Actors Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years”) and Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”) and supporting players Michael Shannon (“99 Homes”) and Alicia Vikander (“Ex Machina”) advanced in their respective bids for Oscar slots.
READ MORE: New York Film Critics Push Faves in Awards Season, ‘Carol’ Wins Four
The NYFCC threw four wins at Todd Haynes’ “Carol,” which took home Best Score with the LAFCA, while George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” took a total of three LAFCA wins including Best Director. In an upset, “Anomalisa” won Best Animation over “Inside Out,” while Foreign Film went to “Son of Saul,” consolidating its position as a frontrunner.
Two Boston critics’ groups also split between “Spotlight” and “Fury Road.”
The awards will be presented at a Los Angeles ceremony on January 9.
Best Film: “Spotlight”
Runner-up: “Mad Max: Fury Road”
Both are mighty Oscar contenders. “Spotlight” has strong support from actors and writers, while “Fury Road” gets everybody else.
New Generation Award: Ryan Coogler (“Creed”)
The writer-director broke out with Sundance hit “Fruitvale Station” two years ago. But this helps his bid for awards contention with “Creed,” with both Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone gaining ground in acting races.
Best Foreign Language Film: “Son of Saul”
Runner-up: “The Tribe”
One is the Oscar frontrunner, while the other was submitted by the Ukraine last year and opened in theaters in 2015.
Both are strong contenders in the Oscar race.
Best Director: George Miller (“Mad Max: Fury Road”)
These two films duked it out throughout the voting, with “Fury Road” coming out on top for the most part. Both will be in contention for multiple Oscars including Best Picture and Director.
Best Animation: “Anomalisa.”
The critics have obviously decided to make a push for “Anomalisa,” assuming Pixar Oscar frontrunner “Inside Out” is in good shape.
Fassbender is expected to land an Oscar nomination, but debuting actor Röhrig, a New York poet, needs critics’ attention to gain traction for the Hungarian Oscar entry from Sony Pictures Classics.
Best Screenplay: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”)
Runner-up: Charlie Kaufman, (“Anomalisa”)
The original screenplay Oscar is “Spotlight” by a mile. “Anomalisa” has a good shot as an adapted screenplay with the writer’s branch.
Runner Up: “The Look of Silence”
It looks like these two films are duking it out for wins; “The Look of Silence” (Drafthouse), Joshua Oppenheimer’s sequel to “The Act of Killing,” took home the Gotham and IDA Award, while Asif Kapadia’s “Amy” (A24) won the Boston Society of Film Critics.
Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander (“Ex Machina”)
Vikander has been considered a strong contender in this category for Focus Features’ “The Danish Girl,” which is consciously omitted here in favor of A24’s “Ex Machina”; IFC hasn’t been pushing NYFCC-winner Stewart, but may have to now.
Best Editing: Hank Corwin (“The Big Short”)
If “The Big Short’ is a contender in any category it’s this one. “Fury Road” is already in.
Runner-up: Judy Becker (“Carol”)
Both are strong Oscar contenders.
Best Supporting Actor: Michael Shannon (“99 Homes”)
This will help boost both into serious contention in a crowded field, but more people will wind up viewing Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” (Disney/DreamWorks) than indie “99 Homes” (Broad Green).
Runner-up: Edward Lachman (“Carol”)
Runner-up: Ennio Morricone (“The Hateful Eight”)
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