CHLOTRUDIS DECLARES SPOTLIGHT THE BEST FILM OF 2015

Capping off awards season 2015-16, late and sans fanfare as per, the Chlotrudis Society has announced its award winners for last year, with Spotlight matching its feat at the Oscars by winning here too. It does so with a mere two other nominations - Original Screenplay and Ensemble Cast - and no other wins, while Sean Baker's Tangerine claims three awards. Check out Chlotrudis' nominations at this link, and their awards choices below:

Best Movie
Spotlight

Best Director
Todd Haynes (Carol)

Best Actor
Christopher Abbott (James White)

Best Actress
Karidja Toure (Girlhood)

Best Supporting Actor
Michael Shannon (99 Homes)

Best Supporting Actress
Cynthia Nixon (James White)

Best Original Screenplay
Damian Szifron (Wild Tales)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Emma Donoghue - based on her novel (Room)

Best Cinematography
Sean Baker and Radium Cheung (Tangerine)

Best Editing
Julien Lacheray (Girlhood)

Best Production Design
Pater Sparrow (The Duke of Burgundy)

Best Use of Music in a Film
Matthew Smith (Tangerine)

Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast
Tangerine

Best Documentary
Amy
Call Me Lucky

Buried Treasure Award
Advantageous

REVIEW OF 2015 - BEST SCREENPLAY

1. Phyllis Nagy (Carol)

2. Spike Lee and Kevin Willmott (Chi-Raq)

3. Peter Greenaway (Eisenstein in Guanajuato)

4. Andrew Haigh (45 Years)

5. Don Hertzfeldt (World of Tomorrow)

6. Mathieu Amalric and Stephane Cleau (The Blue Room)

7. Radu Jude and Florin Lazarescu (Aferim!)

8. Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk and Guy Maddin (The Forbidden Room)

9. Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch (Tangerine)

10. Robert Eggers (The Witch)

REVIEW OF 2015 - BEST MUSIC

1. Galen Johnson, Guy Maddin and Jason Staczek (The Forbidden Room)

2. Lauren Marie Mikus and Hanan Townshend (Knight of Cups)

3. Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and The Rajasthan Express (Junun)

4. Tom Holkenborg (Mad Max: Fury Road)

5. Michael Giacchino and Tom MacDougall (Inside Out)

6. Matthew Smith (Tangerine)

7. Lim Giong (The Assassin)

8. Alexandre Desplat and Milena Fessmann (Every Thing Will Be Fine)

9. Johann Johannsson and Jonathan Watkins (Sicario)

10. Michael Drayton and Terence Blanchard (Chi-Raq)

CAROL LEADS INTERNATIONAL CINEPHILE SOCIETY NOMINATIONS

The International Cinephile Society has announced its nominees for achievements in film for 2015, and they've more than rectified the mistakes of other awards groups this season. Three female-led films top the nomination count, with Carol scoring ten mentions and both The Assassin and Mad Max: Fury Road scoring seven each - three of my favourite films of the year too! And the list of personal delights continues through every single category, including richly deserved tech nods for Hard to Be a God and Jauja, appearances from Tangerine in main categories and The Duke of Burgundy and Saint Laurent in select categories, again all richly deserved citations, and a considerably more diverse slate overall than any of this year's major groups. Keep a close eye on the 16 films nominated for the Best Picture Not Released in 2016 award: half of last year's list appear on this year's ICS lineup in at least one category. Winners are due to be announced on the 21st of February. Check it all out below:

Best Picture

45 Years

Arabian Nights: Volume 1 – The Restless One / Arabian Nights: Volume 2 – The Desolate One / Arabian Nights: Volume 3 – The Enchanted One

The Assassin

Carol
Clouds of Sils Maria

The Duke of Burgundy

Inside Out

Li’l Quinquin

Mad Max: Fury Road

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

Tangerine

Best Director

Sean Baker (Tangerine)

Bruno Dumont (Li’l Quinquin)

Todd Haynes (Carol)

Hou Hsiao Hsien (The Assassin)

George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Actor

Christopher Abbott (James White)

Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight)

Röhrig Géza (Son of Saul)

Jacob Tremblay (Room)

Gaspard Ulliel (Saint Laurent)

Best Actress

Juliette Binoche (Clouds of Sils Maria)

Cate Blanchett (Carol)

Nina Hoss (Phoenix)

Rooney Mara (Carol)

Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)

Best Supporting Actor

Helmut Berger (Saint Laurent)

Emory Cohen (Brooklyn)

Benicio del Toro (Sicario)

Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight)

Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina)

Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)

Best Supporting Actress

Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)

Cynthia Nixon (James White)

Erica Rivas (Wild Tales)

Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria)

Mya Taylor (Tangerine)

