The National Society Of Film Critics Honors Spotlight!


Spotlight

Last year, the National Society of Film Critics kept things interesting by naming Goodbye To Language as best picture.  This year, they went with Spotlight, just like everyone else.  However, Michael B. Jordan did win best actor for Creed so there was at least that.

BEST ACTOR
1. Michael B. Jordan (Creed) 29 points
2. Geza Rohrig (Son of Saul) 18
3. Tom Courtenay (45 Years) 15

BEST ACTRESS
1. Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) 57
2. Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) 30
3. Nina Hoss (Phoenix) 22

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) 56
2. Michael Shannon (99 Homes) 16
3. Sylvester Stallone (Creed) 14

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria) 53
2. Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) 23
3. Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) 17
3. Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy) 17

BEST SCREENPLAY
1. Spotlight (Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy) 21
2. Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman) 15
2. The Big Short (Charles Randolph and Adam McKay) 15

CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Carol (Ed Lachman) 25
2. The Assassin (Mark Lee Ping-bin) 22
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (John Seale) 12

PICTURE
1. Spotlight (Tom McCarthy) 23
2. Carol (Todd Haynes) 17
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller) 13

DIRECTOR
1.Todd Haynes (Carol) 21
2. Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) 21 (because he was on fewer ballots)
3. George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) 20

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
1. Timbuktu (Abderrahmane Sissako) 22
2. Phoenix (Christian Petzold) 20
3. The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-hsien) 16

BEST NON-FICTION FILM
1. Amy (Asif Kapadia) 23
2. In Jackson Heights (Frederick Wiseman) 18
3. Seymour: An Introduction (Ethan Hawke) 15

The North Carolina Film Critics Association Have Announced Their Nominees For The Best of 2015


Here are the nominees from the North Carolina Film Critics Association!

BEST NARRATIVE FILM
Carol
Inside Out
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
Spotlight

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Amy
Finders Keepers
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Listen to Me Marlon
The Look of Silence

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Assassin
Mustang
Phoenix
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
Son of Saul

BEST DIRECTOR
Lenny Abrahamson (Room)
Todd Haynes (Carol)
Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Ridley Scott (The Martian)

BEST ACTOR
Bryan Cranston (Trumbo)
Matt Damon (The Martian)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
Ian McKellen (Mr. Holmes)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Paul Dano (Love & Mercy)
Benicio del Toro (Sicario)
Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight)
Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
Sylvester Stallone (Creed)

BEST ACTRESS
Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy)
Cate Blanchett (Carol)
Brie Larson (Room)
Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)
Rooney Mara (Carol)
Rachel McAdams (Spotlight)
Helen Mirren (Trumbo)
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Matt Charman, Ethan Coen, and Joel Coen (Bridge of Spies)
Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, and Josh Cooley (Inside Out)
Alex Garland (Ex Machina)
Josh Singer, Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)
Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Emma Donoghue (Room)
Drew Goddard (The Martian)
Phyllis Nagy (Carol)
Nick Hornby (Brooklyn)
Charles Randolph and Adam McKay (The Big Short)
Aaron Sorkin (Steve Jobs)

TAR HEEL AWARD
(To an artist or film with a special connection to North Carolina.)
Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes)
Finders Keepers
Peyton Reed (Ant-Man)

Awards Season Update: The Black Film Critics Circle Name Creed The Best of 2015!


Creed

Hi!  First off, I must apologize for the Black Film Critics Circle.  They announced their picks for the best way back on the 22nd of December but, with the business of the holidays and all, I’ve only now had the opportunity to post them.

Here’s what the BFCC picked for the best of 2015!

BEST PICTURE Creed
BEST DIRECTING – George Miller, Mad Max Fury Road
BEST ACTOR – Michael B. Jordan, Creed
BEST ACTRESS – Brie Larson, Room
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Sylvester Stallone, Creed
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Tessa Thompson, Creed
BEST SCREENWRITING (Original Screenplay) – Straight Outta Compton
BEST SCREENWRITING (Adapted Screenplay) – The Martian
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Mad Max Fury Road
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – Son of Saul
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – What Happened, Miss Simone?
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE – Inside Out
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE – Straight Outta Compton

Special Awards were given to Ice Cube, Abraham Attah, and Beasts of No Nation.

