The National Society of Film Critics comprises a lot really great writers who’ve matriculated out of the New York and L.A. Film Critics groups. They’ve named “Spotlight” best picture, and Michael B. Jordan Best Actor from “Creed.” Todd Haynes is Best Director for “Carol.” Charlotte Rampling is Best Actress for “45 Years.” Their choices are very good, I think. The pick of Jordan is a nice touch. The group completely ignored “The Revenant” and Leonardo DiCaprio, including cinematography. Lubezki didn’t even get runner up. None of this means a thing Oscars-wise, but it’s an interesting episode.
They dedicated the meeting to the late Richard Corliss, who I can’t believe isn’t with us anymore. Unlike the idiots at the National Board of Review, the National Society has no lavish dinner dance and rat-fuck so the critics can meet the stars. There’s no $600 ticket. That’s what makes it real.
Awards for 2015 films
BEST ACTOR:
*1. Michael B. Jordan (Creed) 29 points
Geza Rohrig (Son of Saul) 18
Tom Courtenay (45 Years) 15
BEST ACTRESS:
*1. Charlotte Rampling (45 Years) 57
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) 30
Nina Hoss (Phoenix) 22
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
*1. Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) 56
Michael Shannon (99 Homes) 16
Sylvester Stallone (Creed) 14
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
*1. Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria) 53
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina) 23
Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs) 17
Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy) 17
BEST SCREENPLAY:
*1. Spotlight (Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy) 21
Anomalisa (Charlie Kaufman) 15
The Big Short (Charles Randolph and Adam McKay) 15
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
*1. Carol (Ed Lachman) 25
The Assassin (Mark Lee Ping-bin) 22
Mad Max: Fury Road (John Seale) 12
PICTURE:
*1. Spotlight (Tom McCarthy) 23
Carol (Todd Haynes) 17
Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller) 13
DIRECTOR:
*1.Todd Haynes (Carol) 21
Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) 21 (because he was on fewer ballots; a winner must be on a majority of ballots)
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road) 20
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
*1. Timbuktu (Abderrahmane Sissako) 22
Phoenix (Christian Petzold) 20
The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-hsien) 16
BEST NON-FICTION FILM:
*1. Amy (Asif Kapadia) 23
In Jackson Heights (Frederick Wiseman) 18
Seymour: An Introduction (Ethan Hawke) 15
FILM HERITAGE AWARDS:
Film Society of Lincoln Center and the programmers Jake Perlin and Michelle Materre, for the series Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968-1986
The Criterion Collection and L’Immagine Ritrovata for the restoration and packaging of the reconstructed version of The Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray
Association Chaplin for supervising the digital restoration of Charlie Chaplin’s Essanay Films
SPECIAL CITATION for a film awaiting American distribution: One Floor Below, a Romanian film directed by Radu Muntean.
This meeting was dedicated to the late Richard Corliss, longtime critic at TIME magazine, not just a writer of extraordinary intelligence, wit, and energy, but also a generous friend and colleague.
