LAFCA Predictions

[Big Magilla]

I'll take a shot at this:

Best Film: Poor Things
[runner-up: Oppenheimer]
Best Director: Christopher Nolan (Oppenheimer)
[runner-up: Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)]
Lead performance: Sandra Hüller (Anatomy of a Fall) & Emma Stone (Poor Things)
[runners-up: Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) & Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers)]
Supporting Performer: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) & Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers)]
[runners-up: Charles Melton (May December) & Rosamund Pike (Saltburn)]
Screenplay: Past Lives
[runner-up: The Holdovers]

Best Cinematography: Hoyte Van Hoytema (Oppenheimer) - he was runner-up last year.
[runner-up: Rodrigo Prieto (Killers of the Flower Moon and Barbie)]
Production Design: Poor Things
[runner-up: Barbie]
Editing: Oppenheimer
(runner-up: Maestro)
Best Music Score: Poor Things
[runner-up: Oppenheimer]

Animated Feature: The Boy and the Heron
[runner-up: Spider Man: Across the Spider-verse)]
Best Foreign-Language Film: Anatomy of a Fall
[runner-up: The Zone of Interest]

[Big Magilla]

I feel like I ask this every year, but is it runners-up or runner-ups?

Runners-up

The correct phrase is runners-up or runners up. Runner-up is a noun that refers to a person who comes second in a race or competition. Since runner-up is hyphenated, the parts maintain their grammatical value, as only nouns can be pluralized. Therefore, runners-up or runners up is the proper usage when there is more than one runner-up. The L.A.F.C. website uses runner up and runners up without the hyphen.

The same rule applies to films noir vs. film noirs.

[Mister Tee]

I feel like I ask this every year, but is it runners-up or runner-ups?

My Internet research favors runners-up.

Interesting observation, about Oscar-winning actresses being slighted by critics down the line -- Blanchett last year would be the exception, but, then, she'd maybe already served her penance with Carol. Also, she'd won her Oscar for a performance far more critically hailed than Portman's or Stone's.

I'm thinking, despite the purported unisex approach, this group will still largely split things up male/female, especially with both genders offering strong slates this year.

It pains me to leave out Gladstone, but I feel like this is now or never for Stone, and I also can't overlook LA's propensity for foreign performers.

My slate:

Best Film: Poor Things
[runner-up: Past Lives]
Best Director: Jonathan Glazer (The Zone of Interest)
[runner-up: Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things)]
Lead performance: Emma Stone (Poor Things) & Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers)
[runners-up: Sandra Huller (Anatomy of a Fall) & Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction)]
Supporting Performer: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) & Ryan Gosling (Barbie)
[runners-up: Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer) & Rosamund Pike (Saltburn)]
Screenplay: Past Lives
[runner-up: Anatomy of a Fall]

Best Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto (Killers of the Flower Moon/Barbie)
[runner-up: Hoyte Van Hoytema (Oppenheimer)]
Production Design: Barbie
[runner-up: Poor Things]
Editing: Oppenheimer
(runner-up: Maestro)
Best Music Score: Killers of the Flower Moon
[runner-up: Oppenheimer]

Animated Feature: The Boy and the Heron
[runner-up: Spider Man: Across the Spider-verse)]
Best Foreign-Language Film: The Zone of Interest
[runner-up: Anatomy of a Fall]
Best Non-Fiction Film: Our Body
[runner-up: Menus-Plaisirs - Les Troisgros]

[Okri]

General thoughts
a) Given the rave reviews, I really would've thought Poor Things would've performed a little better than it has. It's not that it's done badly, I guess - and the lack of runners-up at NY really twists the knife a little. I also wonder about All of Us Strangers in the same way. Though I note Sabin's comment below.

b) You know, I don't think Margot Robbie needs to win any critics prizes to get nominated at the Oscars, but I do think she needs to be showing up in those minor groups' nominations just so the conversation doesn't move past her.

c) Something we've seen in the past is if someone has won a recent Oscar, critics groups don't really feel the need to push them forward unless they've given truly hailed work. Cate Blanchett swept the critics prizes in 2013, but didn't win a single critics prize for Carol. Natalie Portman didn't win any biggie for Jackie despite the reviews. I do wonder if that's a bigger hindrance for Emma Stone despite her impressive personal notices.

d) They really like Alexander Payne movies, to the point of citing Citizen Ruth alongside Election in 1999 for a breakthrough prize.

e) I feel like I ask this every year, but is it runners-up or runner-ups?

f) That Perfect Days citation feels very right

My predictions

Best Picture: Poor Things (runner-up: Oppenheimer)
Best Direction: Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Strangers (runner-up: Yorgos Lathimos, Poor Things)
Best Screenplay: Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers (runner-up: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie)
Best Foreign Language Film: The Zone of Strangers (runner-up: Past Lives)
Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film: Menus-Plaisirs - Les Troisgros (runner-up: Our Body)
Best Animated Film: The Boy and the Heron (runner-up: Suzume)

Best Lead Performances: Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction AND Sandra Huller, Anatomy of a Fall (runners-up: Koji Fukada, Perfect Days AND Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers)
Best Supporting Performances: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers AND John Magaro, Past Lives (runners-up: Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, All of Us Strangers)

Best Cinematography: The Zone of Interest (runner-up: Saltburn)
Best Production Design: Barbie (runner-up: Asteroid City)
Best Music Score: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (runner-up: Oppenheimer)

[Sabin]

LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION
Best Film: Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Foreign-Language Film: Anatomy of a Fall
Best Non-Fiction Film: Our Body
Best Lead Performance: Koji Fukada - Perfect Days
Best Lead Performance: Sandra Huller - Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest
Best Supporting Performance: Charles Melton, May December
Best Supporting Performance: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Screenplay: May December
Best Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto - Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon (NOTE: I have an outside hunch it could be De Humani Corporis Fabrica)
Best Editing: Oppenheimer
Best Production Design: Barbie
Best Music Score: The Boy and the Heron
Best Animated Film: The Boy and the Heron

After watching Poor Things (which I quite like) I'm not sure I see it as a film that's going to win a lot of critics awards (at least from the main three).