BLACK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE TOP TEN FILMS OF 2015
1.Creed
2.Mad Max Fury Road
3.Straight Outta Compton
4.Spotlight
5.The Martian
6.Room
7.Beasts of No Nation
8.The Hateful Eight
9.The Big Short
10.Ex Machina

h/t to Awards Circuit 

Here Are The Just-Announced Florida Film Critics Circle Nominations!


BEST PICTURE
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
Spotlight
The Big Short
The Martian

BEST ACTOR
Bryan Cranston – Trumbo
Paul Dano – Love and Mercy
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
Michael Fassbender – Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne – The Danish Girl

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett – Carol
Brie Larson – Room
Charlotte Rampling – 45 Years
Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn
Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Oscar Isaac – Ex Machina
Mark Ruffalo – Spotlight
Mark Rylance – Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon – 99 Homes
Sylvester Stallone – Creed

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Elizabeth Banks – Love and Mercy
Jennifer Jason Leigh – The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara – Carol
Kristen Stewart – Clouds of Sils Maria
Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina
BEST DIRECTOR

Todd Haynes – Carol
Alejandro G. Iñárritu – The Revenant
George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
Ridley Scott – The Martian

BEST ENSEMBLE
The Big Short
Mistress America
Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Tangerine

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Ex Machina
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Mistress America
Spotlight

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
The Big Short
Brooklyn
Carol
Room
Steve Jobs

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Sicario
Youth

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
The Walk

BEST ART DIRECTION/ PRODUCTION DESIGN
Brooklyn
Carol
Crimson Peak
Love & Mercy
Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST SCORE
Carol
The Hateful Eight
Love & Mercy
Mad Max: Fury Road
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amy
Best of Enemies
Cartel Land
Heart of a Dog
The Look of Silence

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Assassin
Mommy
Mustang
Phoenix
Son of Saul
BEST ANIMATED FILM

Anomalisa
Inside Out
The Good Dinosaur
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie

FFCC BREAKOUT AWARD
Bel Powley – Diary of a Teenage Girl
Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez – Tangerine
Jacob Tremblay – Room
Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina and The Danish Girl

The Utah Film Critics Are Mad About Max!!


MadMaxFuryRoad

The Utah Film Critics announced their picks for the best of 2015 and they’re mad about Max!

BEST PICTURE
Winner: Mad Max: Fury Road
(runner-up: The Martian)

BEST DIRECTING
Winner: George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
(runner-up: Ridley Scott – The Martian)

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
(runner-up: Matt Damon – The Martian)

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Brie Larson – Room
(runner-up: Saoirse Ronan – Brooklyn)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Sylvester Stallone – Creed
(runner-up: Oscar Isaac – Ex Machina)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Rose Byrne – Spy
(runner-up: Alicia Vikander – Ex Machina)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Winner: Inside Out
(runner-up: Spotlight)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Winner: The Martian
(runner-up: Brooklyn)

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Mad Max: Fury Road
(runner-up: The Revenant)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: The Hunting Ground
(runner-up: Amy)

NON-ENGLISH FEATURE
Winner: Timbuktu
(runner-up: Son of Saul)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Winner: Inside Out
(runner-up: Shaun the Sheep)

Spotlight Wins In St. Louis!


Spotlight

You can check out the full nominations of the St. Louis Film Critics by clicking here.  And you can see the winners below!

