Category: Critics’ Choice

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Angelina Jolie Critics' Choice Fashion Jodie Foster Lupita Nyong’O Margaret Qualley Michelle Yeoh

Angelina Jolie wore Elie Saab to the Critics Choice Awards: fine or meh?

angelina-jolie-wore-elie-saab-to-the-critics-choice-awards:-fine-or-meh?

Here are some photos from Friday night’s Critics Choice Awards. This will probably be Angelna Jolie’s final appearance during the awards season, unless she’s invited to present at the SAGs or Oscars, I guess. You never know – she is a two-time Oscar winner already, so it’s more than possible that the Academy would invite her to be a presenter. Anyway, Angelina did not leave the awards season with a bang. She chose this peachy-beige-tea-rose lace Elie Saab Spring 2025 gown which… eh. I’m mad at the color, I’m mad at her hair these days. But overall, I’m happy that it wasn’t a sack dress and it also feels like she’s been venturing out of her comfort zone here and there. It ended up being an okay night for Jolie – that POS Chelsea Handler didn’t even say her name, and Demi Moore went over and hugged Angelina when Demi won Best Actress. It feels like Angelina has made some new friendships during this season.

Michelle Yeoh kind of disappointed me too? She wore this absolutely terrible Balenciaga look. Her hair also looked… not-great. She has great hair too, but it’s too “flat” and lifeless here.

Lupita Nyong’o was one of several women wearing Chanel. I, uh, don’t think Lupita got the best Chanel look, honestly. She’s always beautiful, but this is a minidress with black tulle and it looks like a homemade fashion project.

Margaret Qualley in Chanel – she’s been wearing Chanel throughout the awards season, and she has a good Chanel contract. I actually sort of like this? It’s more flowy and romantic than I would normally associate with Chanel.

Jodie Foster in Chanel – the dress is super-conservative and very “Jodie,” but can I just say? I love her hair these days. That choppy bob is killer and I love the subtle grey streaks. Her colorist is doing a great job.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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Adam Brody Critics' Choice Demi Moore Fashion Kathryn Hahn Leighton Meester Marianne Jean Baptiste sarah michelle gellar

Demi Moore wore Schiaparelli & won Best Actress at the Critics Choice

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I fully admit that I have never “gotten” Schiaparelli. I’m missing that gene, I guess. At the Grammys, one of the few “fashion conversations” was Beyonce’s ill-fitting Schiaparelli dress – it was a custom piece, and you would have thought that meant that it would fit her like a glove. It did not. She was scared of popping out of it all night, and her underwire was exposed in many of the photos. It should have been an even bigger conversation, that Schiaparelli can’t be trusted to provide good looks for women at awards shows. But women are still trusting this couture house. Well, Demi Moore wore Schiaparelli to the Critics Choice Awards and once again, I’m asking WHY? Why do this to your bust, ladies? Why wear such unflattering, ill-fitting pieces? Anyway, Demi won the Best Actress Award, and given the mess with Karla Sofia Gascon (who did not attend the CC), I think it’s safe to say that Demi is a massive front-runner in this Oscar race.

Marianne Jean Baptiste wore Oscar de la Renta. I love this. It’s age-appropriate but it still feels fresh and youthful. It reminds me of something Jill Biden would wear. Marianne was one of several women who were notably “snubbed” for a Best Actress Oscar nom.

Kathryn Hahn in Oscar de la Renta Pre-Fall 2025. LMAO. She looks like she’s wearing a deconstructed black swan costume.

Sarah Michelle Gellar also wore Oscar de la Renta – I like this? We see her so rarely at these awards shows, it’s a nice treat. She just turned up in a relatively “simple” black dress, really.

Leighton Meester & Adam Brody both wore Dior. Adam won a Critics Choice Award and Leighton was really emotional about it! They seem really solid. I’m fine with her dress, but the bangs are killing my soul.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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ariana grande Critics' Choice Cynthia Erivo Fashion Hannah Einbinder Natasha Lyonne Rachel Brosnahan

Cynthia Erivo wore Armani & Ariana Grande wore a wicker basket to the Critics Choice

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Cynthia Erivo has been nominated for tons of awards and she’s been in tons of awards seasons. But it feels like this is the first time where she’s really gotten this kind of attention, this kind of hype, and she’s been in the center of a major hit movie? What’s nice about that is Cynthia has really met the moment. I’ve said this before, but I expected Wicked’s promotion and awards season to be messy, because both Cynthia and Ariana had reputations for being a bit prickly or not very easy-going. But they’ve both surprised me so much. Cynthia has been full of grace, good humor and professionalism, as has Ariana. Anyway, Cynthia wore Armani to the Critics Choice Awards – while she didn’t win, she looked great and I loved seeing her in a sleek look like this.

