Roma, Black Panther, and Vice dominate the evening

The Golden Globes are a whole lot of fun. Every year the Globes put on a glamorous show where Hollywood’s sexiest stars walk red carpets, get wasted, and receive awards. The Globes are also an amusing distraction that nobody in the industry respects. Think of them as that bozo you date during your wild college years before settling down with a wise, worldly, and responsible adult. The award season conversation moved back over to the grown folks’ table on Sunday evening.

Last night, the 24^th annual Critics’ Choice Awards took place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. The event is presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association and honours the year’s finest cinematic achievements and best in television programming. Unlike those wacky Golden Globes, last night’s award recipients fall in line with critical consensus, and there were no major shockers.

There’s one category that grabbed my attention: Best Young Actor/Actress. The talented youngsters on that list anchored several of the year’s best movies. I fell in love with Sunny Suljic’s performance as a spunky skater kid. Elsie Fisher made me believe I was watching an actual YouTube vlogger. Ed Oxenbould is as mesmerizing as Wildlife’s stunning cinematography. And watching Millicent Simmonds survive an alien apocalypse left me shook. Don’t be shocked when Thomasin McKenzie and Amandla Stenberg pop up in Best Actress races real soon. The future of cinema is in good hands, and the talented kids in this category turned in performances beyond their years.

MOVIE AWARDS

BEST PICTURE

Roma (WINNER)
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
The Favourite
First Man
Green Book
If Beale Street Could Talk
Mary Poppins Returns
A Star Is Born
Vice

Roma is custom-built to destroy its award season competition. It’s from a master filmmaker, explores timely themes, and it’s a technical masterpiece. Expect Roma’s momentum to continue snow-balling.

BEST ACTOR

Christian Bale – Vice (WINNER)
Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe – At Eternity’s Gate
Ryan Gosling – First Man
Ethan Hawke – First Reformed
Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen – Green Book

Christian Bale is the hardest working actor in Hollywood (except for Tom Cruise and his suicidal stunt work). Bale gained weight, donned layers of prosthetics, and psychologically transformed himself into humanity’s version of Supreme Leader Snoke.

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close – The Wife (WINNER – TIE)
Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born (WINNER – TIE)
Yalitza Aparicio – Roma
Emily Blunt – Mary Poppins Returns
Toni Collette – Hereditary
Olivia Colman – The Favourite
Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me?

In a just world, Toni Collette sweeps the award circuit for her chilling performance in Hereditary. But you can’t be mad at this category’s winners. Gaga is the natural choice here, and Close is the tough one. Close turned in a masterful performance in a mediocre movie that most people haven’t heard of. But with a win here, The Wife may have enough legs to contend for an Oscar.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Mahershala Ali – Green Book (WINNER)
Timothée Chalamet – Beautiful Boy
Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott – A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Michael B. Jordan – Black Panther

Despite the controversy surrounding Green Book, Ali is the category’s odds-on favourite. He’s a star on the rise and now this second victory lap around the award circuit solidifies him as a major Hollywood player. Give this man a Marvel movie already!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk (WINNER)
Amy Adams – Vice
Claire Foy – First Man
Nicole Kidman – Boy Erased
Emma Stone – The Favourite
Rachel Weisz – The Favourite

Weisz and Stone seem to be cancelling each other out with regard to The Favourite consideration. Kidman goes too broad with her performance in Boy Erased, and Foy’s First Man character is woefully underwritten. That makes this a two-horse race between King and Adams, with King starring in the superior film. King is an excellent choice.

BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS

Elsie Fisher – Eighth Grade (WINNER)
Thomasin McKenzie – Leave No Trace
Ed Oxenbould – Wildlife
Millicent Simmonds – A Quiet Place
Amandla Stenberg – The Hate U Give
Sunny Suljic – Mid90s

I wish this category were a six-way tie. 🙁

BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

The Favourite (WINNER)
Black Panther
Crazy Rich Asians
Vice
Widows

I strongly disagree with this win. This award belongs to Widows. Viola Davis, one of our generation’s greatest actresses, turns in a career-best performance. She’s so good that I could star alongside her in this picture and Widows could still contend for Best Acting Ensemble. Fortunately, I didn’t. But look who does: Cynthia Erivo, Elizabeth Debicki, Carrie Coon, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, and old-man action movie legend, Liam Neeson. To quote the immortal Stan Lee, “Nuff’ Said!”

