”
“I, Daniel Blake”
“Love and Friendship”
“Sing Street”
Foreign Language Film of the Year
“Fire at Sea”
“Son of Saul”
“Things to Come”
“Toni Erdmann”
“Victoria”
Documentary of the Year
“The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years”
“Cameraperson”
“The Eagle Huntress”
“Fire at Sea”
“Life, Animated”
Director of the Year
Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
László Nemes, “Son of Saul”
Maren Ade, “Toni Erdmann”
Screenwriter of the Year
Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Whit Stillman, “Love and Friendship”
Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester by the Sea”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Maren Ade, “Toni Erdmann”
Actor of the Year
Casey Affleck, “Manchester by the Sea”
Adam Driver, “Paterson”
Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nocturnal Animals”
Peter Simonischek, “Toni Erdmann”
Actress of the Year
Amy Adams, “Arrival”
Kate Beckinsale, “Love and Friendship”
Sandra Hüller, “Toni Erdmann”
Isabelle Huppert, “Things to Come”
Emma Stone, “La La Land”
Supporting Actor of the Year
Mahershala Ali, “Moonlight”
Tom Bennett, “Love and Friendship”
Jeff Bridges, “Hell and High Water”
Shia LaBeouf, “American Honey”
Michael Shannon, “Nocturnal Animals”
Supporting Actress of the Year
Viola Davis, “Fences”
Greta Gerwig, “20th Century Women”
Naomie Harris, “Moonlight”
Riley Keough, “American Honey”
Michelle Williams, “Manchester by the Sea”
British/Irish Actor of the Year
Tom Bennett, “Love and Friendship” and “David Brent: Life on the Road”
Andrew Garfield, “Hacksaw Ridge” and “Silence”
Hugh Grant, “Florence Foster Jenkins”
Dave Johns, “I, Daniel Blake”
David Oyelowo, “A United Kingdom” and “Queen of Katwe”
British/Irish Actress of the Year
Kate Beckinsale, “Love and Friendship”
Rebecca Hall, “Christine”
Naomie Harris, “Moonlight,” “Our Kind of Traitor” and “Collateral Beauty”
Ruth Negga, “Loving” and “Iona”
Hayley Squires, “I, Daniel Blake”
Breakthrough British/Irish Filmmaker of the Year
Babak Anvari (writer-director), “Under the Shadow”
Mike Carey (writer), “The Girl With All the Gifts”
Guy Hibbert (writer), “Eye in the Sky” and “A United Kingdom”
Peter Middleton and James Spinney (writer-directors), “Notes on Blindness”
Rachel Tunnard (writer-director), “Adult Life Skills”
Young British/Irish Performer of the Year
Ruby Barnhill, “The BFG”
Lewis MacDougall, “A Monster Calls”
Sennia Nanua, “The Girl With All the Gifts”
Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Witch,” “Morgan” and “Split”
Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, “Sing Street”
Technical Achievement of the Year
American Honey - Cinematography (Robbie Ryan)
Arrivial - Sound Design
High-Rise - Sound Design
Jackie - Music (Mica Levi)
Jason Bourne - Stunt Coordination
La La Land - Music (Justin Hurwitz)
Moonlight - Editing (Nat Sanders & Joi Macmillan)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Visual FX)
Sing Street - Music (Gary Clark & John Carney
Victoria - Cinematography (Sturla Brandth Grøvlen)
British/Irish Short Film of the Year
“Isabella,” Duncan Cowles and Ross Hogg
“Jacked,” Rene Pannevis
“Sweet Maddie Stone,” Brady Hood
“Tamara,” Sofia Safanova
“Terminal,” Natasha Waugh
SOUTHEASTERN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
This group was established in 1992 and combines critics from nine states (Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Virginia and North and South Carolina.) They gave their film of the year in their debut year to Howards End (a masterpiece, really) with The Player as runner up and taking the Best Director prize. This year they had an obvious love for Loving though that didn't quite translate into any prizes beyond the Gene Wyatt Award which is for a picture each year that 'best represents the spirit of the South.' An interesting note: This is the third time that a film helmed by Arkansas born Jeff Nichols has taken the prize after Mud (2012) and Shotgun Stories (2007).
Frankly we often wonder why all regional organizations don't have some special prize that's specific to their region, a way of asserting their identity if their tastes hew close to Oscar's wheelhouse (as most critics orgs do these days)...
TOP TEN FILMS
1. Moonlight
2. Manchester by the Sea
3. La La Land
4. Hell or High Water
5. Loving
6. Arrival
7. (Tie) Fences and Jackie
9. Nocturnal Animals
10. Hidden Figures
ACTOR Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea (Runner-up – Washington, Fences)
ACTRESS Natalie Portman, Jackie (Runner-up –Negga, Loving)
SUPPORTING ACTOR Mahershala Ali, Moonlight (Runner up - Bridges, Hell or High Water)
SUPPORTING ACTRESS Viola Davis, Fences (Runner-up – Harris, Moonlight)
ENSEMBLE Moonlight (Runner-up – Manchester by the Sea)
DIRECTOR (tie) – Damien Chazelle, La La Land and Barry Jenkins Moonlight
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Manchester by the Sea (Runner-up – Hell or High Water)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Moonlight (Runner-up – Arrival)
DOCUMENTARY I Am Not Your Negro (Runner-up: OJ: Made in America)
FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM The Handmaiden (Runner-up: Elle)
ANIMATED FILM Zootopia (Runner-up – Kubo and the Two Strings)
CINEMATOGRAPHY La La Land (Runner-up – Moonlight)
GENE WYATT AWARD Loving (Runner-up – Moonlight)
KANSAS CITY FILM CRITICS CIRCLE
They're the oldest non-famous critics group in the country, established in 1966, forty years before every city felt like they had to have one so you know that they meant it! Like most critics groups this year they have a deep passion for Manchester by the Sea that we can't quite wrap our heads around. I mean it's good but "Best" of an entire year and in so many categories with critics all over the USA. It's my movie this year that follows the ancient year-end tradition of that feeling when you aren't so much angry about consensus passion (a far more common awards season malady that brings up the dread "backlash" bugaboo conversations) but more of a 'not sure that I agree with you 100% on your policework there, Lou.' kind of deal.
