Lisa Marie Reviews An Oscar Nominee: Maestro (dir by Bradley Cooper)


I hope that Bradley Cooper  will win an Oscar soon.

It’s obvious that Cooper wants that Oscar and really, who can blame him?  After spending years being dismissed as a lightweight comedy actor, Cooper has really come into his own over the past thirteen years.  2012 was the year that he starred in Silver Linings Playbook and received his first Best Actor nomination.  In the years that followed, he was nominated for American Sniper, American Hustle, A Star Is Born and Maestro.  He deserved to be nominated for both Nightmare Alley and Licorice Pizza.  Cooper has shown himself to be both a talented actor and director.  He may not have been nominated for his direction of A Star Is Born but everyone knows that he should have been.  He’s come a long way from being the star of The Hangover films and it makes sense that he would want an Oscar to make it official.

(The Oscar itself may not carry the cultural cachet that it once did but seriously, an award is an award.)

That desire for an Oscar is probably the best way to explain 2023’s Maestro, a film that really might as well have just been called Oscar Bait.  Not only did Cooper direct and co-write Maestro but he also donned a prosthetic nose (and was briefly the center of some online controversy) to play the role of composer Leonard Bernstein.  Filmed in both black-and-white and color, the film follows Leonard Bernstein from his young debut as a conductor through his marriage to Felecia (Carey Mulligan).  Throughout the film, Felecia remains Leonard’s strongest supporter and his muse, even when she’s embarrassed by the rumors of his own impulsive behavior and his habit of cheating on her with men.  The film is a portrait of the struggle to be a genius, the struggle to support a genius, and the love that can hold two people together even during the most difficult of times.  And it’s all very Oscar bait-y, giving both Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan several scenes that, while well-executed, still feel as if they were designed specifically to appeal to the voters.

I had mixed feelings about Maestro when I watched it.  On the one hand, I definitely admired the craft and the skill that went into the production.  I admired the performances of both Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan.  The movie’s soundtrack is full of the best of Bernstein’s compositions, all performed by the London Symphony Orchestra.  The movie looked wonderful and it sounded wonderful but it also felt strangely hollow.  Watching it, I realized that the movie really didn’t know what it wanted to say about Bernstein and Felecia.  The movie was so consumed with technical perfection that the emotions of the story sometimes felt rather remote.  It was a film about Leonard Bernstein that, despite Cooper’s strong performance, failed to really give us a reason to care about Bernstein.  Maestro is a film that you admire while you watch it but it doesn’t really stick with you afterwards.  It’s the epitome of Oscar bait.

Maestro did not win Cooper any Oscars, though it did bring some nominations.  The film was also nominated for Best Picture but it lost to Oppenheimer.  That said, I’m looking forward to the year when Bradley Cooper does finally win his Oscar and hopefully, he’ll win it for a film that’s more like the emotion-filled A Star Is Born than the rather detached Maestro.  He’s one of my favorite actors and he’s due.

Conclave Wins In North Carolina


The North Carolina Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2024!

BEST NARRATIVE FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
Civil War
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
I Saw the TV Glow
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Dahomey
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Transformers One
The Wild Robot

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Pérez
Evil Does Not Exist
I’m Still Here
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST DIRECTOR
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Luca Guadagnino – Challengers
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two

BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
Zendaya – Challengers

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Chris Hemsworth – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Katy O’Brian – Love Lies Bleeding
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN ANIMATION OR MIXED MEDIA
Kevin Durand – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Lupita Nyong’o – The Wild Robot
Maya Hawke – Inside Out 2
Pedro Pascal – The Wild Robot
Sarah Snook – Memoir of a Snail

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Conclave

Dune: Part Two
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
A Different Man
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
The Substance

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Conclave

Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
Sing Sing

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Challengers
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Brutalist

BEST EDITING
Anora
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST SCORE
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Compress/Repress” – Challengers

“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez
“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot
“Like a Bird” – Sing Sing

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Challengers
Civil War
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Dune: Part Two

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST STUNT COORDINATION
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Monkey Man

DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Vera Drew – The People’s Joker
Francis Galluppi – The Last Stop in Yuma County
Zoë Kravitz – Blink Twice
Josh Margolin – Thelma
Sean Wang – Dìdi (弟弟)
Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Carlos Diehz – Conclave
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Mikey Madison – Anora
Katy O’Brian – Love Lies Bleeding
Adam Pearson – A Different Man

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Cinematography
Roger Deakins

Christopher Doyle
Greig Fraser
Emmanuel Lubezki
Hoyte van Hoytema

KEN HANKE MEMORIAL TAR HEEL AWARD
Stephen McKinley Henderson – Civil War
Jeff Nichols (Director) – The Bikeriders
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Hunter Schafer – Cuckoo
Drew Starkey – Queer

Here Are The 2024 Annie Nominations!


On the 20th, the nominations for the Annie Awards were announced.  The Annies honor the best in animation.  There’s a lot of nominees so I’m just going to share the main film-related ones below.  In case you’re putting down bets on what will be nominated for Best Animated Film, the nominations below might provide some hints!

(A complete list of nominees can be found here.)

The winners will be announced on February 8th.