BEST DIRECTOR

Alfonso Cuarón – Roma (WINNER)
Damien Chazelle – First Man
Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born
Peter Farrelly – Green Book
Yorgos Lanthimos – The Favourite
Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman
Adam McKay – Vice

It’s no surprise here that the auteur behind Best Picture winner Roma also won the Best Director award. After all, this isn’t the Globes.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Paul Schrader – First Reformed (WINNER)
Bo Burnham – Eighth Grade
Alfonso Cuarón – Roma
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara – The Favourite
Adam McKay – Vice 
Green Book
Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski – A Quiet Place

First Reformed is the movie that sits atop your favourite critic’s best-of-the-year list, and it’s nice to see Paul Schrader get some love. I’m not sure if the word legend does Schrader justice. He’s the genius behind classics like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I can’t recommend it enough. And if you decide to go down a Schrader movie rabbit hole, do yourself a favour and check out his under-the-radar gem, 1978’s Blue Collar.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Barry Jenkins – If Beale Street Could Talk (WINNER)
Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole – Black Panther
Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty – Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Eric Roth and Bradley Cooper & Will Fetters – A Star Is Born
Josh Singer – First Man
Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman

In most years, If Beale Street Could Talk would be a strong enough contender to win it all. But 2018 wasn’t most years. Best Adapted Screenplay is still a noble victory. Few American artists have captured life in black America as poetically as James Baldwin. And no other director today could capture Baldwin’s bittersweet message with the visual eloquence of Barry Jenkins. You can sum up Jenkins’ last two films as poetry in motion. You couldn’t ask for a better fit.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Alfonso Cuarón – Roma (WINNER)
James Laxton – If Beale Street Could Talk
Matthew Libatique – A Star Is Born
Rachel Morrison – Black Panther
Robbie Ryan – The Favourite
Linus Sandgren – First Man

You can’t argue with Roma’s win here. If I was a cinematographer competing in this category and I saw Roma’s opening shot, with the water on the pavement reflecting an airplane, I would go back to the editing room and light my film on fire. Cuarón is operating on a whole other level, and everyone else is competing for second place.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Hannah Beachler, Jay Hart – Black Panther (WINNER)
Eugenio Caballero, Barbara Enriquez – Roma
Nelson Coates, Andrew Baseman – Crazy Rich Asians
Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton – The Favourite
Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas – First Man
John Myhre, Gordon Sim – Mary Poppins Returns

Wakanda may be the most fully-realized world to appear in cinema during 2018. I’m still shocked voters went with a Marvel movie over The Favourite’s brand of costume drama splendour.

BEST EDITING

Tom Cross – First Man (WINNER)
Jay Cassidy – A Star Is Born
Hank Corwin – Vice
Alfonso Cuarón, Adam Gough – Roma
Yorgos Mavropsaridis – The Favourite
Joe Walker – Widows

Some filmmakers spend their entire careers trying to produce a film with the technical precision of a Whiplash or La La Land. Damien Chazelle has pulled this feat off twice by the ripe old age of 33. Try sitting through First Man’s nerve-wracking opening moments without feeling knots tightening in your belly. Chazelle and his editor Tom Cross exhibit an unparalleled ability to quickly and effectively establish a scene’s tone. This award is well-deserved.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Ruth Carter – Black Panther (WINNER)
Alexandra Byrne – Mary Queen of Scots
Julian Day – Bohemian Rhapsody
Sandy Powell – The Favourite
Sandy Powell – Mary Poppins Returns

I have the same response here that I had for Best Production Design. So all that’s left to say is, Wakanda Forever!

BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

Vice (WINNER)
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Mary Queen of Scots
Suspiria

The stunning white braids Angela Bassett shows off in Black Panther should be enough to win Best Hair and Makeup. This award could have also gone to the Suspiria for its transformative old-age makeup and gruesome supernatural beings. Keeping it real, though, I’m just glad it didn’t go to Bohemian Rhapsody.

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Black Panther (WINNER)
Avengers: Infinity War
First Man
Mary Poppins Returns
Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Ready Player One

The visual effects were the least exciting aspects of Black Panther, so I’m surprised it won this award. Most of the film’s major set pieces relied on CGI to the point where the action looks like a Pixar movie. If voters wanted to reward cartoony computer effects, Ready Player One did a better job than Black Panther. And I may sound like a heretic, but I would also place Aquaman above Black Panther in the effects department.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (WINNER)
The Grinch
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet

Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse crew are gaining major award season traction. Into the Spider-Verse is one of the best comic book movies ever made, and it’s great to see its brilliance recognized by award voters. Their love and support encourage filmmakers to create smarter and more ambitious stories from diverse perspectives.

BEST ACTION MOVIE

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (WINNER) 
Avengers: Infinity War
Black Panther
Deadpool 2
Ready Player One
Widows

Mission: Impossible – Fallout reigns supreme in this category, and nothing else comes close.

BEST COMEDY

Crazy Rich Asians (WINNER)
Deadpool 2
The Death of Stalin
The Favourite
Game Night
Sorry to Bother You

What a diverse category. We have an R-rated Marvel movie, a foul-mouthed period piece, and a political satire by Armando Iannucci. I wouldn’t call Crazy Rich Asians the best comedy of the year, but you can’t knock the picture’s crazy rich box office returns and its impact on pop culture.

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

Christian Bale – Vice (WINNER)
Jason Bateman – Game Night
Viggo Mortensen – Green Book
John C. Reilly – Stan & Ollie
Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool 2
Lakeith Stanfield – Sorry to Bother You

Bale’s performance in Vice qualifies for Best Actor and Best Actor in a Comedy? Isn’t that a tad greedy?

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Olivia Colman – The Favourite (WINNER)
Emily Blunt – Mary Poppins Returns
Elsie Fisher – Eighth Grade
Rachel McAdams – Game Night
Charlize Theron – Tully
Constance Wu – Crazy Rich Asians

At this point, Colman needs a trophy room dedicated to all the hardware she will take home for her work in The Favourite. The only uncertainty is whether Glenn Close’s performance in The Wife has the momentum to edge Colman out on Oscar night.

BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE

A Quiet Place (WINNER)
Annihilation
Halloween
Hereditary
Suspiria

This category is bullshit. Christian Bale wins Best Actor in a Drama and Comedy for the same role, but Best Sci-Fi and Horror end up in one genre movie ghetto? Not cool Critics’ Choice Awards…not cool.

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

Roma (WINNER)
Burning
Capernaum
Cold War
Shoplifters

No offence to Burning, Capernaum, Cold War, and Shoplifters, but Roma is destroying the competition harder than Thanos whooped The Hulk’s big green ass in Infinity War. After last night’s dominance, all the contenders should be afraid to come out and fight. Expect Mark Ruffalo to show up in their absence.

BEST SONG

“Shallow” – A Star Is Born (WINNER)
“All the Stars” – Black Panther
“Girl in the Movies” – Dumplin’
“I’ll Fight” – RBG
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” – Mary Poppins Returns
“Trip a Little Light Fantastic” – Mary Poppins Returns

Shallow is to Best Song what Roma is to Best Foreign Film. Correction. Roma is to Best Foreign Film what Shallow is to Best Song. Shallow taking home Best Song was the night’s safest bet.

