Classical music drama Tár and Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin has won the main prizes at the the London Critics’ Circle film awards. The former, starring Cate Blanchett as conductor Lydia Tár, took three awards, including film of the year, while Banshees, written and directed by McDonagh, led the awards count with five, including British/Irish film of the year.
Tár, which has sparked much comment over its controversial central character, picked up actress of the year for Blanchett, who is the red-hot favourite to win best actress at the Academy awards in March, as well as director of the year for Todd Field.
The Banshees of Inisherin, which features Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as two former friends in 1920s Ireland whose relationship disintegrates, took the other three main acting awards: Farrell for actor of the year and Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan in the supporting categories (the latter beating Gleeson to the prize). Although passed over for the director award, McDonagh won screenwriter of the year.
Aftersun, the widely-admired father-daughter drama starring Paul Mescal and 11-year-old Frankie Corio, won two awards: breakthrough British/Irish film-maker for its writer/director Charlotte Wells and Young British/Irish performer for Corio. A Quiet Girl, the Irish language film featuring another child performer Catherine Clinch, was joint winner of foreign-language film of the year with Park Chan-wook’s Korean drama Decision to Leave. The Critics Circle’s Dilys Powell award for excellence in film went to Michelle Yeoh, star of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and recent indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Full list of awards
Film of the year Tár
Foreign-language film of the year (tie) Decision to Leave/The Quiet Girl
Documentary of the year All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
British/Irish film of the year The Banshees of Inisherin
Director of the year Todd Field, Tár
Screenwriter of the year Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Actress of the year Cate Blanchett, Tár
Actor of the year Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Supporting actress of the year Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Supporting actor of the year Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
British/Irish actress of the year for body of work Florence Pugh, Don’t Worry Darling, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Wonder
British/Irish actor of the year for body of work Bill Nighy, Living
Breakthrough British/Irish film-maker Charlotte Wells, Aftersun
Young British/Irish performer Frankie Corio, Aftersun
British/Irish short film of the year A Fox in the Night
Technical achievement award Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio (animation)
Dilys Powell award for excellence in film Michelle Yeoh
