The awkwardly named London Critics Circle Film Awards occurred yesterday, definitely the less embarrassing awards given out on February 5, a day that shall live in infamy. It was mostly British-Irish people in attendance, with a few notable exceptions, because it mostly honors British-Irish film, but Michelle Yeoh was there, accepting the Dilys Powell Award for Excellence in Film. Ke Huy Quan was also there, and he experienced a rare loss this awards season, as Barry Keoghan took Supporting Actor of the Year for The Banshees of Inisherin (Keoghan is incredible, and if not for Quan, he would probably be my pick for the Oscar, too). Also on hand, fellow Banshees winners Martin McDonagh, Kerry Condon, and Colin Farrell. 

 

Conspicuously not on hand: Andrea Riseborough. Lainey previously wondered what her campaign will look like, given the controversy around her nomination. Riseborough is British, so this awards dinner with the name that is too long to type out is exactly the kind of place she SHOULD be welcomed. She wasn’t among the honorees, but she could still go and glad-hand, work the local voters, et cetera. That she didn’t sets the tone for what will probably be a VERY lowkey month for her, at least until more is known about the Academy’s intentions regarding her nomination. Somehow worse: she’s now the butt of an SNL joke.

As a film critic, it pains me but the jokes in this sketch are good, movies are not making the impact they used to.

 

Anyway, I now must mention Florence Pugh. She was honored as the British/Irish Actress of the Year For Body of Work, for her performances in Don’t Worry Darling, The Wonder, and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (she voices Goldilocks). She showed up in this red Robert Wun number. I love the color, I LOVE the hat and veil. Upon first glance, I thought this was very “Lydia Deetz unwillingly marrying Beetlejuice”. I didn’t even mind the peplum because the whole look is deliberately Too Much, but then I saw the back. No! Maybe I’ve been to one too many weddings with a “Gothic” flair, but I hate open corset backs. It’s David’s Bridal bullsh-t, I don’t care how fancy the couture designer really is. DAVID’S BRIDAL. Anyway, I’m going to pretend like the back of that dress doesn’t exist and go back to my Miss Flo/Lydia Deetz dream.  

See the full list of honorees here.