The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has spoken this season with a list of winners quite original in response to their New York counterparts, who announced last week. “Boyhood,” again, won Best Picture, as well as Best Director. But Tom Hardy (“Locke”) and Agata Kulesza (“Ida”) made for interesting additions to their separate conversations. “Selma” got some love as well in the form of a New Generation Award for director Ava DuVernay.
Check out the full list of winners with running commentary below, and as always, follow along with the season at The Circuit.
Best Editing: Sandra Adair, “Boyhood” (Runner-up: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”)
That's two in one day for Adair, and congrats to her. Again, lots of footage to dig through, smoothly calibrated and structured. Just a great piece of work. Bravo.
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash” (Runner-up: Edward Norton, “Birdman”)
It's pretty much these two all the way to the end. Stoked for J.K.!
Best Production Design: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (Runner-up: “Snowpiercer”)
That is frankly exactly how I would chalk this up, #1 and #2. Uncanny how much you nailed that one, LAFCA. This has been an amazing year for below-the-line accomplishments, in fact. More on that in tomorrow's Oscar column…
Best Music Score: (TIE) Jonny Greenwood, “Inherent Vice” and Mica Levi, “Under the Skin”
Fascinating. And yes, Levi really, really deserves to be in this conversation. It would be nice if she could get some real traction. This is nice, though.
Best Animation: “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” (Runner-up: “The LEGO Movie”)
Wow. Exact same result as the Boston crowd. See my thoughts there, I guess.
Best Supporting Actress: Agata Kulesza, “Ida” (Runner-up: Rene Russo, “Nightcrawler”)
I honestly haven't taken to “Ida” the way everyone else has, but I love this win all the same. LAFCA prides itself on these kinds of choices, and kudos for Russo being so close. She's fantastic in “Nightcrawler” and, as I said in the Boston string, should be in the conversation here.
Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: Walter Reuben, “The David Whiting Story”
I have not seen the film, but I shall on this recommendation. Also, work on shortening the name of that award, guys and gals.
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman” (Runner-up: Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”
Yet again, the exact same turnout as at Boston. Hard to argue with these two but it is a crazy good year for cinematography.
Best Documentary/Nonfiction Film: “CITIZENFOUR” (Runner-up: “Life Itself”)
Sigh…
Best Actress: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood” (Runner-up: Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”)
Knowing a number of the members of this group like I do, this isn't actually a shock. I figured they would dig their heels in on this. I'm fine with it, though I honestly see the argument with either category placement. Well-deserved. Sorry Cotillard fans…
Best Screenplay: “The Grand Budapest Hotel” (Runner-up: “Birdman”)
Interesting to see the LA crowd double down on the NY critics' pick here. It's certainly Wes Anderson's most amazingly crafted film to date, but I'd rank a couple of his previous films well above this in terms of screenplay. But that's me.
New Generation Award: Ava DuVernay, “Selma”
I imagine there was a lot of passion in there for her. “Selma” is still looking to get traction in the critics awards, and it has its proponents, but they haven't really broken it through yet. This is a great choice.
Best Foreign Language Film: “Ida” (Runner-up: “Winter Sleep”)
After the Best Supporting Actress win (which feels like AGES ago — speed this up, people), this isn't much of a surprise. And once again, sorry, Cotillard fans.
Best Director: Richard Linklater, “Boyhood” (Runner-up: Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”)
Entering hour 29… Seems natural that Anderson would have been in the thick of it. I get the feeling there's a lot of championing for that film going on during this decades-long vote. But anyway, another for Linklater, and good for him.
Best Actor: Tom Hardy, “Locke” (Runner-up Michael Keaton, “Birdman”)
I find thid film to be interesting and a curiosity but sort of overrated amongst its faithful. That said, Hardy is pretty much on point from beginning to end, and it's seemingly an impossible role to so fully inhabit. So a nice change of pace, I say.
Best Picture: “Boyhood” (Runner-up: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”)
Make that four awards for the film on the day (including the international prize from the British Independent Film Awards). The question is, is this amount of love just jinxing the film? Could be. or maybe it will become the obvious choice in the end. For now, I'm sticking with my three-way theory.