BEST FEATURE
Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios
Kung Fu Panda 4 – DreamWorks Animation
That Christmas – Locksmith Animation for Netflix
The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation
Ultraman: Rising – Netflix Presents in association with Tsuburaya Productions
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Aardman and Netflix

BEST FEATURE-INDEPENDENT
Chicken for Linda! – Dolce Vita Films, Miyu Productions, Palosanto Films, France 3 Cinéma, Distributed by GKIDS
Flow – Sacrebleu Productions, Take Five, Dream Well Studio
Kensuke’s Kingdom – Paramount Pictures
Look Back – Studio Durian Distributed by GKIDS
Mars Express – Everybody on Deck, Je Suis Bien Content Distributed by GKIDS
Memoir of a Snail – Snails Pace Films / Arenamedia

BEST SPECIAL PRODUCTION
A Bear Named Wojtek – The Illuminated Film Company and Filmograf
Mog’s Christmas – Lupus Films
Orion and the Dark – DreamWorks Animation
Tabby McTat – Magic Light Pictures
Yuck! – Ikki Films & Iliade et Films

BEST SHORT SUBJECT
Beautiful Men – Animal Tank, Miyu Productions & Ka-Ching Cartoons
In the Shadow of the Cypress – Barfak Animation Studio
Ruthless Blade – Ideomotor Culture Media Co., Ltd.
The Swineherd – Fleng Entertainment and Tumblehead Productions
Wander to Wonder – Circe Films, Kaap Holland Film, Les Productions de Milou, Beast Animation, Blink Industries & Pictanovo

BEST DIRECTION – FEATURE
Chicken for Linda! – Dolce Vita Films, Miyu Productions, Palosanto Films, France 3 Cinéma / Distributed by GKIDS, Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach
Flow – Take Five, Sacrebleu Productions, Dream Well Studio, Gints Zilbalodis
That Christmas – Locksmith Animation for Netflix, Simon Otto
The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Chris Sanders
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Aardman and Netflix, Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham

BEST WRITING – FEATURE
Flow – Take Five, Sacrebleu Productions, Dream Well Studio, Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža
Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios, Meg LeFauve, Dave Holstein
Kensuke’s Kingdom – Paramount Pictures, Frank Cottrell-Boyce
Memoir of a Snail – Snails Pace Films / Arenamedia, Adam Elliot

BEST VOICE ACTING – FEATURE
Chicken for Linda! – Dolce Vita Films, Miyu Productions, Palosanto Films, France 3 Cinéma / Distributed by GKIDS, Mélinée Leclerc (Character: Linda)
Inside Out 2 – Pixar Animation Studios, Maya Hawke (Character: Anxiety)
The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Lupita Nyong’o (Character: Roz)
The Wild Robot – DreamWorks Animation, Kit Connor (Character: Brightbill)
Transformers One – Paramount Animation, Brian Tyree Henry (Character: D-16 / Megatron)

Here Are The 2024 Nominations of The North Carolina Film Critics Association!


The North Carolina Film Critics Association has announced its nominees for the best of 2024.  The winners will be announced on January 3rd!

BEST NARRATIVE FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
Civil War
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
I Saw the TV Glow
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Dahomey
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Transformers One
The Wild Robot

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
All We Imagine As Light
Emilia Pérez
Evil Does Not Exist
I’m Still Here
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST DIRECTOR
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Luca Guadagnino – Challengers
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Denis Villeneuve – Dune: Part Two

BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

BEST ACTRESS
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths
Mikey Madison – Anora
Demi Moore – The Substance
Zendaya – Challengers

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Yura Borisov – Anora
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Chris Hemsworth – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys
Ariana Grande – Wicked
Felicity Jones – The Brutalist
Katy O’Brian – Love Lies Bleeding
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE IN ANIMATION OR MIXED MEDIA
Kevin Durand – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Lupita Nyong’o – The Wild Robot
Maya Hawke – Inside Out 2
Pedro Pascal – The Wild Robot
Sarah Snook – Memoir of a Snail

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
A Different Man
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
The Substance

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
Sing Sing

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Challengers
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The Brutalist

BEST EDITING
Anora
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
The Substance
Wicked

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST SCORE
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Nosferatu
The Wild Robot

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
“Compress/Repress” – Challengers
“El Mal” – Emilia Pérez
“Harper and Will Go West” – Will & Harper
“Kiss the Sky” – The Wild Robot
“Like a Bird” – Sing Sing

BEST SOUND DESIGN
Challengers
Civil War
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST STUNT COORDINATION
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Monkey Man

DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
Vera Drew – The People’s Joker
Francis Galluppi – The Last Stop in Yuma County
Zoë Kravitz – Blink Twice
Josh Margolin – Thelma
Sean Wang – Dìdi (弟弟)
Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Carlos Diehz – Conclave
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing
Mikey Madison – Anora
Katy O’Brian – Love Lies Bleeding
Adam Pearson – A Different Man

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Cinematography
Roger Deakins
Christopher Doyle
Greig Fraser
Emmanuel Lubezki
Hoyte van Hoytema

KEN HANKE MEMORIAL TAR HEEL AWARD
Stephen McKinley Henderson – Civil War
Jeff Nichols (Director) – The Bikeriders
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Hunter Schafer – Cuckoo
Drew Starkey – Queer

The Substance Wins In Indiana


The Indiana Film Journalists Association have announced their picks for the best of 2024!  The winners are in bold.
BEST FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
Civil War
Conclave
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
His Three Daughters
I Saw the TV Glow
In a Violent Nature
Longlegs
Mars Express
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The People’s Joker
A Real Pain
Rebel Ridge
Sing Sing
The Substance
Wicked

