The 23rd annual Critics’ Choice Awards gave four awards to overall Best Picture winner ‘The Shape of Water’, with ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing’ and Missouri close behind it.
Guillermo del Toro’s romantic fantasy thriller The Shape of Water added to its trophy cabinet with four further wins at the 23rd Critics’ Choice Awards on January 11, 2018, including the overall Best Picture accolade.
It rose to the surface of the ceremony’s most prestigious film category ahead of nine other highly praised features: The Big Sick, Call Me by Your Name, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, The Florida Project, Get Out, Lady Bird, The Post, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.
Del Toro collected Best Director, with the picture also receiving Best Production Design and Best Score. The film’s director and its composer, Alexandre Desplat won the very same at the Golden Globes earlier in January. The run of wins are a boost for the movie whose international release schedule gets underway this week.
Furthermore, it is in the running for top honours at the Producers Guild Awards and the Directors Guild Awards this year, both of which are considered strong indicators of an eventual Oscar success.
Another recurrent winner throughout the 2018 awards season, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, scooped three awards, all on the acting side.
Frances McDormand took Best Actress, Sam Rockwell took Best Supporting Actor, and the Best Acting Ensemble likewise went to the incendiary feature.
“Three Billboards,” too, was a nominee ahead of the DGA and PGA awards; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces its Oscar nominees on January 23, 2018, ahead of a March 4 ceremony.And McDormand and Rockwell’s Critics’ Choice wins follow on from nominations for the very same at Screen Actors Guild Awards, the equivalent predictor of Oscar glory where acting accolades are concerned.
Gary Oldman won Best Actor for his portrayal of British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, which was one of three double winners in film thanks to the accompanying Best Hair and Makeup award.
Margot Robbie received Best Actress in a Comedy for her portrayal of Olympic ice skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, and Alison Janney received Best Supporting Actress for her role as Tonya’s mother
Suburban horror Get Out (Best Original Screenplay, Best Sci-Fi or Horror) and animated adventure Coco (Best Animated Feature, Best Song) were the night’s other double winners in film.
The Big Sick won Best Comedy, Wonder Woman was Best Action Movie, James Franco received Best Comedy Actor for The Disaster Artist and Brooklynn Prince was the year’s Best Young Actor or Actress for The Florida Project.
In The Fade won Best Foreign Language Film, repeating its feat against a similar field at the Golden Globes five days earlier.
Women under spotlight
Women took the spotlight at the Critics’ Choice Awards, where women-centred stories like “Big Little Lies,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” took home prizes. “Wonder Woman” was named best action movie and star Gal Gadot accepted a special award for challenging gender stereotypes.
Yet the industry’s on-going sexual misconduct crisis remained an element of the ceremony as James Franco won an acting award early in the evening, hours after a report detailed new misconduct allegations against “The Disaster Artist” star and director. Franco did not attend the day’s presentation at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, and his award was presented during a pre-telecast section broadcast only online. The actor has maintained that the accusations several women have made against him were “not accurate.”
Franco won a similar award at the Golden Globes, where most women were dressed in black to protest sexual harassment. More women dressed in colour, but their determination to end gender discrimination remained just as fierce.
“I want to share this award with all the women and men who stand for what’s right, standing for those who can’t stand or speak for themselves,” Gadot said as she accepted the second annual #SeeHer award. “My promise to you is: I will never be silenced. We will continue to band together to make strides, uniting for equality.”
Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy romance, “The Shape of Water,” was the top film winner with four awards. Del Toro, who was also named best director, closed the show by shouting that he’s always believed in the equality of women. “Let me tell you one thing, if you don’t do that, you don’t know what you’re missing,” he said.
At the Golden Globes, del Toro was part of a memorable moment when he won the best director. Just before announcing the prize, Natalie Portman was presenting the award with Ron Howard when she said, “And here are the all-male nominees,” as Howard laughed awkwardly.
“The Shape of Water,” which led all nominees with 14 bids, also claimed the best picture prize, along with score and production design honours.
Olivia Munn hosted the dinner ceremony, which was broadcast live on the CW network. The actress, who accused Brett Ratner of sexual harassment in November, led the audience in a toast. Joined by actress Niecey Nash, they raised a glass “to all the good guys in Hollywood,” who held meetings in conference rooms rather than hotel rooms. “Congratulations for doing what you’re supposed to do!” Nash said.
“Big Little Lies” received four awards: best limited series, as well as acting honours for Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern.
Kidman thanked the entertainment community “who show up to make really fantastic films and TV and let us do what we love.”
“I love being an actor,” said the 50-year-old Oscar winner. “Thank you for letting me do it all the way through to this age and beyond.”
Stories about women also won in comedy categories. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” was named best comedy series and the star Rachel Brosnahan won best actress in comedy.
As she accepted her award, Brosnahan noted that even though women aren’t wearing black like most did at the Golden Globe Awards earlier, she said the fight to eradicate sexual harassment continues.
“Let’s not lose focus,” she said, urging viewers to support the Time’s Up initiative. “Let’s keep this going.”
Presenter Chris Hemsworth noted that women have had a stellar year at the box office.
“The three biggest movies of 2017 in North America were ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi,’ ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘Wonder Woman,'” which all feature female protagonists, he said. “The biggest comedy was a female ensemble, ‘Girls Trip,’ and the biggest independent movie was written and directed by Greta Gerwig.”
Hemsworth presented the best actress award to an absent Frances McDormand for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” The film also won in the category of acting ensemble and supporting actor for Sam Rockwell.
Double winners Thursday included “I, Tonya,” ″Darkest Hour,” ″Get Out” and “Coco.”
“I, Tonya” brought acting accolades for star Margot Robbie and supporting actress Allison Janney. “Darkest Hour” won awards for makeup and lead actor for Gary Oldman. “Get Out” was named best sci-fi or horror film, and writer-director Jordan Peele claimed original screenplay honours. “Coco” won animated feature and original song for “Remember Me.”
Many Critics’ Choice Awards winners also took home Golden Globes, including McDormand, Rockwell, Oldman, Brosnahan and the stars of “Big Little Lies.” Hollywood’s awards season continues through March 4, when the Academy Awards are presented.
Source: Internet