Best Film of 2015: SPOTLIGHT
Runner Up: INSIDE OUT

Best Director of 2015: TOM MCCARTHY – SPOTLIGHT
Runner Up: George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Actress of 2015: BRIE LARSON – ROOM
Runner Up: SAOIRSE RONAN – BROOKLYN

Best Actor of 2015: Leonardo DiCaprio – THE REVENANT
Runner Up: Ian McKellen – MR. HOLMES

Best Supporting Actress of 2015: Alicia Vikander – EX MACHINA
Runner Up: (TIE) – KRISTEN STEWART – CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA, Rooney Mara, CAROL

Best Supporting Actor of 2015: Sylvester Stallone – CREED
Runner Up: Mark Rylance – BRIDGE OF SPIES

Best Cinematography of 2015: EMMANUEL LUBEZKI – THE REVENANT
Runner Up: CAROL

Best Original Screenplay: JOSH SINGER AND TOM MCCARTHY – SPOTLIGHT
Runner Up: Alex Garland, Ex Machina

Best Adapted Screenplay of 2015: DREW GODDARD: THE MARTIAN
Runner Up: Nick Hornby: Brooklyn

Best Editing: MARGARET SIXEL: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Runner Up: THE REVENANT

Best Art Direction of 2015: COLIN GIBSON – MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Runner Up: (A 3-Way Tie) CAROL, BROOKLYN, THE DANISH GIRL

Best Visual Effects of 2015: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
Runner Up: THE WALK

Best Film Score of 2015: Ennio Morricone – THE HATEFUL EIGHT
Runner Up: INSIDE OUT

Best Film Soundtrack of 2015: ATTICUS ROSS – LOVE AND MERCY
Runner Up: STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

Best Foreign Language Film: GOODNIGHT MOMMY
Runner Up: SON OF SAUL

Best Documentary of 2015: AMY
Runner Up: The Look of Silence

Best Comedy: TRAINWRECK
Runner Up: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Best Song: WRITING’S ON THE WALL (Spectre)
Runner Up: SEE YOU AGAIN (Furious 7)

Best Scene of 2015: Hugh mauled by grizzly in THE REVENANT
Runner Up: Walk between Twin Towers in THE WALK

Worst film of 2015: “FANTASTIC FOUR
Runner up: “ALOHA”

The Chicago Film Critics Are … wait for it … MAD ABOUT MAX!


MadMaxFuryRoad

The Chicago Film Critics announced their picks for the best of 2015 yesterday and it was another lovely day for Mad Mad: Fury Road!  You can check out the nominees here and view the list of winners below!

Best Picture: Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Director: George Miller Mad Max: Fury Road
Best Actress: Brie Larson, Room
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Animated Film: Inside Out
Documentary: Amy
Foreign Language: Son of Saul
Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Cinematography: Mad Max: Fury Road
Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road
Score: The Hateful Eight
Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro, Sicario
Most Promising Performer: Jacob Tremblay, Room
Original Screenplay: Spotlight
Adapted Screenplay: The Big Short

Here Are The 9 Semi-Finalists For The Best Foreign Language Film Oscar!


Awards season continues!  Over 200 films were submitted for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and yesterday, the Academy announced the 9 semi-finalists.  Goodbye Mommy did not make the cut.  The Second Mother did not make the cut.  The Assassin did not make the cut, which is a shame because I caught the final five minutes of it when I went to see Suffragette yesterday and it looked pretty damn good.  A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Contemplating Existence did not make the cut, which sucks because I love that title.

Here’s what did make the cut:

Belgium, “The Brand New Testament,” Jaco Van Dormael, director;
Colombia, “Embrace of the Serpent,” Ciro Guerra, director;
Denmark, “A War,” Tobias Lindholm, director;
Finland, “The Fencer,” Klaus Härö, director;
France, “Mustang,” Deniz Gamze Ergüven, director;
Germany, “Labyrinth of Lies,” Giulio Ricciarelli, director;
Hungary, “Son of Saul,” László Nemes, director;
Ireland, “Viva,” Paddy Breathnach, director;
Jordan, “Theeb,” Naji Abu Nowar, director.