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Look Back
Mars Express
Memoir of a Snail
The Wild Robot

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Aattam
All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Pérez
Evil Does Not Exist
Los Frikis
Look Back
Mars Express
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Daughters
Ennio
Girls State
No Other Land
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
The Sixth
The Speedway Murders
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum and Alex David – September 5
Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Alex Garland – Civil War
Azazel Jacobs – His Three Daughters
Jeremy Saulnier – Rebel Ridge
Aaron Schimberg – A Different Man
Jane Schoenbrun – I Saw the TV Glow
Julio Torres – Problemista

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin and John “Divine G” Whitfield – Sing Sing
Jay Cocks and James Mangold – A Complete Unknown
RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes – Nickel Boys
Chris Sanders – The Wild Robot
Peter Straughan – Conclave
Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts – Dune: Part Two
Virgil Williams and Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson

BEST DIRECTOR
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Robert Eggers – Nosferatu
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Alex Garland – Civil War
Luca Guadagnino – Challengers
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Jeremy Saulnier – Rebel Ridge
Aaron Schimberg – A Different Man
Jane Schoenbrun – I Saw the TV Glow

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Kirsten Dunst – Civil War
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Demi Moore – The Substance
Aaron Pierre – Rebel Ridge
Justice Smith – I Saw the TV Glow

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Nicolas Cage – Longlegs
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin – Sing Sing
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Adam Pearson – A Different Man
Dennis Quaid – The Substance
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Bill Skarsgård – Nosferatu
Tilda Swinton – Problemista
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST VOCAL / MOTION-CAPTURE PERFORMANCE
Tom Hardy – Venom: The Last Dance
Maya Hawke – Inside Out 2
Lupita Nyong’o – The Wild Robot
Pedro Pascal – The Wild Robot
Amy Poehler – Inside Out 2
Sarah Snook – Memoir of a Snail
Owen Teague – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Robbie Williams – Better Man

BEST ENSEMBLE ACTING
Civil War
Conclave
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
His Three Daughters
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
A Real Pain
Saturday Night
Sing Sing

BEST EDITING
Sean Baker – Anora
Marco Costa – Challengers
Jérôme Eltabet, Coralie Fargeat and Valentin Feron – The Substance
Nick Emerson – Conclave
Louise Ford – Nosferatu
Dávid Jancsó – The Brutalist
Nicholas Monsour – Nickel Boys
Jeremy Saulnier – Rebel Ridge
Terilyn A. Shropshire – Twisters
Joe Walker – Dune: Part Two

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jarin Blaschke – Nosferatu
Lol Crawley – The Brutalist
Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two
Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys
Rob Hardy – Civil War
Benjamin Kračun – The Substance
Dan Mindel – Twisters
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom – Challengers
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom – Queer
Eric Yue – I Saw the TV Glow

BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Raffertie – The Substance
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Challengers
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Queer
Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow – Civil War
Alex Somers and Scott Alario – Nickel Boys
Umberto Smerilli – A Different Man
Benjamin Wallfisch – Twisters

BEST STUNT / MOVEMENT CHOREOGRAPHY
Bren Foster (action designer / fight choreographer) and Jaylan Foster, Jimmy Foster, Nick Harding, Jordan Petersen, Matthew Murgola and Mike Duncan (stunt team) – Life After Fighting
Muhammad Irfan (stunt coordinator / fight choreographer) – The Shadow Strays
Jeremy Marinas (fight coordinator and choreographer / second-unit director) – The Beekeeper
Lee Morrison (supervising stunt coordinator), Roger Yuan (fight coordinator / stunt coordinator) and Tanya Lapointe (second-unit director) – Dune: Part Two
Saifuddin Mubdy (stunt coordinator) and Brahim Chab (fight coordinator) – Monkey Man
Guy Norris (action designer / supervising stunt coordinator / second-unit director) and Richard Norton (fight choreographer / coordinator) – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Chris O’Hara (stunt coordinator and stunt designer) – The Fall Guy
Christopher Scott (choreographer) and Jo McLaren (stunt coordinator) – Wicked
Ashley Wallen (dance choreographer), Nicholas Daines (stunt coordinator), Slavisa Ivanovic (stunt coordinator), Tim Wong (fight choreographer) and Spencer Susser (second-unit director) – Better Man
Keith Woulard and Cory DeMeyers (stunt coordinators) – Rebel Ridge

