St Louis Film Critics Assn Announces Nominations for 2023 Awards

St Louis Film Critics Assn Announces Nominations for 2023 Awards

“Oppenheimer” leads with nominations 14, followed by “Killers of the Flower Moon” with 12, “Barbie” 11 and “The Holdovers” with 9

The year’s top film phenomenon “Barbenheimer” dominated the nominations announced Dec. 10 by the St. Louis Film Critics Association, with Christopher Nolan’s scientific biopic leading the way, earning 14 nods for best film, director, actor Cillian Murphy, supporting actor Robert Downey Jr., supporting actress Emily Blunt, ensemble, adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, music score, visual effects, and best scene.

Awards will be announced Dec. 17.

In addition to determining nominations in 24 categories, the regional critics’ group recognized two groups for special merits involving the industry’s labor strikes this year.

Special Merit: The Screen Actors Guild and Writer’s Guild of America for fighting for artists’ equity and protecting the future of filmmaking by striking against practices that minimize or eliminate protection and living wages for artists.

Special Merit: A24 for showing solidarity with the actors and writers by securing approval from SAG-AFTRA and WGA to continue filmmaking and publicity.

The epic western crime drama “Killers of the Flower Moon” received 12 nominations, including best film, director Martin Scorsese, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, actress Lily Gladstone, ensemble, adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing, production design, costume design, music score and scene.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster comedy “Barbie” about the Mattel doll’s existential crisis in BarbieLand, KenEnergy and toxic masculinity in the real world, earned 11 nods for film, director, actress Margot Robbie, supporting actor Ryan Gosling, ensemble, original screenplay, production design, costume design, music soundtrack, comedy and best scene.

Alexander Payne’s comedy-drama “The Holdovers” about a cranky teacher supervising students left on a prep school campus and the bonds formed during Christmas break in 1970 earned recognition for its three principal characters among its nine nominations for film, actor Paul Giamatti, supporting actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, supporting actor Dominic Sessa, ensemble, original screenplay, editing, music soundtrack, and comedy.

“Maestro,” “May December” and “The Zone of Interest” each earned six nominations.

Todd Hayne’s discomforting drama “May December” tally included nods for its three principal actors Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, director, music score, and film.

Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore in “May December”

Jonathan Glazer’s chilling wartime drama set next to Auschwitz “The Zone of Interest,” a film produced in the United Kingdom, earned its accolades for film, international feature, adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing and music score.

Bradley Cooper’s biopic on Leonard Bernstein, “Maestro,” received nods for film, actor Bradley Cooper, cinematography, editing, music soundtrack, and scene.

“American Fiction” earned five nominations for film, actor Jeffrey Wright, adapted screenplay, comedy and supporting actor Sterling K. Brown, who happens to be a St. Louis native.

“Past Lives” and “The Killer” had four nominees each, with Celine Song’s semi-autobiographical American-made film nominated for film, director, original screenplay, and actress Greta Lee.

David Fincher’s “The Killer” was heralded for its technical skills, with nominations for editing, stunts, soundtrack, and best action movie.

John Wick Chapter 4

Other films with three nominations apiece: “Air,” “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” “Asteroid City,” “John Wick: Chapter 4,” “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” “Poor Things,” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”

Founded in 2004, the St. Louis Film Critics Association is a nonprofit organization of professional film reviewers who regularly publish current and timely film criticism, support local productions and festivals, and enhance public education, awareness, and appreciation of films.

Vetted members are affiliated with qualifying media outlets in the St. Louis metropolitan region.

For the awards, eligible films are those that opened in the greater St. Louis area or had an online premiere during the 2023 calendar year – including those film that were given awards-qualifying runs in 2022 but were not available to all SLFCA members until 2023. Films slated for release in early 2024 are also eligible if a press screening, DVD screener, or screening link was provided to all SLFCA members.

