‘Roma’ wins its first of many critics prizes
The NYFCC just anointed Roma as the best of 2018, which I knew they would pick. I figured for months now that Roma was going to be the critics favorite for Best Picture, and I believe it has a strong chance to become the first foreign-language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture as well. Alfonso Cuaron is already the frontrunner for his second Best Director win. The critical support for Ethan Hawke and First Reformed continues, but Best Actress seems to be wide open, as the NY critics chose Regina Hall from a movie called Support the Girls, a very low key contender that most people probably haven’t heard of. That tells me there’s no critical consensus on Best Actress this year, despite people like Glenn Close, Lady Gaga and Olivia Colman supposedly being in contention for the win. Critics seem to want to go elsewhere. The LA film critics will likely follow suit next weekend and go for a left field contender. The win for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse in animated is a hint that that movie’s early positive reviews are very likely to hold.
Best Film: Roma
Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Best First Film: Eighth Grade
Best Actor: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed
Best Actress: Best Actress, Regina Hall, Support the Girls
Best Supporting Actor: Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Best Supporting Actress: Regina King for If Beale Street Could Talk
Best Screenplay: First Reformed
Best Cinematography: Roma
Best Foreign Language Film: Cold War
Best Documentary: Minding the Gap
Best Animated Film: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