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Mike Cheslik (visual effects) and Jerry Kurek (assistant effects artist) – Hundreds of Beavers
Bryan Jones (visual effects supervisor), Pierre Procoudine-Gorsky (visual effects producer) and Jean Miel (special effects supervisor) – The Substance
Paul Lambert (visual effects production supervisor), Gerd Nefzer (special effects supervisor), Rhys Salcombe (visual effects supervisor) and Stephen James (visual effects supervisor) – Dune: Part Two
Damien Leone (writer / director), Phil Falcone (producer), Christien Tinsley (design and creation of prosthetics and makeup effects), Brian Van Dorn (Tinsley Studios production coordinator), Ryan Ward (on-set makeup effects department head), Heather Albert (on-set makeup effects artist), Josh Petrino (visual effects supervisor), Declan Boyle (lead visual effects artist), Lincoln Smith (senior visual effects artist), John Caglione, Jr. (Virgin Mary / demon sequence prosthetics supervisor), Jason Baker (Callosum Studios on-set effects supervisor) and Jason Milstein (post-production supervisor and visual effects artist) – Terrifier 3
Luke Millar (visual effects supervisor) and Scott MacIntyre (special effects supervisor) – Better Man
Kevin Smith (visual effects supervisor), Kevin Sherwood (visual effects producer), Bruce Bright (special effects supervisor) and Michael Meinardus (special effects supervisor) – Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Ben Snow (visual effects supervisor), Florian Witzel (Industrial Light & Magic visual effects supervisor), Charles Lai (ILM associate visual effects supervisor) and Scott Fisher (special effects supervisor) – Twisters
David White (prosthetic and makeup effects design), Angela Barson (visual effects supervisor) and Pavel Sagner (special effects supervisor) – Nosferatu (2024)
Erik Winquist and Stephen Unterfranz (VFX supervisors), Paul Story (senior animation supervisor) and Rodney Burke (special FX supervisor) – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

BREAKOUT OF THE YEAR
Joanna Arnow (director / writer / editor / performer) – The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed
Mike Cheslik (director / co-writer / editor / visual effects) – Hundreds of Beavers
Vera Drew (director / co-writer / editor / performer) – The People’s Joker
Mikey Madison (performer) – Anora
Chris Nash (director / writer) – In a Violent Nature
Katy M. O’Brian (performer) – Love Lies Bleeding
RaMell Ross (director / co-writer) – Nickel Boys
Maisy Stella (performer) – My Old Ass
Julio Torres (director / writer / performer) – Problemista
Malcolm Washington (director / co-writer) – The Piano Lesson

ORIGINAL VISION
Better Man
Emilia Pérez
Hundreds of Beavers
I Saw the TV Glow
In a Violent Nature
The People’s Joker
Problemista
Sasquatch Sunset
The Substance

Dune Part II Wins in St. Louis


Yesterday, the St. Louis Film Critics Association announced their picks for the best of 2024!  It was another victory for Dune Part II!

BEST FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
September 5
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST DIRECTOR
Edward Berger – “Conclave
Brady Corbet – “The Brutalist”
Mohammad Rasoulof – “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
RaMell Ross – “Nickel Boys”
Denis Villeneuve – “Dune: Part Two

BEST ACTRESS
Pamela Anderson – “The Last Showgirl”
Cynthia Erivo – “Wicked
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – “Hard Truths”
Mikey Madison – “Anora”
Demi Moore – “The Substance”
Saoirse Ronan – “The Outrun”

BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody – “The Brutalist”
Timothee Chalamet – “A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – “Queer”
Colman Domingo – “Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – “Conclave
Hugh Grant – “Heretic”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Monica Barbaro – “A Complete Unknown
Danielle Deadwyler – “The Piano Lesson”
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – “Nickel Boys”
Ariana Grande – “Wicked
Zoe Saldana – “Emilia Perez”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kieran Culkin – “A Real Pain”
Clarence Maclin “Sing Sing
Guy Pearce – “The Brutalist”
Stanley Tucci – “Conclave
Denzel Washington – “Gladiator II”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anora
The Brutalist
Hard Truths
A Real Pain
Saturday Night
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Maria
Nosferatu
Nickel Boy

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Dune: Part Two
Hundreds of Beavers
Maria
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST EDITING
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Saturday Night
September 5

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
The Wild Robot

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alien: Romulus
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Nosferatu

BEST SOUNDTRACK
A Complete Unknown

Deadpool & Wolverine
I Saw the TV Glow
Maria
Wicked

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE

Maya Hawke – “Inside Out 2”
Lupita Nyong’o – “The Wild Robot”
Pedro Pascal – “The Wild Robot”
Amy Poehler – “Inside Out 2”
Sarah Snook – “Memoir of a Snail”

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

BEST ENSEMBLE

Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST HORROR FILM
Heretic
I Saw the TV Glow
Late Night with the Devil
Longlegs
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST STUNTS
Deadpool & Wolverine
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Monkey Man

BEST COMEDY FILM
Deadpool & Wolverine
The Fall Guy
Hundreds of Beavers
A Real Pain
Saturday Night

BEST ACTION FILM
Deadpool & Wolverine
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Monkey Man

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Daughters
Music by John Williams
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
All We Imagine As Light
Dahomey
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Emilia Perez
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM
Annie Baker – “Janet Planet”
Anna Kendrick – “Woman of the Hour”
Josh Margolin – “Thelma”
Dev Patel – “Monkey Man”
RaMell Ross – “Nickel Boys”
Malcolm Washington – “The Piano Lesson”

BEST SCENE
Civil War – “What kind of an American are you?”
Dune: Part Two – Riding the Sandworm
The Substance – New Year’s Eve performance
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – War Rig battle
His Three Daughters – Dad’s Chair

Here Are The 2024 Nominations of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists!


