First Round Critics Orgs: NYFCO & AFCC
Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 11:00PM by Nathaniel R
With 3 critics groups announcing thus far, Laura Dern is the only threepeat winner.
NYFCC was the prestige kick off of this portion of precursor season (critics groups) a few days back and their rivals on the West Coast (LAFCA) announce tomorrow. But in the meantime we've also had announcements from New York (Online) and Atlanta, both of which went wild for Parasite. Side note: Yes we know there've been other group announcements but we dont acknowledge the nominations portion that so many groups are doing now because it just makes the overabundance of small regional organizations feel even more desperately extra. If just announcing winners is good enough for NYFCC/LAFCA/NSFC, the holy trinity of critics prizes, it ought to be good enough for smaller cities and less prestigious orgs.
Here are the winners for New York Online and Atlanta...
NYFCO
Picture: Parasite
Director: Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite)
Actor: Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Actress: Lupita Nyong'o (Us)
Supporting Actor: Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
Supporting Actress: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Screenplay: Parasite (Bong Joon-Ho, Han Jin-Won)
Cinematography: 1917 (Roger Deakins)
Documentary: Apollo 11 (NEON)
Foreign Language: Portrait of a Lady on Fire (NEON)
Ensemble Cast: Knives Out (Casting director: Mary Vernieu)
Breakthrough Performer: Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves, Luce)
Debut as Director: Lila Aviles (The Chambermaid)
Use of Music: Rocketman (Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Giles Martin, Matthew Margeson)
Animated Feature: I Lost My Body (Netflix)
Top 10 Films:
- 1917 (Universal Pictures)
- The Farewell (A24)
- Hustlers (STX Films)
- The Irishman (Netflix)
- Jojo Rabbit (Fox Searchlight)
- Joker (Warner Brothers)
- Marriage Story (Netflix)
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Columbia Pictures)
- Parasite (NEON)
- The Two Popes (Netflix)
Hmmm. Why does their top 10 look like Oscar predictions? Jojo Rabbit and Joker are expected to do well at the Oscars but they're in the 50s at Metcacritic so is this critics group just coincidentally full of fans of those two films or are people forgetting their own reviews and just voting on Oscar buzz? Still, we love to see Lupita honored again and Hustlers in the mix.
AFCC
(Atlanta Film Critics Circle)
Picture: Parasite
Director: Bong Joon-Ho (Parasite)
Actor: Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Actress: Renée Zellweger (Judy)
Supporting Actor: Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time In...)
Supporting Actress: Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Screenplay: Parasite (Bong Joon-Ho, Han Jin-Won)
Cinematography: 1917 (Roger Deakins)
Score: 1917 (Thomas Newman)
Documentary: Apollo 11
Foreign Language: Parasite (South Korea)
Best Ensemble: The Irishman
Breakthrough Performer: Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Best First Film: Olivia Wilde (Booksmart)
Animated Feature: Toy Story 4
Top 10 Films:
- Parasite (NEON)
- The Irishman (Netflix)
- Marriage Story (Netflix)
- Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Columbia Pictures)
- 1917 (Universal)
- Little Women (Columbia Pictures)
- Uncut Gems (A24)
- Knives Out (Lionsgate)
- Pain and Glory (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Apollo 11 (NEON)
Three critics groups* isn't a lot to go in in terms of consensus. And we hope consensus doesn't form too early. So far there is only one threepeat: Laura Dern in Best Supporting Actress.
* NBR is not a critics groups. Don't get it twisted.
Reader Comments (31)
I'm not trying to sound like a hater, but Laura Dern's performance in MS was so one-dimensional and Renata 2.0. If she wins the Oscar, it'll be a career Oscar, not for being the best surely.
I love Laura Dern in "Marriage Story" - but where is Alan Alda?
"Parasite" for everything. I also love Deakins taking a victory lap.
I also love Laura Dern in Marriage Story. Granted it's not revelatory work from her, but Nora Fanshaw is not Renata Klein: sure, she is strong and competent but neither raises her voice nor displays an iota of histrionics. She is the proverbial adult in the room—any room, whenever she is on screen, and I'm here for it.
