Beantown Scribes Choose Anora Best Pic

Mark Eydelshteyn and Mikey Madson in
Anora, Boston critics' choice for Best Picture

The 2024 film award sweepstakes just blew wide open. The Boston Society of Film Critics parted ways from their New York counterparts and the National Board of Review by voting Anora, the comedy about a sex worker hitching up with the son of a Russian oligarch, Best Picture Actress, and Best Director and Original Screenplay (both Sean Baker). The New York Film Critics Circle chose The Brutalist best and the NBR went with Wicked. Both groups voted the directors of best their top choice as best of the year. This widens the field for Hollywood's Biggest Prize, the Oscars. (Note: The Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association will also announce their winners today. More in separate blog posts.)

The Boston scribes' acting choices also did not match up with those of the NYFCC or the NBR. The Beantown acting champs are: Actor: Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown; Actress: Mikey Madison, Anora; Supp. Actor: Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown; Supp. Actress; Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson. (We did catch The Piano Lesson on Netflix. Deadwyler was fabulous and I hope she get more recognition since she was robbed of an Oscar nom for Till.)

A complete list of winners follows:

2024 Boston Society of Film Critics Winners:

Best Film – “Anora”

Best Actor – Timothée Chalamet, “A Complete Unknown”

Best Actress – Mikey Madison, “Anora”

Best Supporting Actor – Edward Norton, “A Complete Unknown” 

Best Supporting Actress – Danielle Deadwyler, “The Piano Lesson”

Best Director – Sean Baker, “Anora”

Best Original Screenplay – Sean Baker, “Anora”

Best Adapted Screenplay – RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes, “Nickel Boys” 

Best Cinematography – Lol Crawley “The Brutalist” 

Best Documentary (awarded in memory of Lucia Small) – “No Other Land”

Best Animated Film – “Flow”

Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer) – Marco Costa, “Challengers”

Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy) – Annie Baker, “Janet Planet”

Best Ensemble Cast – “Sing Sing”

Best Original Score – Daniel Blumberg, “The Brutalist” 

Best Non-English Language Film – “Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World”