For the fifth year, the 28 voting members of Atlanta\u2019s only dedicated city-specific critics group, the Atlanta Film Critics Circle, have awarded their top films of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the lingering challenges of Covid-19 for critics, filmmakers and audiences, AFCC Advisory Board member and ScreenRex<\/em> critic Kyle Pinion sees the 2021 year in film as evidence of the industry\u2019s creative recovery. \u201cAs it turns out, 2021 gave way to one of the best years of film I can remember, with best of career work from numerous filmmakers. The movies are most definitely back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2021 AFCC award winners were notable in other ways. \u201cThis year marked the first time we\u2019ve tied in two categories, with ties in the Best Ensemble and Actress categories,\u201d AFCC Advisory Board member Jason Evans notes. \u201cIt speaks to the quality of the films during this crazy pandemic year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n AFCC\u2019s annual award winners prove that 2021 was an exceptional year for not only established auteurs like Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, Jane Campion and Steven Spielberg, but also for an array of notable first timers from Rebecca Hall\u2019s Passing<\/em> to Lin-Manuel Miranda\u2019s Tick, Tick\u2026Boom!<\/em> and Fran Kranz\u2019s Mass<\/em> and Mike Rianda\u2019s The Mitchells vs. the Machines<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is undeniable that a pleasant offshoot of much of the cultural upheaval of the last half-decade is that there are more new, and diverse, voices being heard than ever before. It is thrilling to see this influx of energy and vigor\u2014and unprecedented creativity\u2014much of which seems a direct reaction to this tumultuous time,\u201d says critic and AFCC Advisory Board member Will Leitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was also an exceptionally rich year for films featuring complex, nuanced female characters from Diana Spencer in Pablo Larrain\u2019s Spencer<\/em> to an often sympathetic serial killer in the French film Titane<\/em> and the endearing modern Norwegian woman trying to find her place in the world in Joachim Trier\u2019s The Worst Person in the World<\/em>, starring the appealing Renate Reinsve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though it won\u2019t get a wide release in theaters until February, Leitch hopes audiences will take the time to seek this \u201cterrific\u201d film out. \u201cIt\u2019s a novelistic look at one woman\u2019s romantic life over a four-year span that tells us a story we\u2019ve seen in a way we\u2019ve never seen before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s also a huge crowd-pleaser,\u201d says Leitch. \u201cWhen audiences get to finally see it, they\u2019re going to love it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mood of many of this year\u2019s movies was slow-burn, centered on meditative, thoughtful screenplays and characters typified by films like The Power of the Dog<\/em>, Drive My Car<\/em>, Flee<\/em> and Mass<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOn one hand, the number of somber, methodically paced dramas and thrillers in our categories speaks to an ongoing sense of unease as we continue to combat a global pandemic and endless sociopolitical division,\u201d says Times-Georgian<\/em> and Douglas County Sentinel<\/em> critic and AFCC Advisory Board member Josh Sewell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHowever, I also think it illustrates that viewers all over the globe share plenty of common hopes, fears and concerns \u2014 which means we’re not as different as some want us to believe. It also shows audiences are hungry for all kinds of films, not just big-budget popcorn fare.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n But the big winner of the AFCC\u2019s top award for Best Picture, Licorice Pizza<\/em>, took a very different approach. A coming-of-age drama set in the San Fernando Valley of the Seventies from Paul Thomas Anderson, the film features newcomers Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffmann (son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) in a spirited, joyous, funny love story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith the world experiencing sadness, rising tensions, division and even some hopelessness in the last two years,\u201d says AFCC critic Astrid Martinez, \u201cLicorice Pizza<\/em> and its simple sweetness were much needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter the effects of the pandemic, this movie does what it\u2019s supposed to do: makes us feel connected and helps us escape back to basics, to a place where teens can be teens and where seeing people smile brings you back to some form of normalcy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Winner of four awards for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Cinematography, New Zealand director Jane Campion\u2019s return to filmmaking after a 12-year absence, The Power of the Dog<\/em> was an AFCC favorite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is gratifying to finally enjoy a time when we are seeing more female filmmakers as awards frontrunners and overseeing major Hollywood franchises,\u201d says Martinez. \u201cIn recent years, we\u2019ve seen signals that Hollywood is changing. Women are making their mark at major award shows, they are getting more opportunities in the entertainment industry, and more importantly, they are opening the door for a new generation of female filmmakers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on a 1967 novel by Thomas Savage, Campion\u2019s film centers on the brutal, misogynist Montana rancher Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) who psychologically terrorizes his brother, George Burbank\u2019s (Jesse Plemons) new wife, Rose (Kirsten Dunst), and her fragile son (Kodi Smit-McPhee). Thirty-seven-year-old Australian cinematographer Ari Wegner (who also lensed this year\u2019s Zola<\/em>) won AFCC\u2019s Best Cinematography award for her transformation of the New Zealand landscape into a believably stark, lonely 1920s Montana that references the classic Westerns of John Ford and Raoul Walsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In The Power of the Dog<\/em>, AFCC\u2019s Best Actor winner Benedict Cumberbatch takes on the mysterious origins of toxic masculinity and violence in