“La La Land” sweeps Critics' Choice Awards

“La La Land” solidified its place as the 2017 Academy Awards front-runner, scoring an impressive eight wins at the 22nd Annual Critics' Choice Awards. Along with wins for production design, cinematography, editing, and score, the musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone also landed best original song, best director and best original screenplay for writer-director Damien Chazelle, and the big one, best picture.

The film easily bested its two (most likely) strongest competitors, “Moonlight” and “Manchester By The Sea”, though both of those films still won important trophies. “Moonlight” took home best supporting actor for co-star Mahershala Ali, as well as best acting ensemble. Meanwhile, “Manchester” won thrice, sharing best original screenplay with “La La”, and winning best young actor or actress, and best actor.

Viola Davis, who emerged from “Fences” this fall as the consensus front-runner for whichever acting awards she ends up being nominated for, deservedly won best supporting actress for her role. Meanwhile, Natalie Portman took home best actress for “Jackie”. Eric Heisserer won best adapted screenplay for “Arrival”. And on the television front, Bob Odenkirk won best actor in a dramatic series for “Better Call Saul”, “The People Vs. O.J. Simpson” won four times, including acting prizes for Sarah Paulson and Courtney B Vance, and Donald Glover won for best actor in a comedy series. About the only upset was that “Silicon Valley” won best comedy series, beating “Atlanta”, whose first season has been universally praised.

TJ Miller hosted tonight's proceedings, bringing a defiantly absurdist approach to the gig. Starting the show out with a chorus line of topless men with faces painted on their torsos and heads covered by oversized top hat appearing to whistle, Miller later pretended to have his head blown off by a canon and ended the show dressed as a headless man carrying his bloody head on a platter.