Critics roundup, part 5: Because Phoenix really needs two awards
We’re nearing the end of this series, we think. How many critics organizations can be left, right? Well, they are starting to throw us curveballs now. Starting this year, the city of Phoenix, Arizona (population: 1.5 million) deems it necessary to have not one, but two critics organizations dole out awards. Okay, we’ll bite. And we will be nice, since this is your inaugural year, Phoenix Film Critics Circle. But next year, please refrain from including nonsense categories like ‘Best Mystery or Thriller Film’, okay?
All kidding aside, most noticable of these is Rosamund’s Pike continuing conquest of the heartland of America, moving ever more west. Will she actually go all the way to the coast and the Academy Awards? Most likely not (in fact, we are quite certain about it), but a case can be made that she is the runner-up to Julianne Moore in the race now.
In terms of other wins, the major categories of Best Picture and Best Director is now officially the territory of Boyhood and Birdman. Both start with a ‘B’, just like ‘boring’. Which is our way of saying: shake it up, critics. Think out of the box for once.
UTAH FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
BEST PICTURE
Birdman
Runner-up
The Imitation Game
BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Runner-up
Jonathan Glazer, Under the Skin
BEST ACTOR
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Runners-up (tie)
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game and Ralph Fiennes, Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST ACTRESS
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Runner-up
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Runner-up
Edward Norton, Birdman
BEST SUPPORTING ACRESS
Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
Runner-up
Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Birdman
Runner-up
Nightcrawler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY (TIE)
INHERENT VICE
SNOWPIERCER
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Robert Elswit, Nightcrawler
Runner-up
Daniel Landin, Under the Skin
BEST DOCUMENTARY
CITIZENFOUR
Runner-Up
The Overnighters
BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM
We Are The
Best!
Runner-up
Two Days, One Night
BEST ANIMATED FILM
The Lego Movie
Runner-Up
The Boxtrolls
PHOENIX FILM CRITICS SOCIETY
BEST PICTURE
Birdman
BEST DIRECTOR
Alejandro G. Inarritu, Birdman
BEST ACTOR
Michael Keaton, Birdman
BEST ACTRESS
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
JK Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Emma Stone, Birdman
BEST SCREENPLAY
Birdman
BEST ANIMATED FILM
The Lego Movie
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (TIE)
Force Majeure and Ida
BEST COMEDY FILM
Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST HORROR OR SCI-FI FILM
Snowpiercer
BEST MYSTERY OR THRILLER FILM (TIE)
Gone Girl
Nightcrawler
AUSTIN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
BEST FILM
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
BEST DIRECTOR
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
BEST ACTOR
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
BEST ACTRESS
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Nightcrawler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Gone Girl
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Birdman
BEST SCORE
Birdman
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
Force Majeure
BEST DOCUMENTARY
CITIZENFOUR
BEST ANIMATED FILM
The Lego Movie
BEST FIRST FILM
Nightcrawler
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Jennifer Kent, The Babadook
BEST AUSTIN FILM
Boyhood
SPECIAL HONORARY AWARD
Gary Poulter, for his outstanding performance in Joe
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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