a stunning performance that represents a distinct break from the more sympathetic men he has played in the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s Best Actress award was a tie between newcomer and musician Alana Haim in Licorice Pizza<\/em> and a deeply sympathetic evocation by Kristen Stewart of the tortured, sensitive Diana Spencer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The AFCC also presented it annual awards for Best Breakthrough Performer to Agathe Rousselle, in director Julia Ducournau\u2019s vanguard French body horror fantasia Titane<\/em>. In her first film role, 33-year-old Rousselle brings a by-turns wounded-and-psychopathic energy to a film about desire and a quest for connection as a serial killer with a sexual attraction to cars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Celebrated Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda may finally be on his way to EGOT status with his directorial debut Tick, Tick\u2026Boom!<\/em> which won AFCC\u2019s Special Award for Best First Feature Film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The AFCC\u2019s Best International Film Award went to Drive My Car<\/em>, a moving ensemble film from a short story by acclaimed novelist Haruki Murakami and co-written and directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hamaguchi\u2019s film rose to the top among a number of strong International Film contenders from Iran, France, Kosovo, Spain and Colombia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drive My Car<\/em> centers on a multinational cast rehearsing for an avant-garde production of Chekhov\u2019s Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima. In the layered film, storytelling becomes an emotional connection between characters whether acted out on the stage or in the modern confessional of the automobile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA staggering achievement from one of the world’s finest filmmakers,\u201d Pinion calls Drive My Car<\/em> a standout in a year of exceptionally strong international films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRyusuke Hamaguchi transformed Murakami\u2019s story,\u201d says Pinion, \u201cinto an excavation of fidelity, loss and how the communication of art can easily transcend language barriers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Complete AFCC Award List<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TOP 10 FILMS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Licorice Pizza <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Power of the Dog <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Green Knight <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Belfast <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tick, Tick \u2026 Boom! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Drive My Car <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Titane <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n West Side Story<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Flee<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dune<\/em> (tie)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Worst Person in the World<\/em> (tie)<\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST LEAD ACTOR:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST LEAD ACTRESS (TIE):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kristen Stewart, Spencer<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bradley Cooper, Licorice Pizza<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST ENSEMBLE CAST (TIE):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Licorice Pizza <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Mass<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST DIRECTOR:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST SCREENPLAY:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST DOCUMENTARY:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Flee<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Drive My Car<\/em> (Japan) <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST ANIMATED FILM:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Mitchells vs. the Machines<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ari Wegner, The Power of the Dog<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n BEST SCORE:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hans Zimmer, Dune<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n AFCC Special Award for BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Agathe Rousselle, Titane<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n AFCC Special Award for BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Lin-Manuel Miranda\u00a0, Tick, Tick\u2026Boom!<\/p>\n\n\n\n About the AFCC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Co-founded by longtime Atlanta film critics Felicia Feaster and Michael Clark in 2017, the Atlanta Film Critics Circle is an attempt to fill a void in the local film community and in the representation of Atlanta\u2019s media on the national stage. The AFCC is supported by its Advisory Board and longtime critics Jason Evans, Will Leitch, Hannah Lodge, Michael McKinney, Kyle Pinion and Josh Sewell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Composed of a dynamic mix of 28 Atlanta-based critics working in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, the AFCC\u2019s mission is to establish a national presence for a film critics group in Atlanta and to foster a vibrant film culture in Atlanta, already home to an exploding film industry production presence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Founding members (critics living in and\/or currently writing for global, national, regional and\/or Atlanta metro area outlets) of AFCC voted on December 5 for the group\u2019s annual awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Licorice Pizza, The Power of the Dog and newcomer Agathe Rousselle are notable 2021 winners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2018,1068,2017,244],"class_list":["post-8648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","tag-2018","tag-afcc","tag-best-of","tag-paul-thomas-anderson","no-thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8648"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8650,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8648\/revisions\/8650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyfilmfix.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}