More Critics Groups Award 'Moonlight,' 'La La Land'

Four regional critics groups chose winners today, with three of the four going for Moonlight in top honors, but the biggest organization, the Boston Film Critics, went for La La Land all the way.

BOSTON SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS

'La La Land' continues to win over critics

'La La Land' continues to win over critics

Best Picture: La La Land
Best Director: Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Best Actor: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert, Elle and Things to Come
Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Best Supporting Actress, Lily Gladstone, Certain Women
Best Screenplay: Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Best Documentary: O. J.: Made in America

These guys went very Oscar-y, aside from Lily Gladstone, a dark horse contender in a dark horse film almost guaranteed not to be recognized by the Oscars. Otherwise it's more confirmation for our musical frontrunner.

NEW YORK FILM CRITICS ONLINE

Park Chan-wook's 'The Handmaiden' landed some foreign film prizes today

Park Chan-wook's 'The Handmaiden' landed some foreign film prizes today

  • Best Picture: Moonlight
  • Best Director: Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
  • Best Ensemble Cast: Moonlight
  • Best Actor: Casey Affleck, Manchester By the Sea
  • Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert, Elle
  • Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Fences
  • Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
  • Best Documentary: 13th
  • Best Animated Feature: Kubo and the Two Strings
  • Best Foreign Language Film: The Handmaiden
  • Best Debut Director: Robert Eggers, The Witch
  • Best Screenplay: Moonlight
  • Best Cinematography: Moonlight
  • Best Use of Music: La La Land
  • Breakthrough Performance: Ruth Negga

The NY online critics chose a couple of interesting choices in the The Handmaiden for Foreign Film and Ava Duvernay's 13th for documentary. But Moonlight has become the critics darling, so it's not surprising to see that film winning a lot this season. 

TORONTO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

Germany's 'Toni Erdmann' is a favorite for foreign-language film

Germany's 'Toni Erdmann' is a favorite for foreign-language film

  • Best Picture: Moonlight
  • Best Director: Maren Ade, Toni Erdmann
  • Best Actress: Sandra Hüller, Toni Erdmann
  • Best Actor: Adam Driver, Paterson
  • Supporting Actress: Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea
  • Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
  • Foreign Language Film: Toni Erdmann
  • Screenplay: Manchester by the Sea
  • Documentary: Cameraperson
  • First Feature: The Witch
  • Animated: Zootopia

Toronto went for the celebrated German film Toni Erdmann, not just in foreign-language film but in Director and Actress as well, which is refreshing. Again, critics don't seem to have a consensus on Best Actress, with Isabelle Huppert seemingly the favorite with them, but it's certainly not locked in there.

SAN FRANCISCO FILM CRITICS CIRCLE

Denzel gets his first critics win as Best Actor for 'Fences'

Denzel gets his first critics win as Best Actor for 'Fences'

  • Best Picture: MOONLIGHT
  • Best Director: Barry Jenkins, MOONLIGHT
  • Best Actor: Denzel Washington, FENCES
  • Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert, ELLE
  • Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali, MOONLIGHT
  • Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, FENCES
  • Best Screenplay, Original: MANCHESTER BY THE SEA & MOONLIGHT (tie)
  • Best Screenplay, Adapted: ARRIVAL
  • Best Cinematography: MOONLIGHT
  • Best Production Design: THE HANDMAIDEN
  • Best Original Score: JACKIE
  • Best Film Editing: ARRIVAL & MOONLIGHT (tie)
  • Best Animated Feature: THE RED TURTLE
  • Best Foreign Language Picture: THE HANDMAIDEN
  • Best Documentary: I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO

San Francisco goes for Moonlight, but also Denzel Washington over Casey Affleck, and hands a couple of prizes to Arrival as well (still my favorite of the year so far, but I'm late to the party in seeing the frontrunners).

Humanity is Doomed in 'War for the Planet of the Apes' Trailer

These are always pretty good, and the special effects get better every time. It really looks like that little girl is holding onto a real stuffed animal or something, doesn't it? I did laugh at the first appearance of Woody Harrelson though. Notice how there always has to be at least a couple sympathetic humans in this series. I don't think they trust the apes to take over the movies completely. Something feels appropriate about the impending eradication of the human race.