Best Original Screenplay

Roy Andersson (A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence)

Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria)

Josh Cooley, Ronnie del Carmen, Pete Docter and Meg LeFauve (Inside Out)

Bruno Dumont (Li’l Quinquin)

Jessica Hausner (Amour Fou)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Ah Cheng, Chu T’ien Wen, Hou Hsiao Hsien and Hsieh Hai Meng (The Assassin)

Andrew Haigh (45 Years)

Charlie Kaufman (Anomalisa)

Nick Lathouris, Brendan McCarthy and George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Phyllis Nagy (Carol)

Best Cinematography

Vladimir Ilin and Yuriy Klimenko (Hard to Be a God)

Edward Lachman (Carol)

Lee Ping Bin (The Assassin)

Emmanuel Lubekzi (The Revenant)

Timo Salminen (Jauja)

John Seale (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Editing

Matyas Fekete (The Duke of Burgundy)

Affonso Gonçalves (Carol)

Huang Chih Chia and Liao Ching Song (The Assassin)

Julio Perez (It Follows)

Margaret Sixel (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Production Design

Judy Becker (Carol)

Colin Gibson (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Huang Wen Ying (The Assassin)

Sergei Kokovkin, Georgiy Kropachyov and Elena Zhukova (Hard to Be a God)

Thomas E. Sanders (Crimson Peak)

Katia Wyszkop (Saint Laurent)

Best Score

Faris Badwan and Rachel Zeffira (The Duke of Burgundy)

Carter Burwell (Carol)

Tom Holkenborg (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Ennio Morricone (The Hateful Eight)

Rich Vreeland (It Follows)

Best Ensemble

Brooklyn

Carol

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

The Hateful Eight

Li’l Quinquin

Spotlight

Best Animated Film

Anomalisa

Inside Out

Shaun the Sheep Movie

When Marnie Was There

World of Tomorrow

Best Documentary

Amy

Heart of a Dog

In Jackson Heights

The Look of Silence

The Pearl Button

Best Picture Not in the English Language

Amour Fou

Arabian Nights: Volume 1 – The Restless One / Arabian Nights: Volume 2 – The Desolate One / Arabian Nights: Volume 3 – The Enchanted One

The Assassin

Hard to Be a God

Jauja

Li’l Quinquin

Phoenix

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence

Saint Laurent

La Sapienza

Son of Saul

Honourable Mentions

Horse Money

Mustang

Timbuktu

The Tribe

Best Picture Not Released in 2015

Aferim!

Blood of My Blood

Cemetery of Splendour

Closet Monster

Embrace of the Serpent

In the Shadow of Women

Knight of Cups

The Lobster

Mia Madre

Mountains May Depart

My Golden Days

No Home Movie

Right Now, Wrong Then

Sunset Song

The Treasure

The Witch

THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY LEADS 2015 CHLOTRUDIS AWARD NOMINATIONS

Eight films make the Chlotrudis Society's Best Movie slate for 2015, one more than the usual. It was a good year for films, if you believe the Chlotrudis voters - not that you'd need them to tell you that! The Duke of Burgundy leads all 47 nominated films with seven nominations; the only other film to score more than four mentions is Tangerine. Reflecting the high quality of eligible titles and the wonderfully varied tastes of society members, you'll find a number of curiosities among their choices: Carol appearing only in Best Director and a few tech categories, Room turning up in Best Editing only, and seemingly rogue mentions for Demet Akbag in Winter Sleep, and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl up for its screenplay. No word yet on when the winners are due to be announced; due to this, points will be taken for the SOS Critics' Tally now, and amended when winners are revealed. Check out the nominations below:

Best Movie

The Assassin

The Duke of Burgundy

Girlhood

Spotlight

Tangerine

Timbutu

White God

Wild Tales

Best Director

Todd Haynes (Carol)

Hou Hsiao Hsien (The Assassin)

Mundruczó Kornél (White God)

Abderrahmane Sissako (Timbuktu)

Peter Strickland (The Duke of Burgundy)

Damián Szifrón (Wild Tales)

Best Actor

Christopher Abbott (James White)

Jemaine Clement (People Places Things)

Paul Dano (Love & Mercy)

Oscar Isaac (A Most Violent Year)

Bruce Greenwood (Wildlike)

Jason Segel (The End of the Tour)

Best Actress

Ronit Elkabetz (Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem)

Nina Hoss (Phoenix)

Kikuchi Rinko (Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter)

Bel Powley (The Diary of a Teenage Girl)

Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)

Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

Karidja Touré (Girlhood)

Best Supporting Actor

Emory Cohen (Brooklyn)

Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)

Michael Fassbender (Slow West)

Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight)

Michael Shannon (99 Homes)

Best Supporting Actress

Demet Akbag (Winter Sleep)

