SANTA MONICA, United States, Jan 14, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Hollywood’s award
season was in full swing late Sunday, with Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” – an ode
to the director’s childhood in 1970s Mexico City – the big winner at the
Critics’ Choice Awards.
“Roma” won trophies for best picture, best foreign-language film, and for
both director and cinematography for Cuaron.
“This bunch of Mexicans are not as bad as sometimes they are portrayed,”
said Cuaron said, a reference to President Donald Trump’s hardline rhetoric
on immigration.
Shot in black and white, and filmed in Spanish and the indigenous Mixtec
language, “Roma” is a semi-autobiographical chronicle of a year in the life
of Cuaron’s family and his childhood nanny.
“Roma” – the title a reference to a posh Mexico City neighborhood —
earlier won two Golden Globes and is a leading contender for an Oscar at the
Academy Awards ceremony in February.
Christian Bale, who portrayed former US vice president Dick Cheney in
“Vice,” won awards in the Best Actor and Best Actor in a Comedy categories,
while Glenn Close (“The Wife”) and Lady Gaga (“A Star is Born”) jointly won
in the Best Actress category.
Mahershala Ali (“Green Book”) walked away with a Best Supporting Actor win,
while Regina King (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) won for Best Supporting
Actress.
Offbeat 18th century royal romp “The Favourite” won the award for Best
Acting Ensemble, while its star Olivia Colman won the Best Actress in a
Comedy award.
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” won the Best Animated Feature award,
beating out stiff competition from Pixar-Disney’s “The Incredibles 2,”
Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” and director Wes Anderson’s quirky
“Isle of Dogs.”
Tom Cruise vehicle “Mission: Impossible — Fallout” won the Best Action
Movie award, beating Marvel-Disney box office blockbusters “Black Panther”
and “Avengers: Infinity Wars.”
The multi-nominated “Black Panther” however won awards for Best Visual
Effects, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.
“Crazy Rich Asians” won in the Best Comedy category, beating out “The
Favourite” and “The Death of Stalin,” among others.
Seen as a barometer for the Oscars, the Critics’ Choice Awards also
includes awards for the best of television.
“The Americans” took the award for Best Drama Series, while “The Marvelous
Mrs. Maisel” took the Best Comedy Series award, with its star Rachel
Brosnahan winning in the Best Actress in a Comedy Series category.