‘Tis the season for Carol, apparently. Todd Haynes’ acclaimed adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt is asserting its dominance over the awards season by racking up four new major awards, this time from The New York Film Critics Circle.
Carol, which also earned more Independent Spirit Awards nominations than any other film, won Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay from esteemed group, but surprisingly all of the film’s stars went home empty-handed. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara play lesbian lovers in the drama, set in the 1950s (when such relationships were still incredibly taboo), and their performances are among the most celebrated of the year. Debate has emerged over whether Mara’s performance qualifies in the Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress categories, but either way they are both expected to be major contenders as the season continues.
Related: Interview | Todd Haynes on ‘Carol’ and the Dingy 1950s
Instead, The New York Film Critics Circle opened the playing field to include Saoirse Ronan’s sentimental turn in the immigrant drama Brooklyn, and Kristen Stewart’s performance in the acclaimed but little-seen independent drama The Clouds of Sils Maria. Ronan earned Best Actress and Stewart earned Best Supporting Actress, but the acting awards featured still more surprises.
Michael Keaton earned the Best Actor award for his role in Spotlight, a part which – like all of the performances in Spotlight, another major awards contender – is being pushed in the Supporting Actor category everywhere else. Meanwhile, Mark Rylance’s scene-stealing performance in the Steven Spielberg drama Bridge of Spies, as a surprisingly laid back captured Russian agent, earned him Best Supporting Actor. He’s considered a lock for an eventual Academy Award nomination, but the buzz has increasingly turned away from him and instead towards either Mark Ruffalo (also in Spotlight) or Sylvester Stallone for his latest comeback performance in Creed.
Check out all of the winners of The New York Film Critics Circle awards below, and keep coming back for more awards seasons winners and commentary, right here at Crave!
Best Film: Carol
Best Director: Todd Haynes, Carol
Best Screenplay: Phyllis Nagy, Carol
Best Actress: Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Best Actor: Michael Keaton, Spotlight
Best Supporting Actress: Kristen Stewart, Clouds of Sils Maria
Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Best Cinematography: Ed Lachman, Carol
Best Non-fiction Film: In Jackson Heights
Best Foreign Language Film: Timbuktu
Best Animated Feature: Inside Out
Best First Film: László Nemes, Son of Saul
Special Awards: “Honoring the legacy of William Becker and Janus Films” and composer Ennio Morricone
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.
