The Brutalist, Brady Corbet’s three-and-a-half-hour drama about the treatment of a brilliant Hungarian postmodern architect in the US after the second world war, has taken best picture at the London Critics’ Circle awards.
The film, which stars Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce, missed out on other prizes, however, with best director going to RaMell Ross for his much-acclaimed but little seen Colson Whitehead adaptation Nickel Boys, which also won the technical achievement prize for Jomo Fray’s cinematography.
In a video message played at the awards, Corbet thanked the Critics Circle and Universal Pictures. “I’m genuinely touched by the recognition – it means a lot to us,” he said.
Conclave, Edward Berger’s adaptation of the Robert Harris papal thriller, also picked up two awards – one for Ralph Fiennes as leading actor, and another for British/Irish film of the year.
Speaking at the awards at the May Fair Hotel, Fiennes said: “I feel very delighted to receive this, but I think in my heart I scratch my head about the concept [of] there being winners when you are acting.
“I look at the wonderful work of my fellow nominees, Daniel [Craig], Adrien [Brody], Timothée [Chalamet], Colman [Domingo], I’m blown away. I’m moved by their artistry and the depth in the way they inhabit their characters. So I feel honoured to be included with them, among them.”
Jesse Eisenberg’s Holocaust comedy A Real Pain was another double prize winner, honoured for Kieran Culkin’s supporting actor performance and for Eisenberg’s screenplay.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who missed out on an Oscar nomination last month, took actress of the year for her performance in Mike Leigh’s uncompromising portrait of rage and depression, Hard Truths.
Jean-Baptiste said the award was “all the more sweeter” coming from London.
Breakthrough performer went to the Anora star Mikey Madison, who has been nominated for an Academy Award.
Payal Kapadia’s Mumbai-set drama All We Imagine as Light, which will miss out at the Oscars as India chose not to select it as its entry, was named foreign language film of the year, while No Other Land, by Israeli and Palestinian co-directors, took the documentary prize.
There was more love for homegrown talent in the animation category, with Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl beating the likes of Inside Out 2, while Saoirse Ronan won British/Irish performer of the year for her roles in The Outrun and Blitz.
Nykiya Adams, the 14-year-old star of Andrea Arnold’s Bird, won young British/Irish performer of the year for her screen debut, and Rich Peppiatt won breakthrough British/Irish film-maker for the raucous rap biopic Kneecap.
Another performer snubbed by the Oscars but honoured by the Critics’ Circle was Daniel Craig, who took the Dilys Powell award for excellence in film. He was presented with the prize by his Queer co-star Lesley Manville.
The evening’s other honorary award, the Derek Malcolm award for innovation, went to Zoe Saldaña, who had already picked up the supporting actress prize for her role in Jacques Audiard’s cartel musical Emilia Pérez, about a Mexican gangster who transitions from male to female.
That film heads into the Academy Awards with by far the most nominations, 13, compared with the 10 each earned by Wicked and The Brutalist, followed by eight for Conclave and the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
However, Audiard’s film has faced an increasing backlash from the Mexican and trans communities, and last week there was a fresh furore after offensive tweets from its star Karla Sofía Gascón were unearthed.
Gascón, who is the first out trans actor nominated for an acting Oscar, has since apologised and deactivated her X account, while Saldaña was at pains to distance herself from the remarks.