For more information, visit the site: www.stlfilmcritics.com

Full List of Nominations:

The Zone of Interest

BEST FILM

American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
May December
Oppenheimer
Past Lives
The Zone of Interest

BEST DIRECTOR

Greta Gerwig “Barbie”
Todd Haynes “May December”
Christopher Nolan “Oppenheimer”
Martin Scorsese “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Celine Song “Past Lives”

Jeffrey Wright in “American Fiction”

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper “Maestro”
Leonardo DiCaprio “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Paul Giamatti “The Holdovers”
Cillian Murphy “Oppenheimer”
Jeffrey Wright “American Fiction”

Teo Yoo, Greta Lee, John Magaro in “Past Lives”

BEST ACTRESS

Lily Gladstone “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Greta Lee “Past Lives”
Natalie Portman “May December”
Margot Robbie “Barbie”
Emma Stone “Poor Things”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Sterling K. Brown “American Fiction”
Robert Downey Jr. “Oppenheimer”
Ryan Gosling “Barbie”
Charles Melton “May December”
Dominic Sessa “The Holdovers”

Viola Davis in “Air”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Emily Blunt “Oppenheimer”
Viola Davis “Air”
Rachel McAdams “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret”
Julianne Moore “May December”
Da’Vine Joy Randolph “The Holdovers”

The Holdovers


BEST ENSEMBLE

Asteroid City
Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

American Fiction – Cord Jefferson; based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Kelly Fremon Craig; based on the novel by Judy Blume

Killers of the Flower Moon – Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese; based on the book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan; based on the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin

The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer; based on the novel by Martin Amis



BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Alex Convery “Air”
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari “Anatomy of a Fall”
 Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach “Barbie”
David Hemingson “The Holdovers”
Celine Song “Past Lives”

(L to R) Jake Ryan, Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in director Wes Anderson’s ASTEROID CITY, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Robert D. Yeoman “Asteroid City”
Rodrigo Prieto “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Matthew Libatique “Maestro”
Hoyte van Hoytema “Oppenheimer”
Lukasz Zal “The Zone of Interest”

BEST EDITING

Kevin Tent “The Holdovers”
Kirk Baxter “The Killer”
Thelma Schoonmaker “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Michelle Tesoro “Maestro”
Jennifer Lame “Oppenheimer”
Paul Watts “The Zone of Interest”

BarbieLand

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

Adam Stockhausen “Asteroid City”
Sarah Greenwood (Production Designer), Katie Spencer (Set Decorator)“Barbie”
Jack Fisk “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Ruth De Jong “Oppenheimer”
James Price (Production Designer), Shona Heath (Production Designer), Szusza Mihalek (Set Decorator)“Poor Things”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Jacqueline Durran “Barbie”
Jacqueline West (Costume Design), Julie O’Keefe (Head Osage Wardrobe Consultant) “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Ellen Mirojnick “Oppenheimer”
Holly Waddington “Poor Things”
Stacey Battat “Priscilla”

Priscilla

BEST MUSIC SCORE

Robbie Robertson “Killers of the Flower Moon”
Marcelo Zavros “May December”
Ludwig Göransson “Oppenheimer”
Daniel Pemberton “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”
Mica Levi “The Zone of Interest”

BEST MUSIC SOUNDTRACK

Air
Barbie
The Holdovers
The Killer
Maestro

Maestro


BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

The Creator – Jay Cooper, Ian Comley (ILM Visual Effects Supervisors); Andrew Roberts (On Set Visual Effects Supervisor); Neil Corbould (Supervising Special Effects Supervisor)

Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki (Visual Effects Supervisor)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Stephane Ceretti (Visual Effects Supervisor), Alexis Wajsbrot (Visual Effects Supervisor), Guy Williams (Visual Effects Supervisor), Teho Bialek (Visual Effects Supervisor)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Alex Wuttke (Visual Effects Supervisor), Simone Coco (Visual Effects Supervisor), Jeff Sutherland (Visual Effects Supervisor), Neil Corbould (Special Effects Supervisor)

