BOYHOOD Wins The International Online Film Critics’ Poll Top Prize

It was my honor to be invited to participate in this year’s International Online Film Critics’ Poll. It’s a relatively new organization, now in its 4th biannual awards season. The winners have just been announced, and it is with pleasure that I note a few of my picks in the mix. As for what it bodes Oscar-wise, this certainly seems to be BOYHOOD’s year, as well as Patricia Arquette’s (BOYHOOD) and J.K. Simmons (WHIPLASH). Because of the award’s biannual nature, it allows for films released last year to be included in the mix, and I am especially pleased to see that HER, my pick for best original screenplay, was also awarded that honor by the IOFCP.

The complete list of nominees is below, with the winners highlighted in in bold typeface.

BEST PICTURE

12 Years a Slave

Birdman

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Wolf of Wall Street

TOP TEN FILMS (alphabetical list)

12 Years a Slave

Blue is the Warmest Colour

Birdman

Boyhood

Her

Ida

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Great Beauty

The Imitation Game

The Wolf of Wall Street

 

BEST DIRECTOR

Alejandro González Iñárritu – Birdman

Richard Linklater – Boyhood

Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Paolo Sorrentino – The Great Beauty

Roman Polanski – Venus in Fur

BEST ACTOR

Michael Keaton – Birdman

Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel

Mads Mikkelsen – The Hunt

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine

Adele Exarchopoulos – Blue is the Warmest Colour

Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl

Julianne Moore – Still Alice

Marion Cotillard – The Immigrant

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Edward Norton – Birdman

Ethan Hawke – Boyhood

Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club

Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher

J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave

Emma Stone – Birdman

Sally Hawkins – Blue Jasmine

Patricia Arquette – Boyhood

June Squibb – Nebraska

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

12 Years a Slave

Birdman

Boyhood

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

BEST ORIGINAL SCEENPLAY

Birdman

Boyhood

Calvary

Her

The Grand Budapest Hotel

BEST ADAPTED SCEENPLAY

12 Years a Slave

Gone Girl

Snowpiercer

The Imitation Game

The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Birdman

Gravity

Ida

Nebraska

The Great Beauty

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Gravity

Her

Mr. Turner

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

BEST EDITING

Birdman

Boyhood

Gravity

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Wolf of Wall Street

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Gravity

Her

Interstellar

The Grand Budapest Hotel

The Imitation Game

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Interstellar

Gravity

Guardians of the Galaxy

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies