Cate Blanchett’s Tár wins best film at National Society of Film Critics, scores rare hattrick at major critics awards

Todd Field’s Tár won Best Film at the recently announced National Society of Film Critics, completing a rare hat-trick of wins from Los Angeles Film Critics Association and New York Film Critics Circle this awards season where it also won Best Film. Apart from this, actors Cate Blanchett and Ke Huy Quan took home best lead actress and supporting actor trophies from these three award bodies respectively. (Also read: Hugh Jackman begs Oscars not to nominate Ryan Reynolds: ‘It would be a problem’)

Ahead of the Academy Awards, these critics circle awards play a major role in establishing the frontrunners in some of the major categories. Todd Field’s Tár, continued its strong run at the critics circle awards by collecting Best Film at all the three major critics awards- National Society of Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics Association and New York Film Critics Circle. Additionally, it won Best Screenplay for Todd Field, whereas star Cate Blanchett with the Lead Actress Award and Nina Hoss came as the runner-up in Supporting Actress category.

Some of the previous films in recent years who have achieved this feat of winning Best Film at all the three critics awards are Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car (2021), David Fincher’s The Social Network (2010) and Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker (2009). All these films went on to score big at the Academy Awards, being nominated for both Best Picture and Best Director. The Hurt Locker is the only film to have won both the Oscars.

Cate Blanchett becomes the strongest frontrunner in the Best Actress category after her win in lead actress category in Tár. She previously won two Academy Awards, one for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator in 2004 and Best Leading Actress for Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine in 2013. Meanwhile Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Ke Huy Quan also extended his strong hold over the Best Supporting Actor category with the win at National Society of Film Critics.

Other wins included Colin Farrell and Kerry Condon who won Best Lead Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively for The Banshees of Inisherin. Charlotte Wells won Best Director for her debut feature Aftersun. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed by Laura Poitras won Best Documentary, while Poland’s EO won best non-english film and best cinematography for Michał Dymek.

The Bafta nominations were announced yesterday. The DGA and SAG nominations will be announced this week, whereas the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards will be held in the upcoming week. The nominations for the 2023 Oscar nominations will be unveiled on January 24.