Parasite Wins in Chicago!

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Last night, the Chicago Film Critics announced their picks for the best of 2019 and, in a turn of events that’s become quite familiar this awards season, Parasite was named Best Picture!

Here’s a full list of the winners:

BEST PICTURE
Parasite

BEST DIRECTOR
Bong Joon Ho, Parasite

BEST ACTOR
Adam Driver, Marriage Story

BEST ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong’o, Us

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Florence Pugh, Little Women

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Parasite by Bong Joon Ho and Han Jin Won

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Little Women by Greta Gerwig

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Parasite

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Apollo 11

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Toy Story 4

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Deakins, 1917

BEST EDITING
Thelma Schoonmaker, The Irishman

BEST ART DIRECTION
Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Little Women

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexandre Desplat, Little Women

BEST USE OF VISUAL EFFECTS
Ad Astra

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Aisling Franciosi, The Nightingale

MILOS STEHLIK AWARD
Lulu Wang, The Farewell

The Women Film Critics Circle Honors Portrait of a Lady on Fire!

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association weren’t the only ones making an announcement today! The Women Film Critics Circle also announced their picks for the best of 2019!

And here they are:

BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)
Runner-up: Little Women (dir. Greta Gerwig)

BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN

Harriet (dir. Kasi Lemmons)
Runner-up: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)

BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER (Screenwriting Award)

Greta Gerwig (Little Women)
Runner-up: Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)

BEST ACTRESS

Tie: Cynthia Erivo (Harriet) and Lupita Nyong’o (US)
Runner-up: Renée Zellweger (Judy)

BEST ACTOR

Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Runner-up: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (dir. Céline Sciamma)
Runner-up: Atlantics (dir. Mati Diop)

BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT WOMEN

Varda by Agnès (dir. Agnès Varda)
Runner-ups: Maiden (dir. Alex Holmes) and Honeyland (dir. Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov)

BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES

Marriage Story
Runner-up: The Aeronauts

BEST ANIMATED FEMALE

Anna (Frozen 2)
Runner-up: Bo Peep (Toy Story 4)

BEST SCREEN COUPLE

(TIE) Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Noémie Merlant/Adèle Haenel) and Marriage Story (Scarlett Johansson/Adam Driver)
Runner-up: Hustlers (Jennifer Lopez/Constance Wu)

ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD – For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women

(TIE) Bombshell (dir. Jay Roach) and The Nightingale (dir. Jennifer Kent)
Runner-up: Hustlers (dir. Lorene Scafaria)

JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD – For best expressing the woman of color experience in America

Harriet (dir. Kasi Lemmons)
Runner-up: Queen & Slim (dir. Melina Matsoukas)

KAREN MORLEY AWARD – For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity

Harriet (dir. Kasi Lemmons)
Runner-up: Little Women (dir. Greta Gerwig)

ACTING AND ACTIVISM AWARD
Jane Fonda

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Alfre Woodard

Here Are The 2019 Nominations of the Detroit Film Critics Society!

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Earlier on Friday, the Detroit Film Critics Society released their nominations for the best of 2019!

Now, back in 2018, the DFCS honored some great films that were overlooked by the Academy, films like Eighth Grade, A Quiet Place, and First Reformed. I mean, I really, really loved the 2018 DFCS awards. And you know what? I’m pretty happy with what they came up with for 2019 as well! I especially like the nomination for Anna Paquin in The Irishman. With all the overblown controversy about how many lines she spoke in the film, it is often overlooked that she gave a great performance and, with just the power of her withering glare, pretty much transformed Peggy into the conscience of the film.

Here are the DFCS nominees for the best of 2019! The winners will be announced on December 9th!

BEST PICTURE
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite

BEST DIRECTOR
Noah Baumbach – Marriage Story
Bong Joon-ho – Parasite
Martin Scorsese – The Irishman
Quentin Tarantino – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Taika Waititi – Jojo Rabbit

BEST ACTRESS
Scarlett Johansson – Marriage Story
Julianne Moore – Gloria Bell
Lupita Nyong’o – Us
Charlize Theron – Bombshell
Renee Zellweger – Judy

BEST ACTOR
Robert De Niro – The Irishman
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Robert Pattinson – The Lighthouse
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Willem Dafoe – The Lighthouse
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Sam Rockwell – Richard Jewell
Wesley Snipes – Dolemite Is My Name

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kathy Bates – Richard Jewell
Laura Dern – Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit
Anna Paquin – The Irishman
Florence Pugh – Little Women

BEST SCREENPLAY
The Irishman
The Lighthouse
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Frozen II
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Toy Story 4

BEST USE OF MUSIC
1917
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Rocketman
Uncut Gems
Wild Rose

BEST ENSEMBLE
Dolemite Is My Name
The Farewell
The Irishman
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Amazing Grace
Apollo 11
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror
Knocking Down the House
Rolling Thunder Review: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese

BREAKTHROUGH
Ana de Armas – actress (Knives Out, The Informer, Yesterday)
Jessie Buckley – actress (Wild Rose, Judy)
Kaitlyn Dever – actress (Booksmart, Them That Follow)
Aisling Franciosi – actress (The Nightingale)
Paul Walter Hauser – actor (Richard Jewell)
Florence Pugh – actress (Fighting with My Family, Midsommar, Little Women)
Lulu Wang – director (The Farewell)
Olivia Wilde – director (Booksmart)

The National Board of Review Selects The Irishman and Adam Sandler

Posted on December 3, 2019 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The National Board of Review, which is generally considered to be the first major precursors of the Awards Season, announced their picks for the best of 2019 earlier today and it was a good day for both The Irishman and Adam Sandler.

I haven’t seen Uncut Gems yet but, from a historical point of view, I’d love to see Adam Sandler pick up an Oscar nomination because that would seriously be the plot twist that, just a few months ago, no one saw coming.

Here are the National Board of Review’s selections!

Best Film: THE IRISHMAN
Best Director: Quentin Tarantino, ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
Best Actor: Adam Sandler, UNCUT GEMS
Best Actress: Renée Zellweger, JUDY
Best Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt, ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD
Best Supporting Actress: Kathy Bates, RICHARD JEWELL
Best Original Screenplay: Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein, UNCUT GEMS
Best Adapted Screenplay: Steven Zaillian, THE IRISHMAN
Breakthrough Performance: Paul Walter Hauser, RICHARD JEWELL
Best Directorial Debut: Melina Matsoukas, QUEEN & SLIM
Best Animated Feature: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD
Best Foreign Language Film: PARASITE
Best Documentary: MAIDEN
Best Ensemble: KNIVES OUT
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography: Roger Deakins, 1917
NBR Icon Award: Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: FOR SAMA
NBR Freedom of Expression Award: JUST MERCY