Meanwhile, Ariana Grande went for a completely bonkers Dior look at the CCAs. It’s wicker basket couture, y’all. It’s terrible but also really funny. I hope she had fun.

Speaking of weird structural garments – which are on-trend currently – Hannah Einbinder wore this custom Louis Vuitton. SO BAD.

Rachel Brosnahan in custom Miu Miu. Like… I did NOT know Lois Lane had all of that going on. Very sexy look.

Natasha Lyonne wore Saint Laurent. I love her, she’s so funny.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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Critics' Choice Fashion Monica Barbaro Naomi Watts Nicole Kidman Zoe Saldana

Nicole Kidman wore a Saint Laurent pantsuit at the Critics Choice: surprisingly good?

nicole-kidman-wore-a-saint-laurent-pantsuit-at-the-critics-choice:-surprisingly-good?

Nicole Kidman, like Angelina Jolie, might not be seen for the rest of the awards season. Nicole also got “snubbed” for SAG, BAFTA and Oscar nominations, so the Critics Choice Awards were possibly the last time we’d see her. What a final appearance though – she wore a fresh-off-the-runway look from Saint Laurent, a baggy pantsuit basically. My first reaction was “nah?” But it’s grown on me, and now I sort of love that she mixed it up. Her hair and makeup look great here as well.

Zoe Saldana also wore Saint Laurent, but we’ll be seeing more of her throughout the season. Zoe picked up the Critics Choice Award for supporting actress for Emilia Perez. The votes were mostly cast before Karla Sofia Gascon’s tweet-history mess, and this is one category which I could see a major “surprise” come Oscar night. As for her dress… it’s fine. It’s not actively bad. It does feel like a lot of women sort of phoned it in, style-wise, at the CCAs.

Naomi Watts wore one of the most hilariously bad looks I’ve ever seen from her. This is Prada, and at least it was “on trend” – a lot of women are wearing super-structural gowns and dresses right now, especially with this kind of terrible business around the waist and hips.

Monica Barbaro also wore Prada – a custom piece. It’s fine for the CCAs.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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Critics' Choice

The Critics Choice Awards have been postponed due to the LA wildfires

the-critics-choice-awards-have-been-postponed-due-to-the-la-wildfires

The current wildfires are being called the most destructive in the history of Los Angeles. It’s because of the population density in the affected areas, and because three major fires are raging all at once – the Palisades fire, the Eaton fire and the Hurst fire in the San Fernando Valley. More than 4 million people are without power in Southern California. The strong Santa Ana winds are spreading the fire further and further. We hope all of our friends in LA stay safe and that firefighters find a way to put these fires out.

The strength, speed and damage of the fires have already had an immediate effect in Hollywood. Several studios have been affected, with Disney, Universal and Warner Bros shutting down their lots in Burbank and Universal City. LA premieres and screenings for Unstoppable, Better Man, Wolf Man and The Pitt have been canceled. And now the Critics Choice Awards have been postponed as well. The Critics Choice Awards were originally scheduled for this coming Sunday in Santa Monica, with Chelsea Handler hosting. They’ve been pushed to January 26th.

The Critics Choice Awards will go forward on Jan. 26.

The rescheduled event will remain at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, and will broadcast live on E! and around the world. It will also be available on Peacock the next day.

“This unfolding tragedy has already had a profound impact on our community. All our thoughts and prayers are with those battling the devastating fires and with all who have been affected,” said CCA CEO Joey Berlin.

[From Deadline]

This is fine with me and I guess everyone is assuming that the wildfires will be contained in the next week (hopefully). In case you’re keeping track at home, here are the new awards-season/winter dates to keep in mind: Oscar nominations come out on January 17, then the Critics Choice on January 26, with the Grammys scheduled for the following Sunday (February 2). The following weekend, we’ll have the DGA and PGA Awards on February 8th and the Super Bowl on February 9th. BAFTAs on February 16th, SAG Awards on February 23 and Oscars on March 2.

