Are we underestimating Dominic Sessa in Best Supporting Actor?
With some big wins right off the gate, Killers of the Flower Moon seemed to emerge as the consensus pick for Best Picture among critics. As much as I love Scorsese's latest, watching it sweep would have been boring beyond belief and a discredit to the tremendous cinematic year. Thankfully, an onslaught of awards this weekend changed the tide. No single title is rising above the rest as an absolute favorite, with multiple pictures nabbing top honors. Indeed, while the LAFCA voted for The Zone of Interest, other organizations announced their winners. The BSFC fell head over heels for The Holdovers, while WAFCA went for American Fiction. Apart from some categories, it seems "spreading the wealth" is the season's unofficial motto…
BOSTON SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS
Best Picture: THE HOLDOVERS
Runners-Up: THE ZONE OF INTEREST & MAY DECEMBER
Best Director: Jonathan Glazer, THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Runners-Up: Christopher Nolan, OPPENHEIMER & Todd Haynes, MAY DECEMBER
Best Actress: Lily Gladstone, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Runners-Up: Emma Stone, POOR THINGS, Sandra Hüller, ANATOMY OF A FALL & Natalie Portman, MAY DECEMBER
Best Actor: Paul Giamatti, THE HOLDOVERS
Runners-Up: Cillian Murphy, OPPENHEIMER & Kōji Yakusho, PERFECT DAYS
Best Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, THE HOLDOVERS
Best Supporting Actor: Ryan Gosling, BARBIE
Runners-Up: Charles Melton, MAY DECEMBER, Mark Ruffallo, POOR THINGS & Robert Downey Jr., OPPENHEIMER
Best Ensemble: OPPENHEIMER
Runners-Up: ASTEROID CITY, THE IRON CLAW & KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Best Adapted Screenplay: THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Runners-Up: ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET. & KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Best Original Screenplay: THE HOLDOVERS
Runners-Up: MAY DECEMBER & YOU HURT MY FEELINGS
Best Editing: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Runners-Up: OPPENHEIMER
Best Cinematography: THE TASTE OF THINGS
Runners-Up: POOR THINGS & ASTEROID CITY
Best Score: KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Runners-Up: THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Best Documentary: GEOGRAPHIES OF SOLITUDE
Runners-Up: 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SHERE HITE, KOKOMO CITY & MENUS-PLAISIRS – LES TROISGROS
Best Animated Feature: THE BOY AND THE HERON
Runners-Up: TMNT: MUTANT MAYHEM, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, ROBOT DREAMS & THE PEASANTS
Best Foreign Language Film: THE ZONE OF INTEREST
Best New Filmmaker: Celine Song, PAST LIVES
Runners-Up: Cord Jefferson, AMERICAN FICTION & A.V. Rockwell, A THOUSAND AND ONE
The BSFC tends to be one of the more adventurous critics groups. After all, just last year, they crowned Return to Seoul as their Best Picture. However, they seem more conventional this time, with a few exceptions here and there, like the Geographies of Solitude shout-out in documentary and The Taste of Things' cinematography. I'll be frank: losing their esoteric edge is disappointing, especially when so many of their runners-up feel like bolder choices than the actual winners. As much as one reports on these things in the context of the Oscar race, they should hold on to individual taste and celebrate underseen cinema that can use a boost in visibility.
It should be noted that most of these results came after three rounds of voting, with close calls throughout the ballot. The Supporting Actress prize was an exception, resolved in one round, with Randolph getting almost all members' votes. As the season progresses, The Holdovers' emotional backbone is becoming a steamroller contender. Will she take it all the way to the Oscar? At this point, it seems likely.
WASHINGTON DC AREA FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
Best Feature: AMERICAN FICTION
Best Director: Christopher Nolan, OPPENHEIMER
Best Actress: Lily Gladstone, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Best Actor: Cillian Murphy, OPPENHEIMER
Best Supporting Actress: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, THE HOLDOVERS
Best Supporting Actor: Charles Melton, MAY DECEMBER
Best Voice Performance: Shameik Moore, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
Best Youth Performance: Dominic Sessa, THE HOLDOVERS
Best Acting Ensemble: OPPENHEIMER
Best Adapted Screenplay: AMERICAN FICTION
Best Original Screenplay: PAST LIVES
Best Editing: OPPENHEIMER
Best Cinematography: OPPENHEIMER
Best Production Design: BARBIE
Best Original Score: OPPENHEIMER
Best Documentary: AMERICAN SYMPHONY
Best Animated Feature: SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE
Best International Film: ANATOMY OF A FALL
One wonders how close Jeffrey Wright came to the win here. Indeed, despite American Fiction taking the top prize, Oppenheimer scored three times more wins, looming large over the so-called "below the line" categories.
I want to bring attention to Dominic Sessa's win, as well. Though Melton took Supporting Actor, he may become one of those critical darlings that can't get AMPAS' approval. Sessa, on the other hand, feels like a contender in the same vein as Lucas Hedges in Manchester by the Sea. In other words, expect to see Sessa on my predictions in the next round of Team Experience punditry.
Still today, the St. Louis Film Critics Association announced their nominations. I won't go over them, but you can check the complete list here. The StLFCA loved May December more than most of these groups, nominating its three main actors and Haynes in Director among other honors. Do you know who's also there, besides Melton in Supporting Actor? Sessa, of course. Another interesting tidbit is the presence of DiCaprio and De Niro on the ballot after being ignored by nearly every other awards body. Their winners will be announced on December 17th.
Do you like the variety of Best Picture choices across the various critics groups or would you prefer a clearer precursor pattern?