The Alliance of Women Film Journalists have announced their nominations for the best of 2024!  And here they are:

BEST FILM 
ANORA
CONCLAVE
EMILIA PÉREZ
NICKEL BOYS
SING SING
THE BRUTALIST
THE SUBSTANCE
WICKED

BEST DIRECTOR
JACQUES AUDIARD – EMILIA PÉREZ
SEAN BAKER – ANORA
EDWARD BERGER – CONCLAVE
BRADY CORBET – THE BRUTALIST
CORALIE FARGEAT – THE SUBSTANCE
PAYAL KAPADIA – ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT

BEST SCREENPLAY, ORIGINAL
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT – PAYAL KAPADIA
ANORA – SEAN BAKER
A REAL PAIN – JESSE EISENBERG
HARD TRUTHS – MIKE LEIGH
THE SUBSTANCE – CORALIE FARGEAT
THE BRUTALIST – BRADY CORBET AND MONA FASTVOLD

BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED
CONCLAVE – PETER STRAUGHAN, ROBERT HARRIS
EMILIA PÉREZ – JACQUES AUDIARD, THOMAS BIDEGAIN, LEA MYSIUS
NICKEL BOYS – RaMell ROSS, JOSLYN BARNES, COLSON WHITEHEAD
NOSFERATU – ROBERT EGGERS
SING SING – JOHN H. RICHARDSON, BRENT BUELL, CLINT BENTLEY
THE WILD ROBOT – CHRIS SANDERS, PETER BROWN

BEST DOCUMENTARY
BLACK BOX DIARIES – SHIDORI ITO
DAHOMEY – MATI DIOP
DAUGHTERS – ANGELA PATTON, NATALIE RAE
THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN – SUE KIM
SUGARCANE – EMILY KASSIE, JASON BRAVE NOISECAT
WILL & HARPER – JOSH GREENBAUM

BEST ANIMATED FILM
FLOW
HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS
INSIDE OUT 2
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
THE WILD ROBOT
WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL

BEST ACTRESS
CYNTHIA ERIVO – WICKED
KARLA SOFIA GASCON – EMILIA PÉREZ
MARIANNE JEAN-BAPTISTE – HARD TRUTHS
MIKEY MADISON – ANORA
DEMI MOORE – THE SUBSTANCE
JUNE SQUIBB – THELMA

BEST ACTRESS, SUPPORTING
JOAN CHEN – DIDI
DANIELLE DEADWYLER – THE PIANO LESSON
AUNJANUE ELLIS-TAYLOR – NICKEL BOYS
MARGARET QUALLEY – THE SUBSTANCE
ISABELLA ROSSELLINI – CONCLAVE
ZOE SALDANA – EMILIA PÉREZ

BEST ACTOR
ADRIEN BRODY – THE BRUTALIST
DANIEL CRAIG – QUEER
COLMAN DOMINGO – SING SING
RALPH FIENNES – CONCLAVE
HUGH GRANT – HERETIC
SEBASTIAN STAN – THE APPRENTICE

BEST ACTOR, SUPPORTING
YURA BORISOV – ANORA
KIERAN CULKIN – A REAL PAIN
CLARENCE MACLIN – SING SING
GUY PEARCE – THE BRUTALIST
STANLEY TUCCI – CONCLAVE
DENZEL WASHNGTON – GLADIATOR II

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST AND CASTING DIRECTOR
ANORA
CHALLENGERS
CONCLAVE
EMILIA PÉREZ
SATURDAY NIGHT
WICKED

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
CONCLAVE
DUNE: PART TWO
NICKEL BOYS
NOSFERATU
THE BRUTALIST
WICKED

BEST EDITING
ANORA
CONCLAVE
EMILIA PÉREZ
FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
THE BRUTALIST
THE SUBSTANCE

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
DAHOMEY
EMILIA PÉREZ
FLOW
LA CHIMERA
THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

EDA FEMALE FOCUS AWARDS

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST WOMAN DIRECTOR
ANDREA ARNOLD – BIRD
GIA COPPOLA – THE LAST SHOWGIRL
CORALIE FARGEAT – THE SUBSTANCE
PAYAL KAPADIA – ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
MEGAN PARK – MY OLD ASS
ALICE ROHRWACHER – LA CHIMERA

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST FEMALE SCREENWRITER
ANDREA ARNOLD – BIRD
CORALIE FARGEAT – THE SUBSTANCE
PAYAL KAPADIA – ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT
MEGAN PARK – MY OLD ASS
ALICE ROHRWACHER – LA CHIMERA
ERICA TREMBLAY, MICIANA ALISE – FANCY DANCE

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST ANIMATED/VOICED PERFORMANCE
AYO EDEBIRI – INSIDE OUT 2
MAYA HAWKE – INSIDE OUT 2
LUPITA NYONG’O – THE WILD ROBOT
AMY POEHLER – INSIDE OUT 2
SARAH SNOOK – MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
JACKI WEAVER – MEMOIR OF A SNAIL

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST WOMEN’S BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
NYKIYA ADAMS – BIRD
KARLA SOFIA GASCON – EMILIA PÉREZ
MIKEY MADISON – ANORA
KATY O’BRIAN – LOVE LIES BLEEDING
JUNE SQUIBB – THELMA
MAISY STELLA – MY OLD ASS

EDA FEMALE FOCUS: BEST STUNT PERFORMANCE
NIKKI BERWICK – STUNT COORDINATOR ON GLADIATOR II
ALEX JAY (for ZENDAYA) – DUNE: PART TWO
HAYLEY WRIGHT (for ANYA TAYLOR-JOY) – FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA
KATY O’BRIAN – LOVE LIES BLEEDING
CAILEE SPAENY – ALIEN: ROMULUS
JUNE SQUIBB – THELMA