But boy The Handmaiden sure went wracking up those foreign film citations this year, didn't it?
PICTURE: Manchester by the Sea
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
ACTOR: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
ACTRESS: Natalie Portman, Jackie
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: (tie) Naomie Harris, Moonlight and Viola Davis, Fences
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Eric Heisserer, Arrival
ANIMATED FEATURE: Zootopia
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: The Handmaiden (South Korea)
DOCUMENTARY: OJ: Made in America
SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM: Arrival
LGBT FILM: Moonlight
Reader Comments (22)
Thank goodness that Rebecca Hall finally got a nomination from an important group for 'Christine.' Hers is the best performance of the year.
Whatever happened to that tight Best Actress race we had just a few weeks ago?
Yay for Huller, Bennett, Huppert and Adams @ London critics!
Is Stone so sure now.
Supporting actress seems like a surprisingly close race when just looking at awardage to-date. Not a Viola sweep quite yet. If you were to bet on one acting winner, Ali would be the safe bet at this point in supporting actor THEN Davis but she has more risk.
I think Natalie will win for biopic over Stone for Musical...
So happy to see The Handmaiden receiving awards attention from metropolitan critics, especially the well-deserved wins in Chicago. This is one critics group that does occasionally break from the herd mentality with thoughtful, insightful -- and sometimes unexpected --citations. And the fact that The Handmaiden was recognized as one of the top five films of the year by Chicago really just further validates the artistry of the film.
Am happy for Beckingsale & Hall for finally gained some recognition. Beckingsale esp might be heading for a BAFTA nod.
Is Jackie not released in UK yet? Surprised to see Portman's omission fr LFCC
@Claran - I was surprised by that too, but Mica Levi popped up for score in the Technical Achievement of the Year category, so I guess that means they saw it?
Kansas City picking a "Best LGBT Film" is interesting... wish it were used to highlight something more indie though, like Spa Night or Henry Gamble's Birthday Party.
And...not sure why you can't just make sure to honor LGBT films in your Straight Film prizes, but okay. (Yes, The Handmaiden, sure.)
Complicated feelings.
@Nathaniel where the rest of ur oscar predictions at? #impatient
Damn, really wish the critics awards would shake it up. This is especially dull for a year that really shouldn't have clear locks.
@jake d COMPLETELY AGREE. Lots of queer films should be in the mix. Spa Night deserves more attention. I actually liked it more than Moonlight. Henry Gamble was so well done, too.
I CAN'T EVEN IF PORTMAN WINS A SECOND OSCAR! I'm sure she's great in Jackie and she is a good actress for my taste, but god on earth she doesn't need a second one. It would be like what I feel for Jodie Foster.
What tf happens to SILENCE?!
But yes The Handmaiden is amazeballs.
Cannot do Natalie Portman, two time Oscar winner. Cannot. Will not. We already have to deal with Hilary Swank and Jodie Foster, two time Oscar winners. Portman's fine in Jackie, but, come on. TWO Oscars? Does no one remember Star Wars 1, 2 and 3, and how she and that Whatshisface ruined them? Ugh. Stab me in the face if she wins another one. Stab. Me. In. The. Face. Give Zsa Zsa an honorary Best Actress Oscar before you give Portman number 2.
I kind of hope Portman wins a second just to piss off crybabies like CharlieG.
I still think this is shaping up for a Moonlight sweep (Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay) with real chances to upset at Supporting Actress and Film Editing. I think La La Land is probably second and Manchester by the Sea, third, in a really close race.
Still, everything can change once nominations are announced... key snubs here and there fore any of these three contenders, or a surprise huge support for another under-the-radar film, may give us a 2016's "Million Dollar Baby" (it could be Jackie or Silence, specially the later one).
Fascinating picks. Always cool to see what areas go forn what.
@Arlo - LOL. You're so right. I'm a crybaby. Now I kinda hope Portman wins too!
Could you imagine if we have The Lobster AND The Handmaiden get nominations in the screenplay categories at the Oscars? How wonderful would that be?
I'm pretty sure The Handmaiden only has an outside shot in Art Direction, but the Adapted Screenplay nomination would be lovely.
Now it's very easy to say, but THE HANDMAIDEN could have been a more apt Korean submission than AGE OF SHADOWS (and I'm not say this to criticize Kim Ji-woon's Flick). I wonder it the mixed reception it received in Cannes (where it was deemed as a potboiler and left the festival almost empty handed) was, at least in part, the reason why they chose another movie...perhaps they didn't imagine such luck with critics awards...
Is there any chance Oscar will reject Viola's category fraud and put her in lead. And if so, does that spell doom for Annette?