Cynthia Nixon (James White)

Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria)

Mya Taylor (Tangerine)

Katherine Waterston (Queen of Earth)

Best Original Screenplay

Jemaine Clement and Taiki Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows)

Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz (Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem)

Deniz Gamze Ergüven and Alice Winocour (Mustang)

Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Spotlight)

Mundruczó Kornél, Petrányi Viktória and Wéber Kata (White God)

Peter Strickland (The Duke of Burgundy)
Damián Szifrón (Wild Tales)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Jesse Andrews – based on his novel (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl)

Emma Donoghue – based on her novel (Room)

Nick Hornby – based on the novel by Colm Tóibín (Brooklyn)

Charlie Kaufman – based on his play (Anomalisa)

Donald Margulies – based on the book by David Lipsky (The End of the Tour)

Best Cinematography

Sean Baker and Radium Cheung (Tangerine)

Nicholas D. Knowland (The Duke of Burgndy)

Edward Lachman (Carol)

Lee Ping Bin (The Assassin)

Gökhan Tiryaki (Winter Sleep)

Best Editing

Matyas Fekete (The Duke of Burgundy)

Affonso Gonçalves (Carol)

Julien Lacheray (Girlhood)

Nathan Nugent (Room)

Chris Wyatt (’71)

Best Production Design

Roy Andersson (A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence)

Judy Becker (Carol)

Huang Wen Ying (The Assassin)

François Séguin (Brooklyn)

Pater Sparrow (The Duke of Burgundy)

Best Use of Music in a Film

Boy Meets Girl

The Duke of Burgundy

Girlhood

Love & Mercy

Tangerine

Best Performance by an Ensemble Cast

About Elly

Mustang

Spotlight

Tangerine

What We Do in the Shadows

Best Documentary

Amy

Best of Enemies

Call Me Lucky

Red Army

Stray Dog

What Happened, Miss Simone?

Buried Treasure Award

Actress

Advantageous

Appropriate Behaviour

Charlie’s Country

People Places Things

Victoria

CAROL TAKES THE LOT AT GALECA'S DORIAN AWARDS

Why cry when you can laugh? And why laugh when you can laugh in the faces of Oscar voters, secure in the knowledge that you have far better taste than they do, and are thus far better people? Carol smacks down the competition at the 2015 Dorian Awards, winning in all but one of the categories in which it was nominated, and serving as proof that we're better than you, AMPAS. Oh, and, we're coming for you. Here were the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association's nominations, and here are their award winners:

Film of the Year

Carol

Director of the Year

Todd Haynes (Carol)

Performance of the Year - Actor

Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

Performance of the Year - Actress

Cate Blanchett (Carol)

Screenplay of the Year

Phyllis Nagy (Carol)

Documentary of the Year

Amy

Foreign Language Film of the Year

Son of Saul

LGBTQ Film of the Year

Carol

Campy Flick of the Year

Magic Mike XXL

Visually Striking Film of the Year (honouring a production of stunning beauty, from art direction to cinematography)

Mad Max: Fury Road

Unsung Film of the Year

Tangerine

Wilde Artist of the Year (honouring a truly groundbreaking force in the fields of film, theatre and/or television)

Todd Haynes

The 'We're Wilde About You' Rising Star Award

Alicia Vikander

Wilde Wit of the Year (honouring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)

Amy Schumer

Timeless Award

Jane Fonda

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD SWEEPS THE SEATTLE FILM CRITICS SOCIETY AWARDS

You wanted quality, you got it. The Seattle Film Critics Society presented us with a fine slate of nominees last week, and they've followed up finely with their choice of winners. Mad Max: Fury Road sweeps, taking 10 of its 11 nominations; acting winners included Nina Hoss for Phoenix and Mya Taylor for Tangerine; Carol's Phyllis Nagy won the Adapted Screenplay award; The Look of Silence was named Best Documentary of 2015. This will easily rank among the very best set of awards this season. See for yourself:

Best Picture of the Year

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Director

George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Actor

Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

Best Actress

Nina Hoss (Phoenix)

Best Supporting Actor

Benicio del Toro (Sicario)

Best Supporting Actress

Mya Taylor (Tangerine)

Best Original Screenplay

Alex Garland (Ex Machina)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Phyllis Nagy (Carol)

Best Cinematography

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Film Editing

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Production Design

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Costume Design

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Sound Design

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Visual Effects

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Makeup & Hairstyling

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Original Score

Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Original Song

Sam Drew, Ludwig Goransson and Tessa Thompson - 'Grip' (Creed)

Best Ensemble Cast

Spotlight

Best Animated Feature

Inside Out (Pete Docter)

Best Documentary Feature

The Look of Silence (Joshua Oppenheimer)