Oh, after I wrote this, AMPAS made some adjustments to their voting schedule. They extended the Oscar voting by several days, given how many Oscar voters live in LA. Now the Oscar noms will be announced on January 19th.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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Critics' Choice Robert Downey Jr

Robert Downey Jr. quoted criticism from 36 years ago in his Critics Choice Speech

robert-downey-jr.-quoted-criticism-from-36-years-ago-in-his-critics-choice-speech




Robert Downey Jr is cleaning up this award season as Best Supporting Actor in Oppenheimer. I really liked the movie and think he did a great job as Louis Strauss. (I do hope that Ryan Gosling gets some recognition for Ken, though!) RDJ won again during Sunday night’s Critics Choice Awards. During his acceptance speech, he decided to quote some of the more creative criticism he’s received throughout the years. He even went back 36 years to quote the late Michael Wilmington’s March 1988 review of his performance in Johnny Be Good, in which Wilmington said he sounded “like Pee-wee Herman emerging from a coma.”

Robert Downey Jr. won a Critics Choice Award for best supporting actor in “Oppenheimer” on Sunday. He took the opportunity to remind the critics who voted for him that they haven’t always loved his work.

“The Critics Choice Association, they’ve given me such beautiful feedback, really just so many great moments,” Downey Jr. said at the start of his acceptance speech. “And some of it’s so poetic, I just want to share some of their thoughts with you over the years.”

He went on to quote several unflattering critiques he’s received throughout his career, starting with one review Downey Jr. described as haiku: “sloppy, messy and lazy.”

Another critique he cited compared his performance in an unnamed project to “Pee Wee Herman emerging from a coma.” Downey Jr. also quoted a British critic who once called him “a puzzling waste of talent.”

The final review “lingered” with him, Downey Jr. said, when a critic wrote that he was as “amusing as a bedlocked fart.”

While Downey Jr. didn’t specify which performances he received such colorful feedback on, he appeared to enjoy himself as he quoted each review. As did the audience, who laughed along with him.

[From CNN]

This isn’t the first time that RDJ quoted Wilmington’s Pee-wee line, either! He also mentioned it in a May 1988 Rolling Stone interview. While I am a believer in the whole “Don’t feed the trolls” mentality, I think RDJ’s speech was all in good fun. There’s something cheeky about poking fun at the people who make a living criticizing you. It’s that whole “embrace it so it loses its meaning” mentality. Sometimes what critics say can be fair and constructive, and other times, it’s just jumping on the bandwagon for views or clicks or whatever. If you’re going to respond, there’s a difference between coming off as bitter and making it into something that is all in good fun, and I think RDJ did a good job at making it the latter. Pick the sillier ones, with a bonus if they’re somewhat fair.

That said, it’s also somewhat bonkers to hold onto criticisms from decades ago! For context, when that 1988 review came out, RDJ was still dating Sarah Jessica Parker! Can you imagine if an actress got up there and gave that speech? Would their delivery have gone over as well as RDJ’s did? I wonder if he had those quotes living rent free in his memory bank for decades or if he had the idea for such a speech and (had an assistant) research ridiculous quotes ahead of time. Either way, it made for a fun, quirky out-of-the-box speech in an awards season that has hit the ground running without looking back. Also, the phrase, “Amusing as a bed-locked fart” totally sounds like a line out of Ted Lasso. I can literally hear any one of those characters saying it right now in my head.

Robert Downey, Jr. has been holding a grudge against the late Michael Wilmington at the LA Times for 36 years for saying he sounds “like Pee-wee Herman emerging from a coma” in Johnny Be Goodhttps://t.co/uPGQVRxFXY

— celebitchy (@celebitchy) January 15, 2024

Robert Downey Jr reads out what critics have said about him this year at the #CriticsChoiceAwards

“The first one’s like a Haiku, ‘sloppy, messy & lazy.’ Next one’s more metaphoric, ‘like Pee Wee Herman emerging from a coma.’”