The Indiana Film Journalists Nominate Everything


The Indiana Film Journalists Association announced their nominations for the best of 2024 today.  They kept things simple by nominating everything.  The winners will be announced on December 16th.
BEST FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
Challengers
Civil War
Conclave
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
His Three Daughters
I Saw the TV Glow
In a Violent Nature
Longlegs
Mars Express
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
The People’s Joker
A Real Pain
Rebel Ridge
Sing Sing
The Substance
Wicked

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Look Back
Mars Express
Memoir of a Snail
The Wild Robot

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Aattam
All We Imagine as Light
Emilia Pérez
Evil Does Not Exist
Los Frikis
Look Back
Mars Express
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Daughters
Ennio
Girls State
No Other Land
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
The Sixth
The Speedway Murders
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum and Alex David – September 5
Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold – The Brutalist
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Alex Garland – Civil War
Azazel Jacobs – His Three Daughters
Jeremy Saulnier – Rebel Ridge
Aaron Schimberg – A Different Man
Jane Schoenbrun – I Saw the TV Glow
Julio Torres – Problemista

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin and John “Divine G” Whitfield – Sing Sing
Jay Cocks and James Mangold – A Complete Unknown
RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes – Nickel Boys
Chris Sanders – The Wild Robot
Peter Straughan – Conclave
Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts – Dune: Part Two
Virgil Williams and Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson

BEST DIRECTOR
Brady Corbet – The Brutalist
Robert Eggers – Nosferatu
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Coralie Fargeat – The Substance
Alex Garland – Civil War
Luca Guadagnino – Challengers
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys
Jeremy Saulnier – Rebel Ridge
Aaron Schimberg – A Different Man
Jane Schoenbrun – I Saw the TV Glow

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE
Adrien Brody – The Brutalist
Daniel Craig – Queer
Colman Domingo – Sing Sing
Kirsten Dunst – Civil War
Jesse Eisenberg – A Real Pain
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked
Ralph Fiennes – Conclave
Demi Moore – The Substance
Aaron Pierre – Rebel Ridge
Justice Smith – I Saw the TV Glow

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Nicolas Cage – Longlegs
Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain
Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin – Sing Sing
Guy Pearce – The Brutalist
Adam Pearson – A Different Man
Dennis Quaid – The Substance
Margaret Qualley – The Substance
Bill Skarsgård – Nosferatu
Tilda Swinton – Problemista
Denzel Washington – Gladiator II

BEST VOCAL / MOTION-CAPTURE PERFORMANCE
Tom Hardy – Venom: The Last Dance
Maya Hawke – Inside Out 2
Lupita Nyong’o – The Wild Robot
Pedro Pascal – The Wild Robot
Amy Poehler – Inside Out 2
Sarah Snook – Memoir of a Snail
Owen Teague – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Robbie Williams – Better Man

BEST ENSEMBLE ACTING
Civil War
Conclave
A Different Man
Dune: Part Two
His Three Daughters
Nickel Boys
Nosferatu
A Real Pain
Saturday Night
Sing Sing

BEST EDITING
Sean Baker – Anora
Marco Costa – Challengers
Jérôme Eltabet, Coralie Fargeat and Valentin Feron – The Substance
Nick Emerson – Conclave
Louise Ford – Nosferatu
Dávid Jancsó – The Brutalist
Nicholas Monsour – Nickel Boys
Jeremy Saulnier – Rebel Ridge
Terilyn A. Shropshire – Twisters
Joe Walker – Dune: Part Two

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Jarin Blaschke – Nosferatu
Lol Crawley – The Brutalist
Greig Fraser – Dune: Part Two
Jomo Fray – Nickel Boys
Rob Hardy – Civil War
Benjamin Kračun – The Substance
Dan Mindel – Twisters
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom – Challengers
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom – Queer
Eric Yue – I Saw the TV Glow

BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Volker Bertelmann – Conclave
Daniel Blumberg – The Brutalist
Kris Bowers – The Wild Robot
Raffertie – The Substance
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Challengers
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – Queer
Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow – Civil War
Alex Somers and Scott Alario – Nickel Boys
Umberto Smerilli – A Different Man
Benjamin Wallfisch – Twisters

BEST STUNT / MOVEMENT CHOREOGRAPHY
Bren Foster (action designer / fight choreographer) and Jaylan Foster, Jimmy Foster, Nick Harding, Jordan Petersen, Matthew Murgola and Mike Duncan (stunt team) – Life After Fighting
Muhammad Irfan (stunt coordinator / fight choreographer) – The Shadow Strays
Jeremy Marinas (fight coordinator and choreographer / second-unit director) – The Beekeeper
Lee Morrison (supervising stunt coordinator), Roger Yuan (fight coordinator / stunt coordinator) and Tanya Lapointe (second-unit director) – Dune: Part Two
Saifuddin Mubdy (stunt coordinator) and Brahim Chab (fight coordinator) – Monkey Man
Guy Norris (action designer / supervising stunt coordinator / second-unit director) and Richard Norton (fight choreographer / coordinator) – Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Chris O’Hara (stunt coordinator and stunt designer) – The Fall Guy
Christopher Scott (choreographer) and Jo McLaren (stunt coordinator) – Wicked
Ashley Wallen (dance choreographer), Nicholas Daines (stunt coordinator), Slavisa Ivanovic (stunt coordinator), Tim Wong (fight choreographer) and Spencer Susser (second-unit director) – Better Man
Keith Woulard and Cory DeMeyers (stunt coordinators) – Rebel Ridge

