Coast to coast, the critics are clamoring over each other like zombies in World War Z to shout the loudest and the earliest in the game of announcing choices for their favorite movies, actors, directors, etc. for the year. So far a lot of love is being thrown in the directions of “12 Years A Slave”, its director Steve McQueen, and lead actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. Cate Blanchett seems to be the one to beat for favorite lead actress, but from there things get interesting. Spike Jonze and his film “Her”, Alfonso Cuaron and “Gravity”, June Squibb, Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong’o, and James Gandolfini all get shout-outs. And, for one of the year’s best, Boston selects “Spring Breakers” (which has only shown up on a list by John Waters thus far). Start placing your bets on the Oscars!
NEW YORK FILM CRITICS ONLINE
Best Picture: “12 Years a Slave”
Director: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Ensemble Cast: “American Hustle”
Breakthrough Performance: Adele Exarchopoulos, “Blue Is the Warmest Color”
Best Screenplay: Spike Jonze, “Her”
Best Debut Director: Ryan Coogler, “Fruitvale Station”
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Gravity”
Best Use of Music: “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Blue Is the Warmest Color”
Best Documentary: “The Act of Killing”
Best Animated Film: “The Wind Rises”
LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
Best Picture: (tie) “Gravity” and “Her”
Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”
Runner up: Spike Jonze, “Her”
Best Actor: Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”
Runner up: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actress: (tie) Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine,” and Adele Exarchopoulos, “Blue Is the Warmest Color”
Best Supporting Actor: (tie) Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club,” and James Franco, “Spring Breakers”
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Runner up: June Squibb, “Nebraska”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Blue is the Warmest Color”
Runner up: “The Great Beauty”
Best Animation: “Ernest & Celestine”
Runner up: “The Wind Rises”
Best Documentary: “Stories We Tell”
Runner up: “The Act of Killing”
Best Screenplay: Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, “Before Midnight”
Runner up: Spike Jonze, “Her”
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Gravity”
Runner up: Bruno Delbonnel, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Best Editing: Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger, “Gravity”
Runner up: Shane Carruth and David Lowery, “Upstream Color”
Best Production Design: K.K. Barrett, “Her”
Runner up: Jess Gonchor, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Best Music Score: T Bone Burnett, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Runner up: Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett, “Her”
Douglas Edwards Independent/Experimental Film/Video: “Cabinets of Wonder: Films and a Performance by Charlotte Pryce”
BOSTON SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS
Best Picture: “12 Years a Slave”
Best Director: Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Best Supporting Actor: James Gandolfini, “Enough Said”
Best Supporting Actress: June Squibb, “Nebraska”
Best Ensemble Cast: “Nebraska”
Best Screenplay: Nicole Holofcener, “Enough Said”
Best Documentary: “The Act of Killing”
Best Animated Film: “The Wind Rises”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Wadjda”
Best New Filmmaker: Ryan Coogler, “Fruitvale Station”
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, “Gravity”
Best Editing: Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill, “Rush”
Best Use of Music in a Film: “Inside Llewyn Davis”
BOSTON ONLINE FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
Best Picture: “12 Years a Slave”
Best Director: Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”
Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”
Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
Best Screenplay: ”Before Midnight”
Best Foreign Language Film: “Blue is the Warmest Color”
Best Documentary: ”The Act of Killing”
Best Animated Film: “The Wind Rises” and “Frozen” (tie)
Best Cinematography: ”Inside Llewyn Davis”
Best Editing: ”12 Years a Slave”
Best Original Score: “12 Years a Slave”
The 10 Best Films of the Year:
“12 Years a Slave”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“Gravity”
“Before Midnight”
“The Spectacular Now”
“Blue Is the Warmest Color”
“Spring Breakers”
“The World’s End”
“Fruitvale Station”