NYFCC feels "The Power of the Dog"
Friday, December 3, 2021 at 2:05PM by Nathaniel R
The New York Film Critics Circle named their favourites of 2021 and since we love The Power of the Dog we basically needed a cigarette once they're finished. The Power of the Dog was one of the very first awards and then it one another and another. But they stopped short of letting it sweep, giving their top prize to Japan's critically adored three hour long Oscar submission Drive My Car. The full awards are after the jump...
BEST FILM Drive My Car (Japan)
Films that aren't in English rarely win the top prize at NYFF anymore. They've been handing out prizes since 1935 and there have only been six non-English winners. The others are: Roma (2018), Amarcord (1974), Day for Night (1973) and Cries and Whispers (1972) and Z (1969).
BEST DIRECTOR Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
Jane Campion was the first female the NYFCC ever honored in Best Director and now she's won it twice. The other women they've honored in this category are Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), Chloe Zhao (Nomadland), and Kathryn Bigelow (also twice for Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty)
BEST ACTRESS Lady Gaga, House of Gucci
BEST ACTOR Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Kodi Smit McPhee, The Power of the Dog
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Kathryn Hunter, The Tragedy of Macbeth
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Janusz Kaminski, West Side Story
BEST SCREENPLAY Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza
BEST ANIMATED FILM The Mitchells vs the Machines
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM Worst Person in the World (Norway)
BEST NON-FICTION FILM Flee (Denmark)
BEST FIRST FILM Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter
SPECIAL AWARDS
Marshall Fine for his years of service as NYFCC’s General Manager and decades on the NY film scene.
Diane Weyermann, posthumous award for supporting daring and impactful filmmaking at Sundance and Participant.
Maya Cade for the creation of the Black Film Archive.
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Drive My Car, NYFCC, The Power of the Dog
Reader Comments (27)
The Power of the Dog is a f###ing masterpiece so I am thrilled beyond words. I am so happy for Gaga who was sensational in House of Gucci. She really needed this win.
I’m happy for Kathryn Hunter based on what I’ve heard about her performance - this is a big get for her, but I do hope Kirsten Dunst can win a big critics award. ♥️
I admired POTD but didn't fall in love with it and certainly don't think it's Campion best and I think Dunst and Cumberbatch were lacking or just miscast neither seemed from the period the story was set,Kodi stayed with me and how beautiful and well scored it is.
Smit-McPhee is my current pick to win Best Supporting Actor. Talk about a performance that stays with you!
Now these are some good picks. Thrilled for Gaga, The Power of the Dog, and The Worst Person in the World. Excited to see the other winners!
One of these winners is not like the others.
Gaga gave an absolute powerhouse performance and deserves all the accolades regardless of what you think of the film. Really hating a lot of the snobbery and scoffing I've seen directed towards her. It feels a lot like the hate Cher used to get. So sorry this mega pop star known for their flamboyant style is also a good actor and tainting your super serious dour film awards.
In terms of other foreign language film winners to win the top prize at NYFCC, that's incredibly good company for Drive My Car. All were nominated in best director, most in BP and for Foreign Language Film. It's very easy to see Drive My Car having a path to win the International Film Oscar and claim a director slot.
Although the most recent 3 winners of this award for Best Actress didn't get the nomination, there's no reason to think Lady Gaga will be the fourth. She's in an Academy friendly film and is a previous acting nominee. For the past few years, the award served to put actresses in small films in contention. I think this year, their cementing Gaga's bonafides for anyone who feels like they don't get the performance, and nudging her to the winner's circle (even though I'm not sure that's possible).
Although I've resisted it so far, these awards have given me the kick in the pants I need to The Mitchells vs the Machines.
@ Sarah
I hope you're not addressing your comment to me, because I haven't seen House of Gucci yet and have no opinion about Gaga's performance.
Kathryn Hunter is a pretty big (and welcome) shock. I've heard great things about her performance but didn't think she'd be in the conversation with a win like this. Nathaniel, I know you're a fan so you must be pleased!
Kathryn Hunter is acquiring admirers.
From John Waters’ Top Ten Of 2021:
Macbeth: “Kathryn Hunter as all three witches has to be seen to be believed”.
Beyond thrilled for Gaga. So deserved. Her career path has been truly extraordinary. This feels like a vindication for her, as she is a most unusual performer who does not make the obvious choices but the brave ones--and always proves her detractors wrong. Congratulations.