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Mike Cheslik (visual effects) and Jerry Kurek (assistant effects artist) – Hundreds of Beavers
Bryan Jones (visual effects supervisor), Pierre Procoudine-Gorsky (visual effects producer) and Jean Miel (special effects supervisor) – The Substance
Paul Lambert (visual effects production supervisor), Gerd Nefzer (special effects supervisor), Rhys Salcombe (visual effects supervisor) and Stephen James (visual effects supervisor) – Dune: Part Two
Damien Leone (writer / director), Phil Falcone (producer), Christien Tinsley (design and creation of prosthetics and makeup effects), Brian Van Dorn (Tinsley Studios production coordinator), Ryan Ward (on-set makeup effects department head), Heather Albert (on-set makeup effects artist), Josh Petrino (visual effects supervisor), Declan Boyle (lead visual effects artist), Lincoln Smith (senior visual effects artist), John Caglione, Jr. (Virgin Mary / demon sequence prosthetics supervisor), Jason Baker (Callosum Studios on-set effects supervisor) and Jason Milstein (post-production supervisor and visual effects artist) – Terrifier 3
Luke Millar (visual effects supervisor) and Scott MacIntyre (special effects supervisor) – Better Man
Kevin Smith (visual effects supervisor), Kevin Sherwood (visual effects producer), Bruce Bright (special effects supervisor) and Michael Meinardus (special effects supervisor) – Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Ben Snow (visual effects supervisor), Florian Witzel (Industrial Light & Magic visual effects supervisor), Charles Lai (ILM associate visual effects supervisor) and Scott Fisher (special effects supervisor) – Twisters
David White (prosthetic and makeup effects design), Angela Barson (visual effects supervisor) and Pavel Sagner (special effects supervisor) – Nosferatu (2024)
Erik Winquist and Stephen Unterfranz (VFX supervisors), Paul Story (senior animation supervisor) and Rodney Burke (special FX supervisor) – Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

BREAKOUT OF THE YEAR
Joanna Arnow (director / writer / editor / performer) – The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed
Mike Cheslik (director / co-writer / editor / visual effects) – Hundreds of Beavers
Vera Drew (director / co-writer / editor / performer) – The People’s Joker
Mikey Madison (performer) – Anora
Chris Nash (director / writer) – In a Violent Nature
Katy M. O’Brian (performer) – Love Lies Bleeding
RaMell Ross (director / co-writer) – Nickel Boys
Maisy Stella (performer) – My Old Ass
Julio Torres (director / writer / performer) – Problemista
Malcolm Washington (director / co-writer) – The Piano Lesson

ORIGINAL VISION
Better Man
Emilia Pérez
Hundreds of Beavers
I Saw the TV Glow
In a Violent Nature
The People’s Joker
Problemista
Sasquatch Sunset
The Substance

Here Are The Nominations Of The St. Louis Film Critics Association!


Finally, the St. Louis Film Critics Association today announced their nominations for the best of 2024!  The winners will be announced on December 15.

BEST FILM
Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
September 5
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST DIRECTOR
Edward Berger – “Conclave
Brady Corbet – “The Brutalist”
Mohammad Rasoulof – “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”
RaMell Ross – “Nickel Boys”
Denis Villeneuve – “Dune: Part Two

BEST ACTRESS
Pamela Anderson – “The Last Showgirl”
Cynthia Erivo – “Wicked
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – “Hard Truths”
Mikey Madison – “Anora”
Demi Moore – “The Substance”
Saoirse Ronan – “The Outrun”

BEST ACTOR
Adrien Brody – “The Brutalist”
Timothee Chalamet – “A Complete Unknown
Daniel Craig – “Queer”
Colman Domingo – “Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes – “Conclave
Hugh Grant – “Heretic”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Monica Barbaro – “A Complete Unknown
Danielle Deadwyler – “The Piano Lesson”
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – “Nickel Boys”
Ariana Grande – “Wicked
Zoe Saldana – “Emilia Perez”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kieran Culkin – “A Real Pain”
Clarence Maclin “Sing Sing
Guy Pearce – “The Brutalist”
Stanley Tucci – “Conclave
Denzel Washington – “Gladiator II”

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Anora
The Brutalist
Hard Truths
A Real Pain
Saturday Night
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Maria
Nosferatu
Nickel Boy

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Dune: Part Two
Hundreds of Beavers
Maria
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST EDITING
The Brutalist
Dune: Part Two
Nickel Boys
Saturday Night
September 5

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
The Brutalist
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Nosferatu
Wicked

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Brutalist
Challengers
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
The Wild Robot

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alien: Romulus
Dune: Part Two
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Nosferatu

BEST SOUNDTRACK
A Complete Unknown
Deadpool & Wolverine
I Saw the TV Glow
Maria
Wicked

BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE

Maya Hawke – “Inside Out 2”
Lupita Nyong’o – “The Wild Robot”
Pedro Pascal – “The Wild Robot”
Amy Poehler – “Inside Out 2”
Sarah Snook – “Memoir of a Snail”

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Flow
Inside Out 2
Memoir of a Snail
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
The Wild Robot