Oppenheimer – Andrew Jackson (Production Visual Effects Supervisor), Giacomo Mineo (Visual Effects Supervisor), Scott Fisher (Special Effects Supervisor), Dave Drzewiecki (Visual Effects Director of Photography)


BEST STUNTS

Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – Mike Massa (Stunt Coordinator / Double), Abdelaaziz Attougui (Stunt Performer)

The Iron Claw – Chavo Guerrero Jr. (Stunt Performer and Stunt Wrestling Coordinator)

John Wick: Chapter 4 – Scott Rogers (Stunt Coordinator), Stephen Dunlevy (Stunt Coordinator)

The Killer – Dave Macomber (Fight / Stunt Coordinator)

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Wade Eastwood (Stunt Coordinator)



BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

Anatomy of a Fall
Fallen Leaves
Perfect Days
The Teachers’ Lounge
The Zone of Interest

BEST ACTION MOVIE

The Killer

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
John Wick: Chapter 4
The Killer
Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Robot Dreams
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem


BEST COMEDY

American Fiction
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
Barbie
Bottoms
The Holdovers

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Yogi Berra subject of “It Ain’t Over”

American Symphony
Beyond Utopia
It Ain’t Over
Menus Plaisirs – Les Troisgros
Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie
 

BEST HORROR

Evil Dead Rise
Knock at the Cabin
M3GAN
Skinamarink
Talk to Me

Knock at the Cabin

BEST SCENE

Barbie — Gloria’s monologue on the impossible standards set for women

John Wick: Chapter 4 – Staircase fight on the 222 steps leading up to the Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Paris

Killers of the Flower Moon – The radio show finale

Maestro – Leonard Bernstein conducts London Symphony in “Mahler’s Symphony No. 2” in Ely Cathedral

Oppenheimer – Trinity Test

Anatomy of a Fall

Visually Rich Pixar Story ‘Elemental’ Is Far From Lukewarm

Visually Rich Pixar Story ‘Elemental’ Is Far From Lukewarm

By Alex McPherson

Strikingly well-animated and loaded with ever-topical themes, director Peter Sohn’s “Elemental,” Pixar’s latest, lacks storytelling flair but remains a worthwhile experience for all ages.

Sohn’s film unfolds in Element City — a metaphorical New York City composed of humanoid incarnations of the fire, water, air, and earth elements — and follows Ember (Leah Lewis), a spunky, hot-headed fire woman being trained to take over her family’s bodega, the Fireplace. Her parents, the aging Bernie (an excellent Ronnie Del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi), a fortune teller with the ability to “smell love,” emigrated from Fire Land fleeing a natural disaster and were two of the first fire people to ever wind up in Element City: a land full of opportunity and also discrimination. Water (the most privileged), air, and earth people treat fire people as outsiders, creating a cycle of prejudice and segregation at both social and infrastructural levels.

Ember is expected to run the Fireplace once the ailing Bernie retires, even though she doesn’t truly want to. She puts on a brave face through her barely suppressed anger; feeling an obligation to live up to the sacrifices her parents made to create a new life in Element City and remaining held back from pursuing her own ambitions.

She’s also been told from a young age that “elements don’t mix,” arising both from handed-down prejudice and the admittedly reasonable fact that water could extinguish her. After one particularly harrowing day running the Fireplace by herself, Ember loses her temper and causes some pipes to burst, spitting out goofy city inspector Wade (Mamadou Athie) into her life. 

Wade, a bubbly (literally and personality-wise) water man, pictured like a translucent water balloon with a dad bod, along with a propensity to cry and be vulnerable, has to write-up the joint’s building code violations, risking the permanent closure of the Fireplace. Ember panics, but Wade — being the ever-kind, compassionate soul he is — wants to help her out.

