THE HOLDOVERS Named Best Film of 2023 by Dallas Critics

In his review, our own Mel Valentin described Alexander Payne's The Holdovers as an award-worthy film, and the DFW Film Critics Association (of which I am a member) agree, naming it Best Picture of 2023.

(Personally, I voted Godzilla Minus One the Best Picture and also Best Foreign Language Film. But The Holdovers was my number 2 pick; a fine, warm, insightful movie that also pays homage to movies of the era in which it is set -- December 1970.)

My fellow critics named The Boy and the Heron Best Animated Film and Anatomy of a Fall Best Foreign Language Film.

As for actors, Cillian Murphy was cited for his performance in Oppenheimer, Lily Gladstone for her performance in Killers of the Flower Moon, with Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) and Da'Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) honored for their performances in supporting roles.

Christopher Nolan was named Best Director (Oppenheimer). The Russell Smith Award, for best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film, went to The Zone of Interest.

A complete list follows below. And look for Screen Anarchy's list of favorites, coming Real Soon Now.

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SUMMARY OF AWARD WINNERS
2023 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
(Choices listed in order of votes received)

BEST PICTURE
Winner: THE HOLDOVERS
Runners-up: OPPENHEIMER (2); KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (3); POOR THINGS (4); AMERICAN FICTION (5); PAST LIVES (6); MAESTRO (7); ANATOMY OF A FALL (8); BARBIE (9); MAY DECEMBER (10)

BEST ACTOR
Winner: Cillian Murphy, OPPENHEIMER
Runners-up: Paul Giamatti, THE HOLDOVERS (2); Bradley Cooper, MAESTRO (3); Jeffrey Wright, AMERICAN FICTION (4); Leonardo DiCaprio, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (5, tie); Colman Domingo, RUSTIN (5, tie)

BEST ACTRESS
Winner: Lily Gladstone, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Runners-up: Emma Stone, POOR THINGS (2); Carey Mulligan, MAESTRO (3); Greta Lee, PAST LIVES (4); Sandra Huller, ANATOMY OF A FALL (5)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Robert Downey Jr., OPPENHEIMER
Runners-up: Charles Melton, MAY DECEMBER (2); Robert De Niro, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (3); Mark Ruffalo, POOR THINGS (4); Dominic Sessa, THE HOLDOVERS (5)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, THE HOLDOVERS
Runners-up: Danielle Brooks, THE COLOR PURPLE (2); Emily Blunt, OPPENHEIMER (3); Jodie Foster, NYAD (4); Julianne Moore, MAY DECEMBER (5)

BEST DIRECTOR
Winner: Christopher Nolan, OPPENHEIMER
Runners-up: Martin Scorsese, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (2); Alexander Payne, THE HOLDOVERS (3); Yorgos Lanthimos, POOR THINGS (4); Celine Song, PAST LIVES (5)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Winner: ANATOMY OF A FALL
Runners-up: THE ZONE OF INTEREST (2); THE TASTE OF THINGS (3); SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (4); FALLEN LEAVES (5)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Winner: AMERICAN SYMPHONY
Runners-up: 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL (2); STILL: A MICHAEL J. FOX MOVIE (3); THE DEEPEST BREATH (4); THE PIGEON TUNNEL (5)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Winner: THE BOY AND THE HERON
Runner-up: SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE

BEST SCREENPLAY
Winner: David Hemingson, THE HOLDOVERS
Runner-up: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, ANATOMY OF A FALL

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Winner: Hoyte van Hoytema, OPPENHEIMER
Runner-up: Rodrigo Prieto, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

BEST MUSICAL SCORE
Winner: Robbie Robertson, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
Runner-up: Ludwig Goransson, OPPENHEIMER

RUSSELL SMITH AWARD (best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film)
Winner: THE ZONE OF INTEREST