Best Foreign Language Film is notorious for being a difficult category to predict.  Right now, assuming it’s one of the five finalists, Son of Saul is considered to be the front runner.  Some people even thought it would receive a nomination for best picture of the year but so far, it hasn’t really been much of a factor in the precursor awards.

 

Austin Loves Carol!


mara_blanchett_carol

The Austin Film Critics Association announced their nominations earlier today and guess what?  They really, really like Carol!

Love you, Austin!

(I don’t know if I love Carol but seriously, Austin’s the best!)

Best Film:
Anomalisa
Carol
Mad Max: Fury Road
Spotlight
Trumbo

Best Director:
Todd Haynes, Carol
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Adam McKay, The Big Short
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight

Best Actor:
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Michael B. Jordan, Creed
Jacob Tremblay, Room

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Brie Larson, Room
Rooney Mara, Carol
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Supporting Actor:
Benicio Del Toro, Sicario
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Oscar Isaac, Ex Machina
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Sylvester Stallone, Creed

Best Supporting Actress:
Elizabeth Banks, Love & Mercy
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Kristen Stewart, Clouds of Sils Maria
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

Best Original Screenplay:
Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley, Inside Out
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
Taylor Sheridan, Sicario
Josh Singer & Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Emma Donoghue, Room
Charlie Kaufman, Anomalisa
Phyllis Nagy, Carol
Charles Randolph and Adam McKay, The Big Short
Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs

Best Cinematography:
Roger Deakins, Sicario
Edward Lachman, Carol
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Revenant
Robert Richardson, The Hateful Eight
John Seale, Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Score:
Carter Burwell, Carol
Michael Giacchino, Inside Out
Tom Holkenborg (as Junkie XL), Max Max: Fury Road
Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight
Rich Vreeland (as Disasterpeace), It Follows

Best Foreign-Language Film:
Mustang
Phoenix
Son of Saul
The Tribe
Victoria

Best Documentary:
Amy
Best of Enemies
Cartel Land
The Look of Silence
Where to Invade Next

Best Animated Film:
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie

Best First Film:
Bone Tomahawk
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Ex Machina
Mustang
Son of Saul

The Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award:
Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation
Amy Schumer, Trainwreck
Mya Taylor, Tangerine
Jacob Tremblay, Room
Alicia Vikander, Ex-Machina

Best Austin Film:
Arlo and Julie (dir: Steve Mims)
A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story (dir: Sara Hirsh Bordo)
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (dir: David Zellner)
Peace Officer (dir: Brad Barber, Scott Christopherson)
Two Step (dir: Alex R. Johnson)

Here Are Nominations of the Kansas City Critics!


Sicario_poster

Hi!  We briefly interrupt our nonstop Star Wars coverage to bring you the latest developments in awards season!  First off, the Kansas City Film Critics Circle — the 2nd oldest critical group in America (the National Board of Review is the oldest) — announced their nominations for the best of 2015 and guess what?  They liked one of my favorite movies of the year, Sicario!

BEST PICTURE:
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Revenant
Room
Sicario
Spotlight

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR:
Alex Garland, Ex Machina
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant
Denis Villeneuve, Sicario
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

BEST ACTOR:
Steve Carell, The Big Short
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

BEST ACTRESS:
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Emily Blunt, Sicario
Bel Powley, The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Benicio Del Toro, Sicario

Tom Hardy, The Revenant
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Sylvester Stallone, Creed

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Elizabeth Banks, Love & Mercy
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Rooney Mara, Carol
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Ex Machina
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out
Sicario
Spotlight
Trainwreck

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
The Big Short
Carol
The Martian
Room
Steve Jobs

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:
Anomalisa
Inside Out
Minions
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
The Assassin
Goodnight Mommy
Phoenix
Son of Saul
The Tribe
White God

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
Amy
Best of Enemies
The Look of Silence
Where to Invade Next
The Wrecking Crew

VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY or HORROR FILM:
Ex Machina
Goodnight Mommy
It Follows
Mad Max: Fury Road
The Martian