Best Foreign Language Film

Son of Saul (Nemes Laszlo)

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD WINS AT FLORIDA FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS

The Florida Film Critics Circle's batch of fine nominations turned into a batch of fine winners yesterday. The group's final voting saw nomination runner-up Mad Max: Fury Road edge ahead of leader Carol and Oscar frontrunner Spotlight to win the circle's Best Picture award alongside three other category victories. Among their other choices for both winners and runners-up were some excellent choices, including The Assassin, Tangerine and Charlotte Rampling for 45 Years. Check out their picks below:

Best Picture

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

2. Spotlight

Best Director

1. George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

2. Todd Haynes (Carol)

Best Actor

1. Paul Dano (Love & Mercy)

2. Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)

Best Actress

1. Brie Larson (Room)

2. Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)

Best Supporting Actor

1. Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina)

2. Michael Shannon (99 Homes)

Best Supporting Actress

1. Kristen Stewart (Clouds of Sils Maria)

2. Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)

Best Original Screenplay

1. Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Spotlight)

2. Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig (Mistress America)

Best Adapted Screenplay

1. Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (The Big Short)

2. Phyllis Nagy (Carol)

Best Cinematography

1. John Seale (Mad Max: Fury Road)

2. Edward Lachman (Carol)

Best Art Direction / Production Design

1. Carol

2. Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Visual Effects

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

2. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Score

1. Love & Mercy

2. Carol

Best Ensemble

1. Spotlight

2. Tangerine

Best Animated Film

1. Inside Out

2. Anomalisa

Best Documentary

1. Amy

2. Heart of a Dog

Best Foreign Language Film

1. The Assassin

2. Mommy

Pauline Kael Breakout Award

1. Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens)

2. Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl / Ex Machina)

BROOKLYN AND LOVE & MERCY GET BOOSTS FROM SAN FRANCISCO CRITICS NOMINATIONS

After the disaster that was the San Diego critics nominations announcement, their Californian cousins at the San Francisco Film Critics Circle remedied the situation somewhat with their selection today. Brooklyn and Love & Mercy both made strong showings, Carol featured twice in the Best Actress category leaving room for two Alicia Vikander mentions in Supporting Actress, and there was a welcome sign of support for Tangerine. Winners are due to be voted upon tomorrow, the 13th of December. Have a look at the nominations below:

Best Picture
Brooklyn
Carol
Love & Mercy
Mad Max: Fury Road
Spotlight

Best Director
John Crowley (Brooklyn)
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant)
Todd Haynes (Carol)
Tom McCarthy (Spotlight)
George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Actor
Bryan Cranston (Trumbo)
Paul Dano (Love & Mercy)
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
Ian McKellen (Mr. Holmes)

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett (Carol)
Brie Larson (Room)
Rooney Mara (Carol)
Charlotte Rampling (45 Years)
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)

Best Supporting Actor
Paul Dano (Love & Mercy)
Benicio del Toro (Sicario)
Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
Michael Shannon (99 Homes)
Sylvester Stallone (Creed)

Best Supporting Actress
Elizabeth Banks (Love & Mercy)
Helen Mirren (Trumbo)
Mya Taylor (Tangerine)
Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)

Best Screenplay, Original
Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch (Tangerine)
Alex Garland (Ex Machina)
Michael Alan Lerner and Oren Moverman (Love & Mercy)
Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (Spotlight)
Taylor Sheridan (Sicario)

Best Screenplay, Adapted
Emma Donoghue (Room)
Drew Goddard (The Martian)
Andrew Haigh (45 Years)
Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl)
Nick Hornby (Brooklyn)
Phyllis Nagy (Carol)

Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins (Sicario)
Edward Lachman (Carol)
Lee Ping Bin (The Assassin)
Emmanuel Lubezki (The Revenant)
John Seale (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Film Editing
Hank Corwin (The Big Short)
Dino Jonsater (Love & Mercy)
Stephen Mirrione (The Revenant)
Margaret Sixel (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Joe Walker (Sicario)

Best Production Design
Judy Becker and Heather Loeffler (Carol)
Suzanne Cloutier and Francois Seguin (Brooklyn)
Rena DeAngelo, Bernard Henrich and Adam Stockhausen (Bridge of Spies)
Jack Fisk and Hamish Purdy (The Revenant)
Colin Gibson, Katie Sherrock and Lisa Thompson (Mad Max: Fury Road)

Best Animated Feature
Anomalisa
The Boy and the World
Inside Out
The Peanuts Movie
Shaun the Sheep Movie

Best Documentary
Amy
Best of Enemies
Listen to Me Marlon
The Look of Silence
Meru

Best Foreign Language Picture
The Assassin
Goodnight Mommy
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence
Son of Saul
Timbuktu