BEST SCORE

Justin Hurwitz – First Man (WINNER)
Kris Bowers – Green Book
Nicholas Britell – If Beale Street Could Talk
Alexandre Desplat – Isle of Dogs
Ludwig Göransson – Black Panther
Marc Shaiman – Mary Poppins Returns

First Man featured some the most thrilling cinematic moments in 2018, and Justin Hurwitz’ score went a long way towards setting the mood. We all know how Neil Armstrong’s journey ends, but Hurwitz’ powerful score had me wide-eyed on the edge of my seat the whole time.

TELEVISION

BEST DRAMA SERIES

The Americans (FX) (WINNER)
Better Call Saul (AMC)
The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Homecoming (Amazon)
Killing Eve (BBC America)
My Brilliant Friend (HBO)
Pose (FX)
Succession (HBO)

Did they spell Homecoming wrong or something? Following on the heels of its Golden Globe and Emmy wins, FX’s The Americans also took home the top TV prize at the Critic’s Choice. Always a critical darling, the spy drama wrapped up its sixth and final season last year to rave reviews. It’s almost customary for well-regarded TV shows like The Americans to go home with big awards after their last season, but this felt more like a coronation than anything else. – WP

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Matthew Rhys – The Americans (FX) (WINNER)
Freddie Highmore – The Good Doctor (ABC)
Diego Luna – Narcos: Mexico (Netflix)
Richard Madden – Bodyguard (Netflix)
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul (AMC)
Billy Porter – Pose (FX)
Milo Ventimiglia – This Is Us (NBC)

Is it strange that we feel like six seasons of The Americans kind of robbed us of some pretty solid Matthew Rhys performances elsewhere? We would watch a version of The Post strictly about Rhys’ Daniel Ellsberg. Look out, Jason Clarke. Expect this guy to start stealing your roles.

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sandra Oh – Killing Eve (BBC America) (WINNER)
Jodie Comer – Killing Eve (BBC America)
Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Deuce (HBO)
Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Elizabeth Olsen – Sorry for Your Loss (Facebook Watch)
Julia Roberts – Homecoming (Amazon)
Keri Russell – The Americans (FX)

Hey, Hollywood! More Sandra Oh in more things now, please. Also, did you hear she’s Canadian? – WP

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Noah Emmerich – The Americans (FX) (WINNER)
Richard Cabral – Mayans M.C. (FX)
Asia Kate Dillon – Billions (Showtime)
Justin Hartley – This Is Us (NBC)
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession (HBO)
Richard Schiff – The Good Doctor (ABC)
Shea Whigham – Homecoming (Amazon)

I thought eternal “That Guy” Shea Whigham automatically won this any time he was nominated? No? Fine. – WP

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Thandie Newton – Westworld (HBO) (WINNER)
Dina Shihabi – Jack Ryan (Amazon)
Julia Garner – Ozark (Netflix)
Rhea Seehorn – Better Call Saul (AMC)
Yvonne Strahovski – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Holly Taylor – The Americans (FX)

Thandie Newton is one of the best – no, the best thing about HBO’s meandering and bloated Westworld. Well earned. – WP

BEST COMEDY SERIES

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) (WINNER)
Atlanta (FX)
Barry (HBO)
The Good Place (NBC)
The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
The Middle (ABC)
One Day at a Time (Netflix)
Schitt’s Creek (Pop)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is taking home so many awards these days it’s almost not fair to the other nominees. Shout-out to Schitt’s Creek for being in the mix, but Barry was robbed. – WP

BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Bill Hader – Barry (HBO) (WINNER)
Hank Azaria – Brockmire (IFC)
Ted Danson – The Good Place (NBC)
Michael Douglas – The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
Donald Glover – Atlanta (FX)
Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Andy Samberg – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)

Bill Hader is one of the smartest and most talented people to ever star on Saturday Night Live, so it should be no surprise that he’s also a hell of an actor. His turn as the titular Hollywood hitman trying his hand at acting is one of the most unusual and disturbing characters to ever grace the small screen. – WP

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) (WINNER)
Rachel Bloom – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)
Allison Janney – Mom (CBS)
Justina Machado – One Day at a Time (Netflix)
Debra Messing – Will & Grace (NBC)
Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO)

