Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age drama Boyhood confirmed its position as an Oscars frontrunner after securing prizes from critics’ associations in Los Angeles and New York at the weekend.
Linklater’s film won four prizes at the LA Film Critics Association awards, including best film, best director, best actress for Patricia Arquette and best editor. The New York Film Critics Online largely followed suit, with best film, best director and best supporting actress (Arquette) prizes.
The weekend’s other big winners were JK Simmons, handed best supporting actor by both the New York online and LA critics for his turn as a fearsome jazz teacher in Whiplash, and Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi piece Snowpiercer, which surprisingly won best film from the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Simmons also won the best supporting actor prize from the New York Film Critics Circle last week and appears a clear early frontrunner for the equivalent Oscar. Likewise Arquette, who has racked up multiple prizes for her turn as mother Olivia in Boyhood, though it is not clear at this stage whether she will ultimately be pitched for the best supporting actress or the more competitive best actress prize. Snowpiercer’s Tilda Swinton won the best supporting actress gong at the Boston awards.
Another Oscars contender, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, also picked up further prizes. The black comedy, which stars Michael Keaton as a washed-up former star of superhero movies vying for one last turn in the spotlight, won best director (Iñárritu) and best supporting actor (Edward Norton) from the Boston online critics, and best screenplay and ensemble cast from the New York online critics.
Meanwhile Marion Cotillard looks a positive bet for another tilt at the best actress Oscar after triumphing in both New York and Boston for her turn as a struggling factory worker in the Dardenne brothers’ Two Days, One Night. The three critics’ groups each chose a different star for their best actor gong, LA plumping for Locke’s Tom Hardy; New York going for The Theory of Everything’s Eddie Redmayne and Boston choosing Calvary’s Brendan Gleeson.
The Lego Movie had a good weekend, winning best animated movie in New York and Boston to add to its victory at the New York Film Critics Circle awards last week.