The New Spidey Swings into Action in 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' Trailer

This looks good! As you know, I never get excited about the Marvel movies anymore, but I like the high school comedy feel of this one a lot. Tom Holland is already my favorite Spider-Man and maybe it's just more exciting to see one of the most famous superheroes in action in the Marvel universe where he belongs (even if he has to act as Tony Stark's little trainee, but at least they look funny together). The only thing I don't love is the turn at the end toward typical Spidey vs. generic villain stuff. Wouldn't it be nice if they could deviate from formula entirely and not have a villain? What if it really was a teenage comedy with him fighting crime through taking down various bank robbers and murderers while dealing with every day school stuff? And maybe the whole life-as-a-teen-superhero thing really was the main plot of the entire movie? Am I the only person who actually likes that idea?

Jimmy Kimmel to Host the 89th Oscars

A full six weeks later than the usual announcement date, it was revealed today that Jimmy Kimmel will host the show next February. I've got no problem with this- I figured it was coming eventually, since he's ABC's in-house late night guy and all. He's friendly with all the celebrities but he can be quick and not too nice if need be, which makes him an infinitely better choice than this year's Globes host Jimmy Fallon (dreading that one). This will make him the first person to host both the Emmys and the Oscars in the same calendar year. If anything, it doesn't make the show seem like a big "event" thing anymore, but the Oscars are heading that way already, with the movies being honored every year less and less films that most people have even heard of. It's sort of becoming like the Tonys in that regard. If he does a good job, I can actually see ABC choosing to keep him as a perennial host for the show from now on.

Atlanta and D.C. Film Critics Go for 'La La Land,' Natalie Portman, Annette Bening in Actress

So now the regional film critics are going to start coming in, and this is how I can see that La La Land is very likely going to be the clear Best Picture winner this year, and it will probably sweep or come close to it. It was already loved by the major critics, but sometimes those guys go out of their way to be different- the smaller critics groups around the country tend to rally around the frontrunner, and it looks like that's starting already. Although it is interesting that Emma Stone hasn't won in Best Actress yet.

ATLANTA FILM CRITICS SOCIETY

  • BEST FILM – LA LA LAND
  • BEST DIRECTOR – Damien Chazelle, LA LA LAND
  • BEST ACTOR – Casey Affleck, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
  • BEST ACTRESS – Annette Bening, 20TH CENTURY WOMEN
  • BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Mahershala Ali, MOONLIGHT
  • BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Lily Gladstone, CERTAIN WOMEN
  • BEST ENSEMBLE – AMERICAN HONEY
  • BEST ANIMATED FILM – KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM – 13TH
  • BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM – TONI ERDMANN
  • BEST SCREENPLAY – MANCHESTER BY THE SEA
  • BEST SCORE – THE NEON DEMON
  • BEST SONG – “Drive It Like You Stole It” from SING STREET
  • BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – LA LA LAND
  • BEST EDITING – LA LA LAND

Annette Bening came in with a surprise win here for Actress for the upcoming indie 20th Century Women. She's gunning for another nom in her long career and could very well steal that fifth slot at the Oscars.

WASHINGTON FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

  • Best Film: La La Land
  • Best Director: Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
  • Best Actor: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
  • Best Actress: Natalie Portman (Jackie)
  • Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)
  • Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis (Fences)
  • Best Acting Ensemble: Hell or High Water
  • Best Youth Performance: Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea)
  • Best Voice Performance: Liam Neeson (A Monster Calls)
  • Best Motion Capture Performance: Mark Rylance (The BFG)
  • Best Original Screenplay: La La Land
  • Best Adapted Screenplay: Arrival
  • Best Animated Feature: Kubo and the Two Strings
  • Best Documentary: 13th
  • Best Foreign Language Film: Elle
  • Best Production Design: La La Land
  • Best Cinematography: La La Land
  • Best Editing: La La Land
  • Best Original Score: La La Land

With the DC critics, Natalie Portman comes along with a win for Jackie, showing there's not a total consensus for Best Actress the way there is with Casey Affleck in Best Actor. We'll have to wait and see what award Emma Stone can grab first, or if her chance comes later on with the televised shows only.

Tom Cruise Leads 'The Mummy' Reboot

This looks pretty dumb. Universal is planning to resurrect its classic monster properties in the hopes of launching a new cinematic universe, but if this is the start of it, it's gonna be shaky. The first part of this trailer is an extended action sequence in a helicopter, but the second half devolves into typical Tom Cruise on the run, M:I style scenes, but with a weird looking CGI mummy woman causing destruction. Yeah, terrible. Amazingly enough, you'll probably want to stick with the still fun, 1999 Brendan Fraser action movie instead.