BEST ENSEMBLE

Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Saturday Night
Sing Sing
Wicked

BEST HORROR FILM
Heretic
I Saw the TV Glow
Late Night with the Devil
Longlegs
Nosferatu
The Substance

BEST STUNTS
Deadpool & Wolverine
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Gladiator II
Monkey Man

BEST COMEDY FILM
Deadpool & Wolverine
The Fall Guy
Hundreds of Beavers
A Real Pain
Saturday Night

BEST ACTION FILM
Deadpool & Wolverine
Dune: Part Two
The Fall Guy
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Monkey Man

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Daughters
Music by John Williams
No Other Land
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
All We Imagine As Light
Dahomey
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World
Emilia Perez
The Seed of the Sacred Fig

BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM
Annie Baker – “Janet Planet”
Anna Kendrick – “Woman of the Hour”
Josh Margolin – “Thelma”
Dev Patel – “Monkey Man”
RaMell Ross – “Nickel Boys”
Malcolm Washington – “The Piano Lesson”

BEST SCENE
Civil War – “What kind of an American are you?”
Dune: Part Two – Riding the Sandworm
The Substance – New Year’s Eve performance
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – War Rig battle
His Three Daughters – Dad’s Chair

Wicked Wins In Washington D.C.


The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association — try saying that ten times fast — has announced it picks for the best of 2024!

And here they are:

Best Feature
“Anora” (Neon)
“Conclave” (Focus Features)
“Sing Sing” (A24)
“The Brutalist” (A24)
“Wicked” (Universal Pictures)

Best Director
Brady Corbet – “The Brutalist“
Denis Villeneuve – “Dune: Part Two”
Edward Berger – “Conclave”
Jon M. Chu – “Wicked”
Sean Baker – “Anora”

Best Actress
Cynthia Erivo – “Wicked”
Demi Moore – “The Substance”
Karla Sofia Gascon – “Emilia Perez”
Marianne Jean–Baptiste – “Hard Truths”
Mikey Madison – “Anora“

Best Actor
Adrien Brody – “The Brutalist”
Colman Domingo – “Sing Sing“
Daniel Craig – “Queer”
Ralph Fiennes – “Conclave”
Timothee Chalamet – “A Complete Unknown”

Best Supporting Actress
Ariana Grande – “Wicked”
Aunjanue Ellis–Taylor – “Nickel Boys”
Danielle Deadwyler – “The Piano Lesson“
Isabella Rossellini – “Conclave”
Zoe Saldana – “Emilia Perez”

Best Supporting Actor
Clarence Maclin – “Sing Sing”
Denzel Washington – “Gladiator II”
Guy Pearce – “The Brutalist”
Keiran Culkin – “A Real Pain“
Yura Borisov – “Anora”

Best Animated Feature
“Flow”
“Inside Out 2”
“Memoir of a Snail”
“The Wild Robot“
“Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”

Best Documentary
“Dahomey”
“Daughters”
“Music by John Williams”
“No Other Land”
“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story“
“Will & Harper”

Best International Film
“Dahomey”
“Emilia Perez“
“Flow”
“I’m Still Here”
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig”

Best Adapted Screenplay
“Conclave” – written for the screen by Peter Straughan
“Dune: Part Two” – written for the screen by Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts
“Nickel Boys” – written for the screen by RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes
“Sing Sing” – written for the screen by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar
“Wicked” – written for the screen by Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox

Best Original Screenplay
“Anora” – Sean Baker
“A Real Pain” – Jesse Eisenberg
“Challengers” – Justin Kuritzkes
“The Brutalist” – Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold
“The Substance” – Coralie Fargeat

Best Acting Ensemble
“Anora”
“Conclave“
“Dune: Part Two”
“Sing Sing”
“The Brutalist”
“Wicked”

Best Youth Performance
Alisha Weir – “Abigail”
Alyla Browne – “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
Elliott Heffernan – “Blitz“
Ian Foreman – “Exhibiting Forgiveness”
Isabel DeRoy–Olson – “Fancy Dance”
Izaac Wang – “Didi”
Zoe Ziegler – “Janet Planet”

Best Voice Performance
Amy Poehler – “Inside Out 2”
Auli’i Cravalho – “Moana 2”
Brian Tyree Henry – “Transformers One”
Lupita Nyong’o – “The Wild Robot“
Maya Hawke – “Inside Out 2”

Best Original Score
“Blitz” – Hans Zimmer
“Challengers” – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (TIE)
“Conclave” – Volker Bertelmann
“Nosferatu” – Robin Carolan
“The Brutalist” – Daniel Blumberg (TIE)
“The Wild Robot” – Kris Bowers

Best Editing
“Anora” (TIE)
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two” (TIE)
“The Brutalist”
“Wicked”

Best Cinematography
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Nickel Boys”
“Nosferatu“
“The Brutalist”

Best Production Design
“Dune: Part Two”
“Gladiator II”
“Nosferatu”
“The Brutalist”
“Wicked“

Best Motion Capture
Eka Darville – “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
Jonno Davies – “Better Man”
Kevin Durand – “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
Owen Teague – “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes“
Peter Macon – “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”

Best Stunts
“Deadpool and Wolverine”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”
“Gladiator II”
“The Fall Guy“

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC
“Civil War“
“Daughters”
“Shirley”
“Stopping the Steal”