Go Hustlers go!
Dern was much better in Marriage Story than on Big Little Lies season 2, I’ll give her that. It’s an uneven performance, but mostly works.
She has a camera consciousness that I find really hard to get past. She may not be speaking and looking directly into the camera but her body language never fully forgets where it is. It’s like she doesn’t trust the lens to pick up on subtle things. I don’t associate her with the stage at all but it’s a very stagey habit.
At this point I think the (Oscar) winners circle is likely to be: The Irishman (or Parasite) in picture, Tarantino in director, Driver in actor, Zellweger in actress, Pitt in supporting actor, and Dern in supporting actress—a very white lineup, but the Academy is as the Academy does.
I’m also annoyed that Best Actress has been reduced to Renée vs. Lupita, or one of several actors in lower profile projects. Scarlett Johansson is right there: a talented, Oscar-less movie star giving a showy performance in one of the year’s buzziest films. If anyone should be giving Renée a run for her money it’s her.
@JF
Johansson's performance has been undersold. Much of the passion has been geared toward Driver (and to a slightly lesser extent Dern). From what I've seen Scarjo only gets mentioned when the whole cast is being discussed. She'll still get the Oscar nomination but I'm not expecting her to win any solo critics prizes.
Also Lupita needs the critics love. Her nomination is on the fence. I'll be fine if she sweeps. Hoping for a Huppert in '16 love fest that leads to the Oscars.
Glenn you are so right unfortunately. I love Dern but that is not an Oscar worthy performance.
If Pugh can cut off Dern’s critics streak asap she has a shot. But a critics favorite Dern in a popular film with her respect and previous nominations will turn this race boring fast.
It does raise the question, is a critic only as good as their geoegraphical location and how long they or their group has been around? I’m sure some of the NBR and NYFCC think that same about Nathaniel. Let’s be honest the BFCA is all about access to celebrities and Oscar prediction. It’s basically a cowards way to rise the critics ranks. I thought you hated purity politics as you used to mention ad nauseum. Poor critics that can’t just take a tram to Broadway ain’t shit.
It’s so annoying that the backlash againat dern has begun at this early!
I know she’s not the best ( Hi ! zhao shuzhen) but she’s really good in MS and with that career it would be a much more deserving oscar than many other winners in recent history of this category!
Scarlett and Adam were incredible in Marriage Story but I really don't get the hype surrounding Laura Dern's performance (and I was really looking forward to seeing her on screen).
"If Pugh can cut off Dern’s critics streak..."
I'm rooting for J-Lo, so no, that's not me.
Nathaniel:
One question: If Laura Dern keeps winning like this, may that result in a backlash and not winning Globes, SAG and Oscar?
Because, people may start to think that " No no no her performance ain´t THAT good"
What do you think?
I don’t understand why people are undersold on Scarlett. It is a showy part in one of the frontrunners and she’s great in it. Better than some of the recent Best Actress winners at least
Lucky -- agreed. I think what might be hampering her is the nature of the character. Nicole is by design, someone who doesn't quite know herself which leads to a searching rather than bold playing. And Oscar likes "big"
Manuel -- i dont think so. We've seen in many recent years that steamrolls are rarely thrown by backlash
Uplift other critics -- i get where you're coming from but i'm not singling out any critics to blame them. I just feel that by design its a ridiculous thing. I love love love individual lists from critics with all their nominations and what not but groups doing it when the most important critics groups have never done it -- all in a bid to "influence" or merely to make a name for themselves -- just rubs me the wrong way. Happy to list their groups winners but if we gave each small regional critics group two posts each year well, that would be quite time consuming. And dull.
I agree on the ScarJo love, she is so so good in MS. I don't really understand why Driver and Dern hog the spotlight from that ensemble (but they are also great). I think she'll get in at Oscar no problem, just wish she had some critics wins.
But also here for LUPITA! Lol not a weak year at all.
Dern is an overdue narrative which has been happening a lot in supporting actress: Patricia Arquette, Viola Davis, Allison Janney, and Regina King.