BEST ACTRESS Lady Gaga, House of Gucci
WTF?!
While I don’t think Licorice Pizza will be in serious contention for the win in Picture or Director (though it’ll likely be nominated tor both), I’m starting to think it might be the frontrunner for Original Screenplay. Its only real competition there seems to be Belfast, and I think there’s enough passion for the movie as well as the (maybe even bigger) factor that it looks like the perfect opportunity to finally give Paul Thomas Anderson an Oscar. It could be like 2013 when Her beat American Hustle in this category even though the latter was the bigger player in the Best Picture race, which I’m sure was helped by a lot of voters seizing the opportunity to give Spike Jonze an Oscar. I imagine the incentive to give PTA an Oscar of his own is even greater at this point
I watched House of Gucci last Friday, on Saturday I saw Spencer and on Sunday - The Eyes of Tammy Faye.
Yes, Jessica Chastain gives the best performance of her career, and we're presented with a character that becomes more and more interesting as the movie progresses.
We don't have that luxury with Lady Gaga in House of Gucci. In fact, we have the opposite. Sure, she gives it her all, but that's a messy movie that largely ignores her in the second half and reduces her to "angry woman wants revenge" in the most uninteresting way imaginable.
Spencer and The Eyes of Tammy Faye are movies that care about their lead actress.
I have to admit I thought NYFCC of all groups would give a couple of prizes to The Card Counter and Passing. Ah, well.
Do we have any ideas about runners up, or perhaps any details about how the voting went today?
I'm glad that pretty much all of these are different from the NBR. It's nice to see the different groups choose different things.
I was at the DMV for my mother's license renewal when I was reading the coverage and I did a quiet HOLY SHIT!!!!! when I saw that Lady Gaga won Best Actress.
This is why I love the NYFCC because of the surprises they pull and this is a fucking surprise. I'm elated about this and for Maggie Gyllenhaal to get a prize from the New York Critics.
I really hope to watch Power of the Dog this month.
Still haven't seen Gucci because it's like 8 hours long but this win made me think of the Buscemi meme, you know, an organization pushing 90 trying to be cool or something.
I think Cumberbatch was a bottom with the other guy and he wants to top Kodi so he can be this father-figure. Basically what I'm saying is that Plemmons is the only supporting player.
Ok, bye
@Peggy Sue. EIGHT hours long? It's 2 hrs and 37 minutes, roughly the length of half the films out there right now in discussion, including ETERNALS, DON'T LOOK UP, KING RICHARD, WEST SIDE STORY, ANNETTE, DUNE, NIGHTMARE ALLEY....
@Working Stiff, so if you weren't referring to Lady Gaga not being like the other winners, tp what were you referring?
@ Dan H
Wouldn't explaining a cryptic comment defeat the purpose, kind of like explaining a joke? ;-)
Anyway, I was referring to The Mitchells vs the Machines. I thought/hoped they would go for Flee (the Non-Fiction winner) in Animated and Summer of Soul in Non-Fiction.
@Working Stiff Some of us are just too dense to get the joke, I guess. ;) I have to admit I thought that MIGHT be it, since I'd never even heard of "The Mitchells vs the Machines" until it won this award. But thanks, I was genuinely curious. :)
@ Dan H
To be fair, it wasn't a joke, just a cryptic comment. ;-)
Loved Power of the Dog so def feeling this one. I hear a lot of pros & cons regarding House of Gucci so naturally I'm jazzed to see such a polarizing effort. Overall this year's Oscar race should be a good one, as there's a really interesting crop of films and performances to choose from - or so I hear, I've still only seen a handful thus far. But so far rooting for POTD all the way, in many categories.
Loved Power of the Dog so def feeling this one. I hear a lot of pros & cons regarding House of Gucci so naturally I'm jazzed to see such a polarizing effort. Overall this year's Oscar race should be a good one, as there's a really interesting crop of films and performances to choose from - or so I hear, I've still only seen a handful thus far. But so far rooting for POTD all the way, in many categories.
thevoid--love your comment about Gaga!
Rob -- i felt the same way about House of Gucci but the only thing that makes it polarizing i think is all the pre hype an expectations. It's shockingly bland if you ask me.