I have the pleasure of being a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association. Yesterday the voting body presented our awards for the best of the 2021 movie year. It was an interesting year and the voting reflected it. Few of my picks actually won, but I love the group’s enthusiasm and careful consideration that lead to this announcement (Look for my personal Top 10 and a couple weeks). Here is our official press release.

HEADLINE: The Southeastern Film Critics Association Names Jane Campion’s ‘The Power of the Dog’ as the Best Picture of 2021. Campion’s haunting and soulful western also won for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director

ATLANTA, DECEMBER 13, 2021 – The Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has announced its accolades for 2021 and chosen Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog as the Best Picture of the Year. This is the second time a Campion film has won Best Picture and Best Director as SEFCA also recognized her film The Piano back in 1993. Her latest work, based on the novel by Thomas Savage, is a captivating examination of loneliness, masculinity, and frailty set on a ranch in 1925 Montana.

“Jane Campion has been one of our finest directors for decades, and I’m thrilled that our members chose to recognize her exquisite work on The Power of the Dog,” said SEFCA President Matt Goldberg. “Campion has crafted a unique Western that gets to the core of the genre while still feeling fresh and vital. It’s an absolute triumph of mood, performances, and craft that will certainly go down as one of her finest movies in a career full of marvelous filmmaking.”

SEFCA voters also recognized The Power of the Dog in the categories of Best Actor for Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actor for Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Best Supporting Actress for Kirsten Dunst while Kristen Stewart was awarded Best Actress for her turn as Princess Diana in Spencer.

Award winners below:

Top 10 Films

1. The Power of the Dog

2. Licorice Pizza

3. Belfast

4. The Green Knight

5. West Side Story

6. The French Dispatch

7. Tick, Tick…BOOM!

8. Drive My Car

9. Dune

10. Summer of Soul

Best Actor

Winner: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog

Runner-Up: Will Smith, King Richard

Best Actress

Winner: Kristen Stewart, Spencer

Runner-Up: Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza

Best Supporting Actor

Winner: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Runner-Up: Jeffrey Wright, The French Dispatch

Best Supporting Actress

Winner: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog

Runner-Up: Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

Best Ensemble

Winner: The French Dispatch

Runner-Up: Mass

Best Director

Winner: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Runner-Up: Steven Spielberg, West Side Story

Best Original Screenplay

Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza

Runner-Up: Wes Anderson, The French Dispatch

Best Adapted Screenplay

Winner: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Runner-Up: Tony Kushner, West Side Story

Best Documentary

Winner: Summer of Soul

Runner-Up: Flee

Best Foreign-Language Film

Winner: Drive My Car

Runner-Up: The Worst Person in the World

Best Animated Film

Winner: The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Runner-Up: Flee

Best Cinematography

Winner: Greig Fraser, Dune

Runner-Up: Ari Wegner, The Power of the Dog

Best Score

Winner: Hans Zimmer, Dune

Runner-Up: Jonny Greenwood, The Power of the Dog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning the Hollywood Foreign Press (and Snoop Dogg) unveiled this year’s batch of nominees for the 79th annual Golden Globes. After a (shall we say) rocky year, the HFPA returns and have left us with plenty to talk about. There are a few surprises and a few headscratchers. But such is the nature of these things. So as I’m prone to do, here are a few Random Thoughts from today’s announcement.

• It was a great morning for “Belfast” which was great to see. Seven total nominations for what is one the year’s best films. Hopefully it can hold out against the inevitable wave of dismissal that is sure to come.
• Speaking of a good morning, “The Power of the Dog” also grabbed seven nominations. This is the kind of movie that scratches the itches of a lot of awards voters. It’s going to have a good awards season run.
• How about “CODA” slipping into Best Picture – Drama? Love seeing it.
• “Dune” gets a well deserved Best Picture nomination. It’s an extraordinary science-fiction epic that could have easily failed. Great seeing it getting recognized.
• Speaking of “Dune”, I love seeing Denis Villeneuve get a Best Director nod. Sadly he has no chance of winning, but he’s (rightfully) nominated.
• By the way, what did Snoop call Denis Villeneuve????
• “Licorice Pizza” gets a lot of love from the HFPA which is both icky and expected. But it’s Paul Thomas Anderson so don’t expect there to be too much outcry (or even conversation) over the film’s ‘problematic’ central relationship.
• LOVE seeing “Cyrano” get nominated for Best Picture – Musical or Comedy. It was one of the biggest and best surprises of a year that was full of them.
• And Peter Dinklage getting nominated for “Cyrano” made me smile. Much deserved and hopefully the Academy takes notice.
• What a batch of talent in both Best Actress categories. But no Jennifer Hudson for “Respect”? In a group that included Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, and Marion Cotillard, I’m a bit stunned that Hudson got nothing.
• Kristen Stewart vs Lady Gaga? I’m hoping Colman slips in and beats them both.
• So glad to hear Rachel Zegler’s name called. What an amazing debut in “West Side Story”.
• Speaking of “West Side Story”, love seeing it get a Best Picture nomination and I’m sure an Oscar bid is in its future.
• It seems like all of the push is behind Jane Campion in the director’s category, but I love seeing Branagh, Villeneuve, and Spielberg. And Maggie Gyllenhaal? She did a terrific job with “The Lost Daughter”. She absolutely belongs.
• Supporting Actor is the one category that actively annoyed me. No Mike Faist? Seriously?
• I would also liked to have seen J.K. Simmons nominated for “Being the Ricardos”.
• I know Kodi Smit-McPhee seems to be trending as an early favorite, but there were several better turns this year. Put your money on Smit-McPhee though.
• Best Actor – Drama, WOW! Who to pick? Easily one of the strongest categories. In my critics group I went with Denzel Washington for “The Tragedy of Lady MacBeth”. He never disappoints.
• Hooray for Caitriona Balfe. She was such a key part of what made “Belfast” so good. I hope she wins (she should), but I’m not sure if she has a shot.
• Nothing for “Mass”. It’s unfortunate but the movie is just now (finally) getting some kind of push.
• Will Smith gave his best performance in years in “King Richard”. Great to see the HFPA recognize him and the movie. Both were wonderful surprises.
• Nothing for Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley”. Unfortunate. It’s a movie that has really stuck with me the more I’ve thought about it. Cate Blanchett was incredible and should have been in that Supporting Actress field.
• “A Hero” gets a nod for Best Picture – Foreign Language. Not only is it my favorite film from that category, but it deserves a Best Picture nomination. But you know how these things go. I’m glad it at least got a mention.

