To many experienced awards season experts, including this one, throwing some surprises into the game as it heads for the finish line of the Oscars makes things a lot more interesting.
That’s exactly what happened with Anora, Neon’s indie black comedy that had won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival last May and thus garnered tons of buzz going into the summer and fall screenings. But it seemed to have peaked in favor of other strong contenders.
That is until this weekend, until it hit its own Triple Crown. On Friday, Anora took Best Picture at the Critics Choice Awards, and then on Saturday, director Sean Baker won the coveted DGA Award. The same night, Anora would also take best picture at the Producers Guild Awards. Talk about momentum– and instant Oscar frontrunner status!
For the DGA, the prediction had been that The Brutalist’s Brady Corbet was the odd- on favorite to take the trophy. He’d won the best director prize at the Venice Film Festival along with a number of other accolades from critics groups and taking the Golden Globe Award.
There are still a number of awards to be handed out before the Oscars, awards in which Anora and The Brutalist are competitors, and since they are both among my favorite films of the year, I’m not going to be disappointed at any of the outcomes.