He secures a deal from his cloud boss Gale (Wendi McLendon-Covey), a feisty soul with a cotton candy texture and an obsession with “Air Ball” (a mixture of basketball and Quidditch?) to spare the Fireplace if he and Ember find the source of recurrent floods plaguing Fire Town. Along the way, Ember and Wade fall in love, but can their bond survive the weight of societal norms and cultural expectations, plus a constant barrage of eye-rolling puns?

Although most viewers will know exactly how this story concludes from the get-go, “Elemental” remains a gorgeously rendered, fittingly emotional story about tolerance, independence, love, and the immigrant experience. Ember and Wade’s adventure has enough heart to make up for an occasionally clunky narrative that sacrifices nuance for accessibility.

From a visual standpoint alone, “Elemental” is magnificent. Character designs are distinctive, adaptive, and clever, especially in their malleability and expressiveness. This is sometimes used for comedic effect (like an earth-being couple pruning each other’s fruit), but more often than not to emphasize characters’ personalities, like Ember’s explosive outbursts and Wade’s seemingly never-ending supply of tears.

The densely packed, Chinatown-esque corners of Fire Town contrast with the sharp, open-air skyscrapers of the city center, reflecting an economic and class disparity that informs the enmity between the various groups — presented with an obvious yet eye-popping touch. Thomas Newman’s dynamic score masterfully accompanies the imagery, taking cues from a number of global music traditions to complement this tale of cross-cultural romance and acceptance. 

Lewis gives a deeply-felt performance as Ember — a flawed heroine facing a real dilemma about the life she should lead while living up to her parents’ expectations — giving her more subtlety through her delivery than the oftentimes blunt screenplay affords.

Athie is even better; Wade is an instantly lovable goofball who displays an open-heartedness that’s infectious and sometimes hilarious without becoming irritating. Wade’s not especially complex compared to Ember, and comes from a much more privileged background, but he remains committed to her and their burgeoning relationship even when Ember claims it’s impossible.

It’s a commendable move that Sohn and company don’t give “Elemental” a traditional villain character; rather, the film’s primary antagonist is the idea of intolerance itself. Wade ultimately proves a vessel for Ember to unlock a part of herself she’s previously repressed, and a way to bridge cultural and societal boundaries, no matter how small-scale and unlikely it might be.

Indeed, these themes are familiar but profound, ever-relevant in our increasingly divided times. While the screenplay — by Sohn, John Hoberg, Kat Likkel, and Brenda Hsueh — can occasionally veer too far into heavy-handedness and exposition dumping (especially regarding Bernie and Cinder’s backstory and entrenched beliefs), there’s enough earnest truth here that “Elemental” still packs a punch.

Scattered within the obvious metaphors are poignant observations about assimilation, some of which are highlighted during a welcoming-though-awkward dinner party with Wade’s family that’s both cringey and true, along with moments in the second half that eschew dialogue in favor of pure visual storytelling.

“Elemental” remains a film targeted towards families, and in this sense, much of these narrative quibbles are excusable. Ambitious, relevant ideas are illustrated in a clichéd yet meaningful love story in a richly imaginative environment — a palatable way for younger audiences to consider these themes and apply them in their own lives, no matter how broadly “Elemental” paints them. 

It’s true that Pixar has conveyed equally layered stories in far more graceful fashion before (just look at the first 10 minutes of “Up” for reference) without having to spoon-feed us meaning, but “Elemental” still leaves an impact. It’s a (literally) solid recommendation. Don’t miss the amazing short “Carl’s Date” beforehand either.

“Elemental” is a 2023 animated romantic comedy feature directed by Peter Sohn and voice work by Leah Lewis, Mamadou Athie, Ronnie Del Carmen, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Shila Ommi and Catherine O’Hara. It is rated PG for some peril, thematic elements and brief language and run time is 1 hour, 49 minutes. It opened in theaters June 16. Alex’s grade: B+.