The Power Of The Dog triumphs at award shows

LOS ANGELES • New Zealand film-maker Jane Campion rounded off a perfect weekend in Hollywood's award season by winning the top prizes at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, setting her dark western The Power Of The Dog as the film to beat at the upcoming Oscars.

The film had scooped the top two honours at the British Academy Film Awards (Baftas) earlier that day, winning Best Film and Best Director for the New Zealand film-maker. The Power Of The Dog also won Best Director and Best Feature at the Directors Guild of America awards in Beverly Hills the day before.

Based on the 1967 novel by Thomas Savage, the critically acclaimed movie set on a 1920s Montana ranch marks Campion's first feature film since 2009's Bright Star.

The film's award charge comes just days before Oscars voting begins on Thursday, with the grand Academy Awards ceremony itself to be held in Hollywood on March 27.

During the high-profile Critics Choice Awards gala in Los Angeles, Campion expressed her thanks for the recognition.

"We are so grateful to the Critics Choice Awards for choosing us. I still have some post-traumatic stress disorder from critics going back to early in my career," she said.

"I'm like the grandmother in the women's movement in film now. But I'm still here," added the lone female nominee in the director category.

Addressing Venus and Serena Williams in the star-studded audience, Campion joked: "Serena and Venus, you are such marvels - however, you do not play against the guys as I have to."

The tennis greats cheered as Oscars front-runner Will Smith added to his Bafta Best Actor win earlier in the day for his performance as their father, coach and manager in King Richard.

Jessica Chastain won Best Actress for The Eyes Of Tammy Faye, in which she disappeared beneath layers of the American televangelist's trademark heavy make-up.

The supporting acting winners, Troy Kotsur of Coda and Ariana DeBose of West Side Story, added to growing award hauls as they too pulled ahead as Oscars favourites.

The Critics Choice Awards, chosen by almost 500 members of North America's largest critics organisation, laid out a lavish red carpet and gala in Los Angeles for Hollywood A-listers at a ceremony hosted by actor Taye Diggs and comedienne Nicole Byer.

Comedy legend Billy Crystal, renowned for acting in films such as When Harry Met Sally... (1989), accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award from television host Jimmy Kimmel. Crystal dedicated the win to his family: "To me, it's a creative achievement award. My lifetime award is my family."

On the TV side, Succession won Best Drama, Ted Lasso continued its relentless awards sweep of the comedy prizes and Mare Of Easttown starring Kate Winslet was named Best Limited Series.

Meanwhile, the Baftas - hosted by Australian actress and comedienne Rebel Wilson - returned as the usual glitzy red carpet event at London's Royal Albert Hall, following a virtual event last year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

There were references to the war in Ukraine, with some nominees wearing ribbons and badges in the blue and yellow colours of the country's flag or speaking about the crisis on the red carpet and on stage.

Dune, a mammoth adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel, led the nominations with 11 nods, mainly in the creative and technical categories. It won five awards.

Belfast, Kenneth Brannagh's semi-autobiographical black-and-white comedy drama set at the onset of Northern Ireland's three decades of conflict, won Outstanding British Film.

Steven Spielberg's West Side Story remake won two awards, including Best Supporting Actress for Ariana DeBose.

Fresh from his win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Kotsur, who is deaf, won Best Supporting Actor for Coda, a coming-of-age story about the only hearing member of a deaf family. He was present at the Baftas, having missed the Critics Choice Awards.

"This is a historic moment because it's been an extremely long time for folks to really accept a different perspective of the deaf community and deaf actors," Kotsur said on the red carpet via an interpreter. "Finally they look at me not as a deaf person, but as an artist and an actor who happens to be deaf."

Meanwhile, Joanna Scanlan won the Leading Actress award for portraying a widow who discovers her late husband's devastating secret in After Love.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS