The Boston Society of Film Critics kicked off a busy day for awards on Sunday by naming “Boyhood” the year's best film. The IFC Films release also took Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Ensemble and Best Film Editing honors. Check out the full rundown of winners with thoughts throughout below, and remember to keep track of the season at The Circuit.
Best Use of Music in a Film: “Inherent Vice” (Runner-up: “Whiplash”)
FANTASTIC start. The music in this film is half the experience. You'll have Can's “Vitamin C” stuck in your head for days after seeing the film. Such a rich assortment of tunes that builds the atmosphere. Good call.
Best Film Editing: Sandra Adair, “Boyhood” (Runner-up: Joel Cox, Gary Roach, “American Sniper”)
Tough to argue with what she did, wrangling 12 years of material into a smooth, natural experience.
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Birdman” (Runner-up: Dick Pope, “Mr. Turner”)
What can I possibly say? Deserved and then some. Come back to LA, Chivo. You have a line of people waiting to talk to you about this film!
Best New Filmmaker: Dan Gilroy, “Nightcrawler” (Runner-up: Gillian Robespierre, “Obvious Child”)
Nice. Inspired. “Nightcrawler” is a film that could really use the critics' muscle. It deserves to be in the thick of the conversation in Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay, in my opinion.
Best Animated Film: “The Tale of Princess Kaguya”
Refreshing change of pace. I find myself wondering if both of the GKIDS entries could find room at the Oscars this year. Animators love traditional animation and could really rally behind them.
Best Documentary: “CITIZENFOUR” (Runner-up: “Jodorowsky's Dune”)
Sigh…
Best Screenplay: (TIE) “Birdman” and “Boyhood” (Runner-up: “Mr. Turner”)
Yeah, I feel you. Two truly stand-out pieces of work, and I would insinuate “Foxcatcher” into that conversation, too, personally.
Best Supporting Actress: Emma Stone, “Birdman” (Runner-up: Laura Dern, “Wild”)
Good for her. She really nails a lot of this performance and seems to have just been kind of “there” in the race, but not overtly considered.
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash” (Runner-up: Edward Norton, “Birdman”
Same as LAFCA result. Running the table, J.K.! Just had a spat with a longtime awards friend about Simmons' steamroller, and the notion that his role was easier to pull off or some such nonsense. I say try to get up on that screen and have a modicum of his presence. He nailed it, and it's a valid Oscar win if it happens.
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard, “The Immigrant” and “Two Days, One Night” (Runner-up: Hilary Swank, “The Homesman”
Interesting. Obviously Cotilalrd is a critics favorite this year, and I htink the one-two punch of these films really has helped her out.
Best Actor: Michael Keaton, “Birdman” (Runner-up: Timothy Spall, “Mr. Turner”)
Nice! I'm very curious if LAFCA will double up on this today, and great to see Spall still in the thick of it after that big NYFCC win last week.
Best Ensemble: “Boyhood” (Runner-up: “Birdman”)
I haven't actually spent much time thinking about this year's ensembles. A fine winner. I would have gone with that runner-up, though.
Best Director: Richard Linklater, “Boyhood” (Runner-up: Clint Eastwood, “American Sniper”)
As I said last weekend, I think he's on track for the Oscar.
Best Picture: “Boyhood” (Runner-up: “Birdman”)
And there you go. Likely to be repeated throughout the season, too. Some movies I'm just sort of OK with being critical darlings and steamrollers throughout the year. This film is one of them. Congratulations to Linklater and company.
Best Foreign Language Film: “Two Days, One Night” (Runner-up: “Ida”)
After the Best Actress win, not a big surprise or anything. The question now becomes whether all this momentum can get Cotillard into a very weak lead actress race. It's possible…