Critics Choice Awards: "Barbie" Scores the Most Nominations EVER!
Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 6:30PM
Cláudio Alves in American Fiction, Barbie, Critics Choice, Critics Choice Awards, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, Saltburn, The Color Purple, The Holdovers

by Cláudio Alves

The Critics Choice Association, formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association, has announced its nominees for 2023. As always, rather than reflecting the critical consensus, they're little more than an attempt at predicting the Oscars. One wonders how an organization like this can feel so divorced from what critics are actually celebrating. In any case, it's time to analyze their choices as precursors in the race for gold and point to whatever idiosyncrasy can be found amid the boredom. Barbie is the big champion here, having scored 18 nominations, the most of any film in the organization's history...

 

BEST PICTURE

With no international films or animation, this Best Picture list feels conventional to a fault. There's no discerning personality to be found past that odd Saltburn inclusion. Moreover, the coexistence of American Fiction and The Color Purple in the same lineup almost feels like a contradiction in terms. After all, one film is akin to an open criticism of what the other represents.

 


BEST DIRECTOR 

All the usual suspects are here. Though Payne hasn't been showing up in most lineups, when a picture is as adored as The Holdovers, its director is usually pulled into the limelight. He's also an Oscar favorite, and this organization loves nothing more than to rubberstamp the Academy's assumed taste. Like I expected, Cooper's bad luck with critics groups – Las Vegas aside – stops at the televised awards. Maestro's profile will likely grow as we move closer to the big night. One certainly can't fault its star director for a lack of campaigning.

 


BEST ACTRESS 

Fantasia Barrino's absence is notable, especially considering The Color Purple made it into their Best Picture lineup. In contrast, this is a boost for Robbie and Lee on the heels of their Globe nominations. One should also highlight Hüller's success. Even the CCA's allergy to international cinema couldn't stop the German thespian from securing her place in the Best Actress race.

 

BEST ACTOR

As much as DiCaprio keeps showing up in the major awards, I'm not buying him as a serious Oscar contender. He's the Killers of the Flower Moon's most divisive element, delivering a performance that even some of the film's fans dislike. When it comes to those left out of the lineup, Andrew Scott is the most glaring miss. Considering the Best Picture nomination, Barry Keoghan may also have reason to feel snubbed.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

While Foster proves she can score nominations without Bening following along, Brooks solidifies her stake as The Color Purple's principal representative. Even if Henson and Barrino miss, she's still in, and that dynamic could be repeated at the Oscars. Ferrera jumps back into the race after being forgotten by most critics groups, rising on the coattails of her movie and that memorable monologue.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 

Brown is the only proper shock from these acting categories, surging at the right time as a benefactor of that American Fiction love. However, this is terrible news for Willem Dafoe, who keeps missing on nominations despite Mark Ruffalo's persistent presence. As someone for whom his mad scientist was the picture's MVP, this is particularly sad.

 

BEST YOUNG ACTOR OR ACTRESS

Of the nominees, Sessa is the only one with legitimate Oscar buzz so he'll be the likely winner. In my idea of a fair world, however, this race would be between Fortson and Graner, with the Anatomy of a Fall actor winning in a photo finish.

 

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

When dealing with a category bereft of an Academy equivalent, the CCA could be a little more daring. But no, we have the same litany of buzzy titles. Air is the only relative outlier, and even then, it's ensconced in Oscar hopes.

 


BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 

For my sanity's sake, I'll pretend this has only five nominees and that May December is the runaway winner. What do you mean Maestro is a screenplay nominee? No, it isn't.

 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Like in most categories, the trick to figuring out a CCA lineup is to go for the consensus Oscar predictions and then throw a buzzy long shot to complete the sextet. Still, congratulations to Kelly Fremon Craig on a well-deserved nomination.

 

BEST EDITING

Air is where I would expect The Holdovers to show up, not only because the cutting is its most interesting formal facet. Will it be between Lame and Schoonmaker for the win, or will Barbie fever propel Houy to a victory? Maestro and Poor Things are also showy in their assemblage, so don't count them out. Flashiness is usually what wins such prizes. Actual quality be damned.

 

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Prieto got lucky, riding that pink wave to a double nomination. Sandgren probably benefitted from his film's strange popularity with this voting body, too. For all that I might dislike Bradley Cooper's sophomore feature, it looks gorgeous, so I can't complain about Libatique's nomination.

 


BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN 

This is, by far, the CCA's most inspired lineup. Not only does it include the rare contemporary-set movie with Saltburn, but it also features Asteroid City. Despite great reviews and surprisingly good box office results, the movie seems to have been forgotten. The sets, in particular, are undiluted dioramic perfection.

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN 

My predicted Oscar five with Napoleon thrown in for good measure, this is another boring sextet. Where's the passion for films critics loved? Where's Passages? None of these nominees are bad – though I haven't seen The Color Purple – they're just uninspired picks.

 


BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

A more glamorous selection than I would have anticipated, with Barbie scoring another nod and Priscilla earning itself some flowers. If you've read the Oscar Volley on Best Makeup, you know how overjoyed I was when seeing Coppola's film in this bunch. Also, yay for no Wonka. How fun to have an Oscar race without fat suits.

 


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

I wonder if Oppenheimer is still the frontrunner here after it missed the Oscar longlist. Take it out, and this could very well be the Academy's lineup.

 

BEST SCORE 

Pundits – and what's the CCA if not a 600-headed pundit by another name – have been underestimating a couple of Oscar favorites so far in the season. There's Giacchino, who gets attention here, but also John Williams delivering what's likely to be his last score. Sure, the latest Indiana Jones is wretched, but the score's beautiful and the series' best since Temple of Doom, maybe even Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 


BEST SONG 

Well, this is how Barbie broke that record. One wonders if the songs will split the vote between themselves and allow another contender to take it. On another note, Wish might have the worst-written songs in the Disney canon. And while "This Wish" is the best in melody, its lyrics are flotsam.

 

BEST ANIMATED FILM

How is Disney's most critically lambasted film in eons getting into all these critics ballots? I fear that voters watch so few animated features that they list the only five or six titles seen without a second thought.

 


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

France and Japan score double nominations, getting in with their Oscar submissions plus a critical darling. In Godzilla's case, it's also a box office juggernaut. With each passing day, Spain's Society of the Snow seems like a bigger contender. Can Netflix pull it off two years in a row?

 

BEST COMEDY 

When four of your nominees are also in Best Picture, what's the purpose of a Best Comedy category? Is it only to inflate the scorecards of the CCA's favorite titles? Still happy for No Hard Feelings.

 

What do you think of the CCA nominations? Better or worse than the Globes?

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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