Well, enough of my rambling. Here’s a full list of this year’s nominees for all of the film categories:

Best Motion Picture, Drama

• “Belfast”
• “CODA”
• “Dune”
• “King Richard”
• “The Power of the Dog”

Best Picture, Musical or Comedy

• “Cyrano”
• “Don’t Look Up”
• “Licorice Pizza”
• “Tick, Tick… Boom!”
• “West Side Story”

Best Director, Motion Picture

• Kenneth Branagh, (“Belfast”)
• Jane Campion, (“The Power of the Dog”)
• Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”)
• Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)
• Denis Villeneuve (“Dune”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

• Mahershala Ali (“Swan Song”)
• Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”)
• Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”)
• Will Smith (“King Richard”)
• Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

• Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)
• Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”)
• Lady Gaga (“House of Gucci”)
• Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”)
• Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

• Leonardo DiCaprio (“Don’t Look Up”)
• Peter Dinklage (“Cyrano”)
• Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick… Boom!)
• Cooper Hoffman (“Licorice Pizza”)
• Anthony Ramos (“In the Heights”)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy

• Marion Cotillard (“Annette”)
• Alana Haim (“Licorice Pizza”)
• Jennifer Lawrence (“Don’t Look Up”)
• Emma Stone (“Cruella”)
• Rachel Zegler (“West Side Story”)

Best Supporting Actress, Motion Picture

• Caitriona Balfe (“Belfast”)
• Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”)
• Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”)
• Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)
• Ruth Negga (“Passing”)

Best Supporting Actor, Motion Picture

• Ben Affleck (“The Tender Bar”)
• Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”)
• Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”)
• Troy Kotsur (“CODA”)
• Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”)

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture

• “Licorice Pizza”
• “Belfast”
• “The Power of the Dog”
• “Don’t Look Up”
• “Being the Ricardos”

Best Original Score, Motion Picture

• Alexandre Desplat (“The French Dispatch”)
• Germaine Franco (“Encanto”)
• Jonny Greenwood (“The Power of the Dog”)
• Alberto Iglesias (“Parallel Mothers”)
• Hans Zimmer (“Dune”)

Best Picture, Foreign Language

• “Compartment No. 6”
• “Drive My Car”
• “The Hand of God”
• “A Hero”
• “Parallel Mothers”

Best Original Song, Motion Picture

• “Be Alive” (“King Richard”)
• “Dos Oruguitas” (“Encanto”)
• “Down To Joy” (“Belfast”)
• “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” (“RESPECT”)
• “No Time To Die” (“No Time To Die”)

I had a great time appearing on Tavern Talk by Initial Reaction to discuss Adam McKay’s wacky end-of-the-world satire “Don’t Look Up”. It was late and we had screened two movies, so please forgive my rambling. But (as it always is on that show) I had a lot of fun.

Please click below and check it out.

George Mackay stars in the upcoming World War II thriller “Munich – The Edge of War”. One of the first in Netflix’s 2022 slate of movies, “Munich – TEOW” comes from director Christian Schwochow and screenwriter Ben Power. It’s based on a Robert Harris novel of the same name and is set in late 1938 on the eve of Hitler’s planned invasion of Czechoslovakia. So automatically we’re in historically rich territory.

The story follows two young men, British civil servant (George MacKay) and a German diplomat (Jannis Niewöhner) who join together to try and broker a peace deal. With Europe on the brink of war, Neville Chamberlain (Jeremy Irons) and the British government hatch a plan to stop the inevitable attack that would eventually set in motion events that would lead to the deadliest military conflict in history (an estimated 75-85 million perished as a result). I’m a sucker for thoughtful historical war dramas and I like the look of this one.

“Munich – The Edge of War“ opens in limited release before dropping on Netflix January 21, 2022. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

The upcoming gangland movie “The Outfit” sees Academy Award winner Mark Rylance in yet another role that seems custom made for him (I beg you, please forgive the gruesome pun). The film is the directorial debut for Graham Moore who won an Academy Award himself for writing 2015’s “The Imitation Game”. Here Graham and Rylance team with Zoey Deutch to create what looks like a tense and confined thriller. The first trailer gives us a good taste of what we can look forward to.

Rylance plays an English tailor named Leonard who leaves London’s renowned Savile Row for Chicago following a personal tragedy. There he opens up a shop making finely tailored suits for those who can afford them. In his case, most of his clients happen to be gangsters. But as the trailer shows, Leonard finds himself caught up in the middle of a mob squabble and he’ll have to use his smarts if he wants to survive the night. I like everything about this. I looks to mostly take place in a single location and brimming with suspense. Sign me up.

“The Outfit” is set to release February 25th, 2022. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

I just want to take a second to wish everyone who celebrates it a very Happy Thanksgiving. Myself, I’m thankful for all of the people I’ve gotten to know through this goofy website. Thanks for all of the reads, likes, comments, and conversations. They means a lot.

Have a terrific day and a wonderful holiday season.