By Ray Bennett
Very pleased to see that Kate Beckinsale (pictured right) has won two nominations in the 37th London Critics’ Circle Awards for her sparkling performance in Whit Stillman’s Jane Austen adaptation “Love and Friendship”, which garnered seven nominations overall including film of the year and British film of the year.
Beckinsale is nominated as actress of the year along with Amy Adams (my pick) for “Arrival” and she is my choice for British/Irish actress of the year.
Surprisingly, Denis Villeneuve’s excellent “Arrival” is not nominated for film of the year and only four of my picks made the list of 10: “La La Land”, “Love and Friendship”, “Manchester by the Sea” and “Toni Erdmann”. Barry Jenkins’s “Moonlight” also picked up seven nominations including film of the year.
Emma Stone also won a nomination as actress of the year but her “La La Land” co-star Ryan Gosling, who I think saves the picture, did not. Two of my picks are nominated: Casey Affleck for “Manchester by the Sea” and Andrew Garfield for “Hacksaw Ridge”.
In other categories, the absence of Pedro Almodovar’s “Julieta” in the foreign-language category is a surprise and disappointment. Pleased to see “The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years” mentioned for best documentary. Also, Michael Shannon as best supporting actor for “Nocturnal Animals” and Mica Levi’s nomination in the odd mix of technical achievement for her score to “Jackie”.
Awards will be presented at a gala ceremony on Sunday January 22 at The May Fair Hotel in London.
The full list of nominees for the 37th London Critics’ Circle Film Awards:
FILM OF THE YEAR
American Honey
Fire at Sea
I, Daniel Blake
La La Land
Love & Friendship
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight
Nocturnal Animals
Son of Saul
Toni Erdmann
FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR
Fire at Sea
Son of Saul
Things to Come
Toni Erdmann
Victoria
DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years
Cameraperson
The Eagle Huntress
Fire at Sea
Life, Animated
BRITISH/IRISH FILM OF THE YEAR
American Honey
High-Rise
I, Daniel Blake
Love & Friendship
Sing Street
ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea
Adam Driver – Paterson
Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge
Jake Gyllenhaal – Nocturnal Animals
Peter Simonischek – Toni Erdmann
ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Amy Adams – Arrival
Kate Beckinsale – Love & Friendship
Sandra Hüller – Toni Erdmann
Isabelle Huppert – Things to Come
Emma Stone – La La Land
SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Mahershala Ali – Moonlight
Tom Bennett – Love & Friendship
Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water
Shia LaBeouf – American Honey
Michael Shannon – Nocturnal Animals
SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR
Viola Davis – Fences
Greta Gerwig – 20th Century Women
Naomie Harris – Moonlight
Riley Keough – American Honey
Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Maren Ade – Toni Erdmann
Damien Chazelle – La La Land
Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea
László Nemes – Son of Saul
SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR
Maren Ade – Toni Erdmann
Damien Chazelle – La La Land
Barry Jenkins – Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea
Whit Stillman – Love & Friendship
BRITISH/IRISH ACTOR
Tom Bennett – Love & Friendship, Life on the Road
Andrew Garfield – Hacksaw Ridge, Silence
Hugh Grant – Florence Foster Jenkins
Dave Johns – I, Daniel Blake
David Oyelowo – A United Kingdom, Queen of Katwe
BRITISH/IRISH ACTRESS
Kate Beckinsale – Love & Friendship
Rebecca Hall – Christine
Naomie Harris – Moonlight, Our Kind of Traitor, Collateral Beauty Ruth Negga – Loving, Iona
Hayley Squires – I, Daniel Blake
YOUNG BRITISH/IRISH PERFORMER
Ruby Barnhill – The BFG
Lewis MacDougall – A Monster Calls
Sennia Nanua – The Girl With All the Gifts
Anya Taylor-Joy – The Witch, Morgan, Split Ferdia Walsh-Peelo – Sing Street
BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH/IRISH FILMMAKER
Babak Anvari – Under the Shadow
Mike Carey – The Girl With All the Gifts
Guy Hibbert – Eye in the Sky, A United Kingdom
Peter Middleton & James Spinney – Notes on Blindness
Rachel Tunnard – Adult Life Skills
BRITISH/IRISH SHORT FILM
Isabella – Duncan Cowles & Ross Hogg
Jacked – Rene Pannevis
Sweet Maddie Stone – Brady Hood
Tamara – Sofia Safonova
Terminal – Natasha Waugh
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
American Honey – Robbie Ryan, cinematography
Arrival – Sylvain Bellemare, sound design
High-Rise – Mark Tildesley, production design
Jackie – Mica Levi, music
Jason Bourne – Gary Powell, stunts
La La Land – Justin Hurwitz, music
Moonlight – Nat Sanders & Joi McMillon, editing
Sing Street – Gary Clark & John Carney, music
Rogue One – Neal Scanlan, visual effects
Victoria – Sturla Brandth Grovlen, cinematography