What else is there to say? She’s really good. If you need more of a Rachel Brosnahan fix, be sure to check out the unfairly cancelled atom bomb drama Manhattan. – WP

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Henry Winkler – Barry (HBO) (WINNER)
William Jackson Harper – The Good Place (NBC)
Sean Hayes – Will & Grace (NBC)
Brian Tyree Henry – Atlanta (FX)
Nico Santos – Superstore (NBC)
Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Although he’s mostly playing grandpas and retirees these days, former Fonz Henry Winkler is still the coolest guy in this or any room. His turn as goofball acting teacher Gene Cousineau on Barry is some of his finest work to date – and that’s saying something. – WP

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon) (WINNER)
Betty Gilpin – GLOW (Netflix)
Laurie Metcalf – The Conners (ABC)
Rita Moreno – One Day at a Time (Netflix)
Zoe Perry – Young Sheldon (CBS)
Annie Potts – Young Sheldon (CBS)
Miriam Shor – Younger (TV Land)

After years as Lois Griffin on Fox’s Family Guy, frankly it’s just nice to see Alex Borstein’s face again. The former MAD TV star is one of the most underrated comedic talents in the business. – WP

BEST LIMITED SERIES

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX) (WINNER)
A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
American Vandal (Netflix)
Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)
Sharp Objects (HBO)

Did American Vandal sneak in here because of its untimely cancellation? In any event the other American TV series… no not that one, the other one. No, the other one – American Crime Story – a well acted, well written, and well produced depiction of yet another infamous crime. It’s hard to argue with this pick. – WP

BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TV

Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC) (WINNER)
Icebox (HBO)
King Lear (Amazon)
My Dinner With Hervé (HBO)
Notes From the Field (HBO)
The Tale (HBO)

John Legend as the messiah? Alice Cooper as King Herod?! Art imitates life! – WP

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES

Darren Criss – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story(FX) (WINNER)
Antonio Banderas – Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)
Paul Dano – Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Benicio Del Toro – Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Hugh Grant – A Very English Scandal (Amazon)
John Legend – Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)

Glee star makes good playing famous psychopath. Is it weird that so many teen stars go down this road? – WP

BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES

Amy Adams – Sharp Objects (HBO) (WINNER – TIE)
Patricia Arquette – Escape at Dannemora (Showtime) (WINNER – TIE)
Connie Britton – Dirty John (Bravo)
Carrie Coon – The Sinner (USA Network)
Laura Dern – The Tale (HBO)
Anna Deavere Smith – Notes From the Field (HBO)

If you’re going to make it a tie in this ridiculously stacked category, why not make it a six way tie? Every one of these incredibly talented performers deserve all the awards. – WP

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES

Ben Whishaw – A Very English Scandal (Amazon) (WINNER)
Brandon Victor Dixon – Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Eric Lange – Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)
Alex Rich – Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)
Peter Sarsgaard – The Looming Tower (Hulu)
Finn Wittrock – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Ben Whishaw is one of his generation’s finest actors, so I’m sure he’s really great in this, but I sincerely doubt many people on this side of the pond – aside from critics – even saw this Amazon/BBC co-production. – WP

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES

Patricia Clarkson – Sharp Objects (HBO) (WINNER)
Ellen Burstyn – The Tale (HBO)
Penelope Cruz – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Julia Garner – Dirty John (Bravo)
Judith Light – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)
Elizabeth Perkins – Sharp Objects (HBO)

Patricia Clarkson is an international treasure. We’ll mostly forgive her presence in House of Cards’ unfortunate final season because of her turn in Sharp Objects. – WP

BEST ANIMATED SERIES

BoJack Horseman (Netflix) (WINNER)
Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)
Archer (FXX)
Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
The Simpsons (Fox)
South Park (Comedy Central)

Better BoJack than any of the other long-in-tooth animated TV series’ in this category. – WP

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And that’s it! Did you agree with the critic’s picks or were your favourites robbed? Let us know in the comments or on social media.

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