“The Power of The Dog” made its position as Oscar favorite clear on Sunday after winning best picture at the US Critics Choice Awards, just hours after making the same in the British BAFTA.
The Critics Choice Association (CCA), an entity that brings together some 500 film critics from the United States and Canada, crowned this Netflix film with the awards for best film, best direction, best photography and best adapted screenplay.
Its director, Jane Campion, won the award for best direction after a weekend full of triumphs in her name, in which she also won the BAFTA and the grand prize of the Hollywood Directors Guild (SAG Awards).
“I’m like the grandmother of the wave of women filmmakers, but I’m still here!” exclaimed Campion, 67, on stage at the Fairmont Hotel in Los Angeles, where the gala was held.
The filmmaker is the only woman who has managed to be nominated for an Oscar for best direction twice. The first for “The Piano” in 1993.
And after this harvest of awards there is little doubt that on March 27 she will join the other two directors who already have an Oscar in a historically male category: Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland” (2021) and “Kathryn Bigelow” for “The Hurtl Locker” (2010).
The Critics Choice Awards gala was initially scheduled for January, with the intention of replacing the Golden Globes, but the omicron variant forced them to be postponed to this Sunday.
Its coincidence with the BAFTAs caused many of the winners to accept the award from London.
Will Smith added even more Oscar points by winning best actor in a leading role for “King Richard” and Jessica Chastain doubled her chances by winning best actress for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.”
And in the supporting categories, the American of Puerto Rican origin Ariana DeBose prevailed over the Puerto Rican Rita Moreno, both nominated for the new version “West Side Story”.
DeBose, who has won at the BAFTAs, the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes, collected the award from London and dedicated a few words to Moreno, whom he thanked “for having paved the way” for other Latin actresses.
For his part, Troy Kotsur won as best supporting actor for “CODA”, a film that has a majority of deaf and dumb actors.
The British “Belfast” won the award for best cast and one of its protagonists, 11-year-old Jude Hill, starred in one of the most endearing moments of the ceremony when he received the award for best young actor.
Finally, the Japanese “Drive My Car” won in the international category and “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” in animation.
“Succession” and “Ted Lasso” dominate the television section
In the television section, “Succession” once again dominated in the dramatic genre while “Ted Lasso” did so in comedy.
Although there was also a mention for the phenomenon “The Squid Game”, since Lee Jung-jae took the statuette for best actor in a dramatic series.
“Mare of Easttown” won the best limited series (miniseries) and its protagonist, Kate Winslet, repeated the Emmy win for best actress in this format.
Hollywood awards season will continue with the Writers and Producers Guild galas next weekend, culminating with the Oscars on March 27. (AND)
Source: Eluniverso
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