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The Los Angeles Film Critics Association on Sunday named Alfonso Cuarón’s deeply personal drama “Roma” best film of the year, adding to the acclaimed film’s steadily mounting honors.
Cuarón’s black-and-white film, a Netflix release, has been cleaning up many of the top prizes of the awards season. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and likewise topped the New York Film Critics Circle. “Roma” is widely expected to land Netflix its first best-picture nomination at the Academy Awards.
The Los Angeles critics, which announced their awards on Twitter, also awarded best cinematography to Cuarón. But it notably deviated from the “Roma” drumbeat in the directing category. Instead, Debra Granik (“Winter’s Bone”) was named best director for her off-the-grid father-daughter drama, “Leave No Trace.”
Critics groups can influence the larger race for the Oscars, which has thus far struggled to elevate a likely female filmmaker contender, a sore point for some, considering the wealth of options (including Chloé Zhao for “The Rider” and Marielle Heller for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”) and the historic male dominance of the category.
The LA critics named Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) best actress and Ethan Hawke (“First Reformed”) best actor. Hawke was also the New York critics’ choice.
Best supporting actor went to Steven Yeun for the existential thriller, “Burning.” Declared best supporting actress was Regina King for “If Beale Street Could Talk.”—