LA film critics name ‘Parasite’ year’s best film

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association named the uproarious class satire “Parasite” the year’s best picture and its maker, Bong Joon Ho, best director. The critics group convened Sunday in Los Angeles and announced their awards on Twitter, a few days after their New York counterparts chose “The Irishman” as their best film of 2019. The LA critics selected Martin Scorsese’s mafia epic as their runner-up. “Parasite” actor Song Kang Ho, who plays the patriarch of a family of con artists who infiltrate a wealthy family’s home, was also awarded best supporting actor by the critics association.

Best actress went to Mary Kay Place, star of Kent Jones’ acclaimed low-budget character study “Diane.” Antonio Banderas, star of Pedro Almodovar’s self-reflective drama “Pain and Glory” took best actor. Best supporting actress was awarded to Jennifer Lopez for Lorene Scafaria’s stripper crime drama “Hustlers.” The critics will hand out their awards at a gala on Jan. 11. Elaine May is this year’s previously announced career achievement award winner.

A full list of their selections:

Best picture: “Parasite”

Best director: Bong Joon Ho, “Parasite”

Best actress: Mary Kay Place, “Diane”

Best actor: Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory”

Best supporting actress: Jennifer Lopez, “Hustlers”

Best supporting actor: Song Kang Ho, “Parasite”

Best screenplay: Noah Baumbach, “Marriage Story”

Best cinematography: Claire Mathon, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and “Atlantics”

Best documentary: “American Factory”

Best foreign language film: “Pain and Glory”

Best score: Dan Levy, “I Lost My Body”

Best animation: “I Lost My Body”

Best production design: Barbara Ling, “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood”

Best editing: Todd Douglas Miller, “Apollo 11”