2021 in Film, Film Awards

Awards Season 2021-22: Awards Round-Up 12/6

Posted by mountanto on

This week, we’ll going over the wins from the following groups:

A bit of a light start, but I’ll take it!

Picture:

  • AFCC: Licorice Pizza
  • DFCS: Cyrano
  • WAFCA: Belfast

Three groups, three different films. Okay, then.

I’m most surprised by Cyrano winning Detroit – or anywhere. Maybe I just have a hard time trusting Joe Wright, or maybe I’m just not inspired by the idea of a Cyrano de Bergerac musical. The reviews are okay – certainly not on the level of Licorice Pizza or Belfast. But whatever. It’s their award.

Also surprised none of them went with Power of the Dog, but maybe that’s a little too bleak to be a Picture winner.

Director:

  • AFCC: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog
  • DFCS: Lin-Manuel Miranda, tick, tick…Boom!
  • WAFCA: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Yeah, see, it’s the kind of film where they can appreciate the craft, but they’ll give the top prize to the film they can actually embrace. Keep that in mind as the season progresses.

I also struggle to take tick, tick…Boom! seriously as an awards contender, but I haven’t seen it yet, so I’ll admit my ignorance. It is worth noting Detroit didn’t even nominate Joe Wright.

Actor:

  • AFCC: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog
  • DFCS: Peter Dinklage, Cyrano
  • WAFCA: Andrew Garfield, tick, tick…Boom!

Back to a total lack of consensus! Detroit’s choice makes sense, Atlanta’s seems to, based on what I’ve been hearing, and D.C.’s…maybe? I run hot and cold on Garfield as an actor, so we’ll see how I feel about that one.

Actress:

  • AFCC: (tie) Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza and Kristen Stewart, Spencer
  • DFCS: Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
  • WAFCA: Kristen Stewart, Spencer

A touch more consensus here. Glad Stewart’s getting awards. Glad Chastain got something as well, given how much that film came and went.

Supporting Actor:

  • AFCC: Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza
  • DFCS: Jon Bernthal, King Richard
  • WAFCA: Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog

Ooh, nice call on Bernthal. That was a great performance. I’ve heard Cooper isn’t in very much of Pizza, but I suppose one great scene (or sequence) is better than a film full of mediocrity.

Supporting Actress:

  • AFCC: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog
  • DFCS: Ariana DeBose, West Side Story
  • WAFCA: Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard

Ellis is about as much the front-runner in this category as anyone. Curious to see Dunst’s performance; she can do brilliant work, but I haven’t seen all that much of her the last few years. DeBose is playing Anita, so she’s got to fill Rita Moreno’s shoes, but it would seem she does.

Ensemble:

  • AFCC: (tie) Licorice Pizza and Mass
  • DFCS: The French Dispatch
  • WAFCA: Mass

Really wish I’d seen Mass in a theater when I had the chance.

Original/Adapted Screenplay:

  • AFCC: Licorice Pizza
  • DFCS: Don’t Look Up/The Power of the Dog
  • WAFCA: Belfast/The Power of the Dog

Again, Power seems like the kind of film people admire more than love. Disappointed in D.C. for giving Belfast the award over C’mon C’mon – a far better script.

Cinematography:

  • AFCC: The Power of the Dog
  • WAFCA: Dune

A Western and a film set on a desert planet. Not a colorful year, it would seem.

Editing:

  • WAFCA: tick, tick…Boom!

Sure?

Production Design:

  • WAFCA: Dune

Hell, yeah. Space brutalism, baby.

Score:

  • AFCC: Dune
  • DFCS: Last Night in Soho*
  • WAFCA: Dune

*Detroit’s award is for “Best Use of Music/Sound.” Surprised they didn’t give it to Cyrano.

Dune did have an awesome score. Tough picking between that, Annette, and Spencer for my own award.

Foreign-Language Film:

  • AFCC: Drive My Car
  • WAFCA: Drive My Car

Add in the NYFCC win for Picture, and things are looking pretty good for this one.

Animated Film:

  • AFCC: The Mitchells vs. the Machines
  • DFCS: The Mitchells vs. the Machines
  • WAFCA: The Mitchells vs. the Machines

YES. I just saw this film the other day and absolutely loved it. Totally in favor of this.

Documentary Film:

  • AFCC: Flee
  • DFCS: (tie) Flee and Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  • WAFCA: Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

I feel like these two films are going to be the big players in this category throughout the season. Maybe Sparks Brothers will get a little love here and there, but these seem like the heavy-hitters.

Season’s just getting started. Power of the Dog feels like it’s got the most momentum of anything, even without a Picture win, but for the most part, the races are wide open. That’s fine with me.

Next Monday we’ll have the Globe and Critics Choice nominations, as well as wins from L.A., Philadelphia, and more. Be ready!

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