The National Society of Film Critics voted their awards, and except for one, I have to say they weren’t unexpected.
I’m thrilled to report that Ethan Hawke won Best Actor, for “Blue Moon. He deserves it and is definitely heading to the Oscars.
“One Battle After Another” won Best Picture, Director for Paul Thomas Anderson, Supporting Actor and Actress for Benicio del Toro and Teyana Taylor.
The outlier here was Best Actress: Kathleen Chalfant for the almost entirely unseen “Familiar Touch.” I’ve seen this film, and Chalfant is lovely. But it’s a tiny, tiny release. Now Chalfant moves up the chart to a possible Oscar nod. Unfortunately, neither the Critics Choice nor the Golden Globes acknowledged her. Neither did the indie-ish Gotham Awards.
Interesting choice since runners up were Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You,” and Renate Reinsve for “Sentimental Value.” Jessie Buckley, of “Hamnet,” was not in the top three. I’m shocked. Something seems to have gone wrong with “Hamnet,” one of the finest films ever.
Other winners included “Sinners” for cinematography, and “It Was Just An Accident” for Best Screenplay. “The Secret Agent” was Best Foreign Language Film.
The National Society of Film Critics is very astute every year. But they really must get someone to update their website. It seems like no one’s touched it all year.
