Regional Critics Round 2: Power of the Dog x 3

by Nathaniel R

If you're keeping track you'll know that NBR chose Licorice Pizza and NYFCC selected Drive My Car as best of the year while Washington DC, Sunset Circle, and Detroit Film Critics threw in Belfast, Dune, and Cyrano as their top picks. We knew we'd have a repeat winner soon and so it has come to pass: Drive My Car and Licorice Pizza are both cited again. But we also finally get The Power of the Dog in the top spot, thrice over (that took long enough given all the Best Director kudos already!) After the jump 5 more critics groups: Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and New York (Online), and Boston (Online).

The winners and a few comments after the jump... 

BSFC
Boston Society of Film Critics. Established in 1981. 29 members.

Film Drive My Car
Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car
Actress Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza
Actor Hidetoshi Nishijima, Drive My Car
Supporting Actress Jessie Buckley, The Lost Daughter
Supporting Actor, Troy Kostur, CODA
Ensemble  Licorice Pizza
New Filmmaker  Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter
Screenplay Drive My Car
Animated Feature Flee
Documentary Summer of Soul
English Language Film The Power of the Dog 
Cinematography The Power of the Dog
Editing  Velvet Underground
Score Spencer 

Boston has an interesting procedure in which they vote on Best Picture first and if an international film wins, they change their Best International Film award to a Best English language film award. While the BSFC is one of our favourite critics groups -- they always throw a few curveballs and seem far less beholden to Oscar narratives than other criticis groups, we do have one bone to pick with them this year.  Licorice Pizza has two characters. Every one else is basically a cameo that the movie stops in its tracks to enjoy. Very enjoyable cameos but not really group acting at all. 

Nice call on Best Editing. It's an unexpected citation but editing is crucial to that film's whole aesthetic. 

PFCC
Philadelphia Film Critics Circle. Established in 2017. 13 members.

Film Power of the Dog
Director Jane Campion, Power of the Dog
Actress Kristen Stewart, Spencer
Actor  Benedict Cumberbatch, Power of the Dog
Supporting Actress Ruth Negga, Passing
Supporting Actor, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Power of the Dog
Breakthrough  Agatha Rousselle, Titane
Screenplay power of the Dog
Animated Feature Flee
Documentary Summer of Soul
International Film Titane
Cinematography Nightmare Alley
Score/Soundtrack The Power of the Dog

A great showing for Power of the Dog which everyone here at TFE loves (from my knowledge) though I'll admit to some sadness that the supporting actor prize didn't go to Colman Domingo for Zola who was apparentlly the runner up. Smit-McPhee is winning a lot but we're always about spreading the wealth and art is subjective so it never makes much sense for only 1-3 people/films to pick up prizes in any category each year during the 30+ critics awards.

Very happy about Flee finally winning an animated feature prize!

NYFCO
New York Film Critics Online. Established in 2000. 32 members.

Film Power of the Dog
(the rest of the top ten list, alphabetically, was: Belfast, Don't Look Up, Dune, King Richard, Licorice Pizza, Lost Daughter, Passing, Pig, West Side Story)
Director Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Actress Tessa Thompson, Passing
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Supporting Actress Ruth Negga, Passing
Supporting Actor, Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Breakthrough Performer: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
Ensemble Power of the Dog
Debut Director Rebecca Hall, Passing
Screenplay Power of the Dog
Animated Feature The Mitchells vs the Machines
Documentary Flee
International Film Drive My Car
Cinematography The Power of the Dog
Use of Music West Side Story

Three cheers to the New York online critics for finally not ignoring Passing, giving Rebecca Hall, Ruth Negga, AND Tessa Thompson their flowers.

AFCC 
Atlanta Film Critics Circle. Established in 2017. 22 members.

Film Licorice Pizza
(the rest of their top ten was: 2. The Power of the Dog, 3. The Green Knight,  4. Belfast,  5. tick tick Boom!,  6. Drive My Car,  7. Titane, 8. West Side Story, 9. Flee. 10 [tie] Dune, and Worst Person in the World)
Director Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Actress [TIE] Kristen Stewart, Spencer AND Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Supporting Actress Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Supporting Actor, Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza
Breakthrough Performer: Agatha Rousselle, Titane
Ensemble [TIE] Mass AND Licorice Pizza
Best First Feature Lin Manuel Miranda, tick tick BOOM!
Screenplay Licorice Pizza
Animated Feature The Mitchells vs the Machines
Documentary Flee
International Film Drive My Car
Cinematography The Power of the Dog
Score Dune

I'll admit I dont understand Agatha Rousselle's popularity in the Breakthrough category. That's a good blank auteur vessel performance rather than an exciting performer we immediately want to see in something else. Drive My Car and Flee continue to be the only foreign films that are regularly picking up prizes though.

BOFCA
Boston Online Film Critics Association. Established in 2012. 39 members. 

Film The Power of the Dog
(the rest of their top ten was: 2. Licorice Pizza, 3. The Green Knight,  4. Drive My Car,  5. Pig,  6. Dune, 7. Titane, 8. The Worst Person in the World, 9. Spencer. 10 Flee)
Director Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Actress Kristen Stewart, Spencer
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
Supporting Actress Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
Supporting Actor, Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog
Ensemble Licorice Pizza
Screenplay The Power of the Dog
Animated Feature The Mitchells vs the Machines
Documentary Flee
International Film The Worst Person in the World (even though Drive My Car is higher in their top ten list. Curious)
Cinematography The Power of the Dog
Editing Dune
Score Dune

A major haul for The Power of the Dog and Jane Campion sure is cleaning up in Director prizes. It's almost like people are dying for two consecutive years of Female directors landing Oscars... which, well, yes. That would be wonderful. One strange note: I personally love Norway's The Worst Person in the World so I applaud its win but it's intensely weird that they gave it their International Film prize while Japan's Drive My Car is higher on their top ten list. 

Comments

[Ryan T.]

Too bad both NY film critics associations blanked on Tick, Tick... Boom and In the Heights.

[Peggy Sue]

The nerve of the critics giving ALL the awards to the same three movies.