by Nathaniel R
The rivalry between the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association is an abstraction. The two groups aren't at war though occassionaly their choices do feel like responses to each other, critical volleys if you will. Plus they're the two groups most likely to grab the attention of Oscar voters due to their high profile, coastal presence, and esteem.
This year they're co-signing each other naming Drive My Car the film of the year with Power of the Dog a close second taking the Director prize. They also agreed on supporting actor (sort of), too. Their full awards and more comments after the jump...
FILM Drive My Car
This is the sixth subtitled winner of this category in their 47 year history... but ALL of those have been this century, in the past 22 years, beginning with Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000).
Jane Campion has been winning Director Prizes since Venice this year. Can she win the Oscar, too?
DIRECTOR Jane Campion, Power of the Dog
This is the fifth time a woman has won their Best Director prize and the first was, you guessed it, Jane Campion herself for The Piano (1993). That's a gorgeous callback. We don't want to assume Campion is winning the Oscar to avoid disappointment but it sure would be beautiful.
ACTRESS Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers
LAFCA has a reputation for loving non-English language performances in this catregory. Cruz is the 11th "subtitled" woman to win. But here's a fun trivia note. The very first winner of this category back in 1975 was a foreign actress, Italy's Florinda Bolkan for A Brief Vacation.
ACTOR Simon Rex, Red Rocket
This is a nice get for Simon Rex whose motor-mouthed amorality is truly memorable but not the easier awards sell. Cláudio also wrote him in a FYC article.
SUPP ACTRESS Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
"Anita" continues to be the quintessential supporting actress awards-magnet role. It will usually win the actress playing her either a nomination (Debbie Allen) or a win (Rita Moreno, Karen Olivo). Oddly the only time that hasn't happened is the first time; the legendary Chita Rivera was not Tony nominated originating Anita on Broadway. How strange is that? But everyone else who has played Anita on Broadway or on film since has been nominated (if eligible).
SUPPORTING ACTOR [TIE] Vincent Lindon, Titane AND Kodi Smit McPhee, Power of the Dog
ANIMATED FILM Flee
NYFCC gave this film their non-fiction prize while LAFCA opted for animation, keeping us right where we've been wondering if the Danish film will have trouble at the Oscars where it has buzz for three different categories (International, Doc, Animated) but each of those categories could well assume that the other groups will take care of honoring it.
NON-FICTION FILM Summer of Soul
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM Petite Maman
SCREENPLAY Drive My Car
CINEMATOGRAPHY Power of the Dog
EDITING Summer of Soul
MUSIC/SCORE Parallel Mothers
PRODUCTION DESIGN Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar
Dont mind me. I'll just be over here weeping that they stole my idea with Production Design and now when I nominate Barb & Star it in the Film Bitch Awards everyone will think I'm copying them. Curses! (True Story: I keep a list all year for each category so it's always been in my mix)
NEW GENERATION [TIE] Shatara Michelle Ford, Test Pattern and Tatiana Huezo, Prayers for the Stolen
The Gotham favourite and Mexico's Oscar submission split this prize. If you missed our interview with Huezo you can check that out here.
EXPERIMENTAL FILM AWARD The Works and Days (of Tayoko Shiojiri in the Shiotani Basin)
CAREER ACHIEVEMENT Mel Brooks