At the London Critics’ Circle awards, unconventional approaches took center stage as Jonathan Glazer’s groundbreaking Holocaust movie, The Zone of Interest, and Andrew Haigh’s heart-wrenching supernatural love story, All of Us Strangers, received equal recognition as top winners.
The film “The Zone of Interest” depicts the domestic life of Hedwig and Rudolph Höss, who lived next door to Auschwitz where Rudolph was the camp commandant. This film won awards for best picture and best director.
Glazer expressed gratitude to reviewers, viewers, and coworkers, stating that his wife deserves the most recognition as she is ultimately the most important aspect.
According to James Wilson, the producer of the film, the central issue it addresses is “selective empathy” – the question of whether we prioritize the well-being and protection of certain innocent individuals over others. In today’s world, it is clear that this is not the case.
Wilson reiterated that it should be understood that individuals in “Ukraine and southern Israel” are just as deserving of empathy as those in Gaza, Yemen, or any other location.
The movie was also recognized for its technical achievements in music and sound. The prize was given to Mica Levi and Johnnie Burn for their exceptional soundtrack, which aims to capture the disturbing realities within the walls of the camp.
Levi addressed the audience and drew connections between the film and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. They expressed how working on the project has been significant for them and their friends, and emphasized the importance of acknowledging the current state of affairs. They expressed a desire for a ceasefire and positive change.
The movie All of Us Strangers features Andrew Scott as a screenwriter who starts a new romance while also reconnecting with his deceased parents. The film received the Attenborough award for the best British/Irish film of the year and Scott won best actor.
Scott addressed the audience, expressing his gratitude, “This is truly amazing… it has propelled our film in an exceptional manner and has had a significant impact.”
He acknowledged the movie’s success in the Irish box office, as well as its achievement of reaching No 1 in the UK. “Considering it’s a gay love story, it’s quite impressive,” he remarked. “Let’s not underestimate the profitability of these types of films.”
He proceeded to express gratitude to his fellow actors Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, referring to them as “my attractive mother and father,” and also acknowledging the “also attractive” Paul Mescal. He then thanked Haigh for giving him the opportunity to be a part of a film that has evoked such strong emotional responses. He also noted that he had never before received such genuine and unfiltered reactions from audiences in his life.
Scott ended by emotionally honoring his mother and father, stating, “I have thought about them every single day.”
Upon receiving the film of the year award, Haigh expressed gratitude towards critics for their generosity and for connecting with the film on a personal level.
In 2023, Mescal received the British/Irish Performer award for his impressive portfolio of work. He has recently been featured in the films God’s Creatures, Foe, and Carmen. Mescal expressed gratitude towards the voters for supporting films like Strangers that deserve to be recognized. He specifically praised Scott and Haigh for their contribution to the film and stated that working on it was a privilege.
Although The Zone of Interest has been nominated for five Oscars next month, All of Us Strangers did not receive a single nomination. Despite both films being nominated for Baftas, All of Us Strangers only received six nominations, none of which included a nomination for Scott. This decision has sparked significant criticism.
In the latest Oscars competition, Emma Stone was named best actress for her role in Poor Things, solidifying her slight advantage over Lily Gladstone from Killers of the Flower Moon. Da’Vine Joy Randolph received the award for best supporting actress for her performance in The Holdovers, maintaining her winning streak from all previous awards shows this season.
Surprisingly, Charles Melton won the supporting actor award for his role in May December.
Glazer and Haigh’s movies received numerous accolades, but Oppenheimer, who was expected to dominate at the Oscars, left empty-handed. The same fate was shared by Barbie and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari were awarded for their screenplay, Anatomy of a Fall, while Mstyslav Chernov received recognition for his documentary, 20 Days in Mariupol. In his acceptance speech, Chernov expressed his belief in the transformative power of cinema and its ability to shape our understanding of history and potentially influence our decisions for the better.
The foreign-language film of the year was awarded to Celine Song’s Past Lives, beating out The Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall. Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron received the prize for best animated film.
Jeffrey Wright, who received an Oscar nomination, was given the Dilys Powell Award for Film Excellence by Cord Jefferson, the director of American Fiction. In addition, Colman Domingo, who competed against Wright, was awarded the first ever Derek Malcolm Award for Innovation, which is named in honor of the late Guardian film critic.
Mia McKenna-Bruce received the international breakthrough performance award and writer/director Molly Manning Walker was honored with the Philip French Award for British/Irish breakthrough film-maker for the film How to Have Sex, which won two awards.
Additional recipients included Lola Campbell, who received recognition as a young performer for her role in Scrapper, and Natalie Cubides-Brady, the director of the short film The Veiled City.
The London Critics’ Circle is the oldest critics’ organization in the UK, consisting of 210 members. It is one of the few remaining award shows before the Baftas in two weeks. The Oscars will take place on March 10, three weeks after.
Source: theguardian.com
