National Society of Film Critics choose "Nomadland"

by Nathaniel R

After LAFCA and the NYFCC, the NSFC completes what is essentially the holy trinity of American critics prizes for films. For the latter half of the 20th century these were the three that would get all the press. In the past two decades their influence has not waivered, exactly, but has become less visible. With 30 critics groups now voicing their opinions each year (the bulk of which formed after the year 2000) it's more important for films and performances to have a plurality of voices... unending FYC campaign noise. While LAFCA, NYFCC, and NSFC don't differ a lot this year they all chose separate films for their top prize, LAFCA went with Steve McQueen's collection of five telefilms Small Axe, NYFCC went with First Cow, and the NSFC chose Nomadland (which has been the most dominant with regional prizes...

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"Minari" picks up a little steam with critics prizes...

Minari wins two best picture prizes

Here's four more groups of prizes from critics groups. Chloe Zhao continues her total sweep of Best Director prizes for Nomadland (she hasn't lost one yet) but Minari and Promising Young Woman find some love in this week's batch of honors...

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More film critic prizes: Chicago, Indiana, GWNYC

by Nathaniel R

With over 30 critics groups now in the US (and *still* literally more each year) and many of them now doing two rounds of announcements we don't give everyone two posts or even one here at TFE (we need time to actually write about movies!) but we do like to check in once in a while. Chloe Zhao continues to be a literal sweeper in Best Director (with no one else ever winning) while Maria Bakalova continues to dominate in Supporting Actress though some, including the upcoming Golden Globe Awards argue it's a leading role.

Here's a few more prizes, the most famous being the Chicago Film Critics Association...

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Florida Film Critics and Boston Online announce their prizes

by Nathaniel R

Florida Film Critics Circle is the fourth major critics group to announce prizes and they've handed First Cow the top honor. For the curious when we say "major" we mean critics groups that existed before the absolute explosion of awards bodies -- which took place all throughout the Aughts and into the 2010s as well -- since they have a solid awards history and are unlikely to suddenly vanish as occassionally happens with smaller regional critics groups. Plus they are never a spin-off or offshoot of an already existing much longer-running critics prize from the same locale. ANYWAY... there hasn't been as much variety as we were expecting in this strange year. Among single films (excluding LAFCA's "collection" curveball) Only First Cow and Nomadland have picked up Best Picture prizes. Nobody but Chloe Zhao has won Best Director. Florida stays very closely in line with what we've heard so far but since they have a few additional craft categories we get a couple of new winners, too...

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LAFCA hands their top prize to a series rather than a film with "Small Axe"

by Nathaniel R

The Los Angeles Film Critics have spoken awarding two prizes each to Steve McQueen's series Small Axe (film and cinematography), the new adaptation of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (winning both male acting awards), and the controversial rape revenge comedy Promising Young Woman (actress and screenplay). Because I am something of a purist when it comes to movie awards I have to sigh a bit at their reaction to Small Axe. It's like pick a lane, LA critics. You're obviously trying to make a statement that it's a film rather than tv series (and from our understanding it was pitched and produced as the latter and will definitely be considered television for its awards campaign) but if it is one mammoth film why are you also admitting that it's a series by singling out one "episode" for a runner up Best Score prize? So which is it, LA? Or were you arguing amongst yourselves about this during voting...

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