Spotlight and Mad Max Dominate Los Angeles Film Critics Awards

The critics awards are revealing more and more patterns this year, with three key films appearing on almost every list so far: Todd Haynes’ 1950s lesbian romance Carol, Tom McCarthy’s based on a true story journalism drama Spotlight, and George Miller’s non-stop car chase thriller Mad Max: Fury Road.

Yes, one of those things is not like the others but critics seem hellbent on recognizing George Miller’s dynamite filmmaking in the fourth Mad Max movie. The Los Angeles Film Critics Assocation (LAFCA) are no exception; they bestowed the film with Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Production Design awards this weekend. Mad Max: Fury Road was also the runner-up in two categories: Film Editing and Best Picture.

The Best Picture award went to Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight, which also won Best Screenplay from LAFCA but otherwise went home empty-handed. It’s beginning to look like McCarthy’s excellently crafted film may be the one movie everyone can agree that they like this year, even though the individual elements aren’t necessarily inspiring a lot of passion. That’s a good recipe for Oscar glory. The critics may be be focused on quality, but on some level these awards – including the Academy Awards – usually boil down to a popularity contest.

Related: This Six Movies Deserve a LOT More Oscar Buzz

Perhaps more interesting are the few categories in which LAFCA didn’t tow the conventional line. Michael Fassbender won Best Actor for Steve Jobs, a critically praised biographical film that has largely been ignored so far this awards season. Alicia Vikander, considered a potential contender for her performance in the melodramatic The Danish Girl, earned a well-deserved Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in the sci-fi drama Ex Machina instead. And The Big Short, an upcoming dramedy about the most recent economic collapse, surprisingly bested Mad Max in the Best Editing category.

If these surprise wins mean anything, it’s that there still isn’t a 100% consensus on any of the year’s major film awards, and that this could turn out to be an unusual and exciting year. Check out all of LAFCA’s award-winners below: 

PICTURE: Spotlight

Runner-up: Mad Max: Fury Road

 

DIRECTOR: George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road

Runner-up: Todd Haynes, Carol

 

ACTOR: Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs

Runner-up: Géza Röhrig, Son of Saul

ACTRESS: Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Runner-up: Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn

 

SUPPORTING ACTOR: Michael Shannon, 99 Homes

Runner-up: Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina

Runner-up: Kristen Stewart, Clouds of Sils Maria

 

SCREENPLAY: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy, Spotlight

Runner-up: Charlie Kaufman, Anomalisa

 

ANIMATION: Anomalisa

Runner-up: Inside Out

 

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  Son of Saul

Runner-up:  The Tribe

 

DOCUMENTARY / NON-FICTION FILM: Amy

Runner-up: The Look of Silence

 

NEW GENERATION: Ryan Coogler, Creed

FILM EDITING: Hank Corwin, The Big Short

Runner-up: Margaret Sixel, Mad Max: Fury Road

CINEMATOGRAPHY: John Seale, Mad Max: Fury Road

Runner-up: Edward Lachman, Carol

 

PRODUCTION DESIGN: Colin Gibson, Mad Max: Fury Road

Runner-up: Judy Becker, Carol

 

MUSIC/SCORE: Carter Burwell, Anomalisa and Carol

Runner-up: Ennio Morricone, The Hateful Eight

 

SPECIAL CITATION: David Shepard, for his invaluable work in film preservation, particularly of films from the silent era

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Anne V. Coates

Top Photo: Open Road Films

William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.

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