LAFCA Winners

[Okri]

I'm hearing a tonne of good things about "Prayer for the Stolen." It's a foreign film that feels like a solid bet for the finalist list at AMPAS

[Sabin]

Have they been voting on Best Film for forty-five minutes?

[Mister Tee]

The New Generation winners could be completely fictitious, as far as I'm concerned. Never heard of either.

[Mister Tee]

An ongoing uncanny stat: since Vera Farmiga's lead actress win in 2005, the bumped-from supporting Patricia Arquette in 2014 and beyond-obscure Mary Kay Place in 2019 are the only American-born actresses to win solo in LA. (Jennifer Lawrence's 2012 win was a tie with Emmanuelle Riva.) A full 8 of the winners (including ties Riva and Adele Exarchopoulos) are foreign-language performances.

American lead actors who've won LA in that period: Forest Whitaker, Sean Penn, Jeff Bridges, Joaquin Phoenix, Bruce Dern, Adam Driver, Timothee Chalamet, Ethan Hawke, Chadwick Boseman -- with only one (Banderas) foreign-language entry.

You could have made a case for this back at the time of Farmiga's win, when weak actress fields were routine. But, of late, actress slates have often been stronger than their male counterparts -- yet LA routinely chooses mainstream American actor winners, and sticks to overseas or obscure for women. It seems a bit condescending to a generation of American actresses.

[Sabin]

The showing that most surprised me was Licorice Pizza as runner up for Best Editing. Of all the places that film would show up, I wouldn't expect Editing. It's such a shaggy dog affair. Maybe that's indication of enthusiasm to come. I know a couple of LAFCA critics (Cristy Lemire, Alonso Duradle) have it as their no. 1.

(seconds after writing this, Licorice Pizza comes in runner up for Best Screenplay, so maybe not)

[danfrank]

The Production Design choice proves there's a Cameron Diaz/look-how-edgy-not-really-we-are caucus in LA as well as NY.

Come on, Tee: we all know the garish/tacky design style (watch the trailer for this film to get a sense) has long been underrepresented in these types of awards. The devotees of this style must be thrilled.

[Mister Tee]

The Production Design choice proves there's a Cameron Diaz/look-how-edgy-not-really-we-are caucus in LA as well as NY.

[Mister Tee]

Updated as they're voted.

Film: Drive My Car
[The Power of the Dog]
International Film: Petite Maman
[Quo Vadis, Aida?]
Director: Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog)
[Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car]
Actress: Penelope Cruz (Parallel Mothers)
[Renate Reinsve The Worst Person in the World)]
Actor: Simon Rex (Red Rocket)
[Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)]
Supporting Actress: Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
[Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)]
Supporting Actor (tie): Vincent Lindon (Titane)/Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)
Screenplay: Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe (Drive My Car)
[Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza)]
Cinematography: Ari Wegner (The Power of the Dog)
[Greig Fraser (Dune)]
Production Design, Winner: Steve Saklad (Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar)
[Tamara Deverell (Nightmare Alley)]
Editing: Joshua L. Pearson (Summer of Soul)
[Andy Jurgensen (Licorice Pizza)]
Music/Score: Alberto Iglesias (Parallel Mothers)
[Jonny Greenwood (The Power of the Dog/Spencer)]
Documentary/Non-Fiction: Summer of Soul
[Procession]
Animation: Flee
[Belle]
New Generation (tie): Shatara Michelle Ford (Test Pattern)/Tatiana Huezo (Prayers for the Stolen)