See the full winners list: https://t.co/o7EgopRYqJ pic.twitter.com/QoLsuQQe8d

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) January 15, 2024

Photos credit: Avalon.red

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Ariana DeBose Critics' Choice

Ariana DeBose did not like the Critics Choice joke about her

ariana-debose-did-not-like-the-critics-choice-joke-about-her




Ariana DeBose is a Broadway theater kid success story. She came up in musical theater, landing supporting roles in the original casts of Hamilton and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical (for which she earned a Tony nomination in 2018). Landing the role of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of West Side Story was a golden opportunity to transfer from stage to screen, and it feels like Ariana is very aware of that. Since winning Best Supporting Actress in 2022 for WSS, Ariana has maintained her visibility. She routinely hosts the Tony Awards, she’s often asked to perform at the Kennedy Center Honors (most recently closing the show with disco-tacular singing and dancing), and she starred in her own Disney movie, Wish, last fall. She’s striking while the iron is hot, and I don’t blame her for it given how dismissive the industry can be for women in general, let alone for a Black, Latina, Queer woman. Plus, she undeniably has the goods. Which is why an attempt at a joke at the Critics Choice Awards didn’t sit well with Ariana, nor the internet:

As awards season continues, so do the controversial jokes.

At last night’s Critics Choice Awards, Ariana DeBose was left visibly unimpressed after being listed among a group of actors who apparently “think that they’re singers.”

While handing out the award for Best Original Song, presenters Bella Ramsey and Anthony Ramos highlighted all the nominated artists, naming Billie Eilish, Lenny Kravitz, and Dua Lipa as “some of the most famous voices in the music industry.”

Bella then read a subsequent joke that poked fun at “actors who also think that they’re singers,” listing off Ryan Gosling, Jack Black, and Ariana, who were nominated in the category, too.

In that moment, the cameras cut to show Ariana sitting in the audience, looking understandably confused by the mention before awkwardly laughing it off.

If you’re familiar with Ariana’s work, you’ll know she’s a widely acclaimed Broadway star, having performed in shows such as Bring It On, Motown: The Musical, Pippin, and even Hamilton, where she literally appeared alongside Anthony.

In 2018, she earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

And on top of all that, it was only two years ago that she won an Oscar for her performance in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, in which — you guessed it — she sings. A lot.

So, with all this in mind, people were left pretty shocked by the implication that Ariana isn’t a real singer, prompting fans to share their disappointment on X.

“The disrespect to Academy Award winner, Tony nominee, Broadway star, Ariana DeBose is WILD,” one fan wrote, adding that “the look on her face really said it all.”

“This is so unfunny…like, Ariana DeBose is one of the few triple threats in the industry,” wrote another user who suggested that Bella could have “turned this joke down.”

Notably, others called out the award show’s writers, demanding to know who gave this joke the go-ahead in the first place.

“Ariana DeBose, Oscar award winning, Tony nominated, OG cast member of Hamilton on BROADWAY…’THINKS she’s a singer’?!? Who wrote this bit?! I want names,” someone else said in response to the clip.

And now, Ariana has responded to the controversy by confirming that she definitely wasn’t a fan of the joke.

Taking to her Instagram story soon after the ceremony ended, Ariana wrote: “No I didn’t find it funny. Lol.”

Neither Bella nor Anthony have addressed the backlash.

[From BuzzFeed News]

I’m sorry Bella Ramsey is getting caught in this mess. Yes, they technically could have said no to the writers, but Bella is young and relatively new on the scene, so I think it’s appropriate to give them a pass. Anthony Ramos, on the other hand… maybe not. The “joke” just isn’t funny. Even if we suspend belief and pretend for a minute that it was funny, it still doesn’t work when referring to these three actors in particular. Ariana is the most egregious example, since she has the strongest singing background. But even Ryan Gosling has La La Land on his resume, and Jack Black has been in his band Tenacious D since 1994. They’ve all sung for their supper before, and to great acclaim — we’re not talking Pierce Brosnan in Mamma Mia, here. Ariana had every right to sport that supremely miffed expression. She knows her worth. But I’m sure she’ll shake it off and move on. If she can survive having done the thing, she can survive this.

Ariana DeBose reacts to being included in “actors who think they are singers” bit at the Critics Choice Awards:

“No I didn’t find it funny. Lol.” pic.twitter.com/NG2u0ciuQn

— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 15, 2024

photos credit: Avalon.red