Driver is doing career best work in Marriage Story. ScarJo is very good in Marriage Story and were it not for the juggernaut in the room Zellweger for Judy -- I'd be fighting twitter users for her virtue as a nominee and eventual winner.
There are just so many factors at play that I think the best picture race is wide open, with all of the following having a real chance at winning: PARASITE, 1917, ONCE UPON A TIME..., THE IRISHMAN, MARRIAGE STORY, JOJO RABBIT. They all have big pluses (critical acclaim, zeitgeisty feel, beloved auteur at helm, Toronto Audience Award, etc.) and potentially fatal minuses. (language 'barrier,' Netflix factor, soft reviews, etc.).
I mean, to be fair the other Oscar blogs aren’t writing “I don’t know why Nathaniel does his FB awards every year, it’s ‘a ridiculous thing,’ he’s ‘just trying to make a name for himself,’ if we did two blog posts about TFE every year it’s get dull.” They just don’t cover the FB awards. It’s not a source of anxiety and consternation. Live and let live.
To be more specific:
Parasite (+ rhapsodic reviews/precursor awards, - not in English)
1917 (+ rhapsodic reviews, - late release date/not seen as enough of an “actors film”)
Once Upon a Time… (+ big hit, - broke too early, “glib” use of violence)
Irishman (+ Scorsese at top of his powers, - Netflix factor)
Marriage Story (+ great reviews/relatable to Academy, - Netflix factor)
JoJo (+ Toronto audiences hardly ever wrong, - soft reviews, “funny” Hitler)
Nothing is a sure thing, everything has strrengths.
Wow. It seems like a lot of members of the small, "who cares?" critics' groups sure got offended at Nathaniel's reasonable little post about their superfluous lists.
Anonny -- LOL at the comparison. These are my own INDIVIDUAL lists. I love and often link to critics individual lists and have often praised the work of other individual bloggers and critics. So to act like I'm personally attacking someone is really a reach.
Also i have literally never once sent out a press release asking for people to pay attention to the Film Bitch Awards -- they're a personal statement and joy to write (for an obsessive list-maker like myself) and I do them for the readers and myself and that's enough for me.
lol what is wrong with sending a press release?
"Peggy, I don't see why you care so much."
I never wrote this but Hi again Mr or Mrs Imposter.
Anonny -- NOTHING. But you were directly comparing my film bitch awards to their extranneous processes as if I was doing the same thing they are and trying to make a name for myself/get press. Anyway this is a dumb argument. I'm sorry i offended you by pointing out that I think it's silly that so many small groups want two rounds when the prestigious groups only use one.
I am so glad with all the recognition Laura Dern is having for her extraordinary and amazing performance in Marriage Story. Finally, a true deserved Supporting Oscar Winner, with a performance for the ages. I am also glad that the critics are not buying JLopez artificial hype.
Nathaniel, I love your compulsively readable sight, and I always eagerly await your FB Awards. I only wish some of my fellow readers wouldn’t waste their time (and all of ours) with pointlessly negative comments. Keep kicking @$$!
Wish I was more excited about the performance that’s finally going to win Laura Dern an Oscar, but such is the nature of these things more often than not. Marriage Story left me cold in general (save Alda, who’s delightful).
I also love Marriage Story and find Driver und Johansson really magnificent and I dont like ScarJos Work not strong in General. But I stil dont get the love for Dern. I really like her in General, but I fnd so much more Performances more derservig and ask myself, why doesnt get Annette Bening any buzz for "The Report"? I mean ist not the greatest Performance, but In my book better than Derns and she is way more overdue than her. But in General I am Team Parasite and Team The Farewell all the Way!!! Asian Cinema Needs more recognition! Ist about TIME!!!
Ahhhh this is such a pleasure read after I saw Marriage Story last night !
Loved it - and Johansson is sensational !
I really do not need Rene or Lupita taking their 2nd Oscar home after seeing SJo incredible nuanced work... I'm all in for her!
Also can't get the Dern hype for this part.