Dark comedy 'A Different Man' surprisingly triumphs at Gotham Awards

NEW YORK (AP) — In a surprise that stunned the audience of Hollywood’s first big awards-season bash, “A Different Man,” a dark comedy about doppelgängers, deformity and authenticity in acting, won best feature film at the 34th Gotham Awards on Monday night.

Much can be unpredictable at the Gotham Awards, which uses small juries of insiders and film industry veterans to pick nominees and winners. But as the “A Different Man” ensemble, including Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson, took the stage, writer-director Aaron Schimberg was in obvious disbelief.

“I don’t think I'm the only person in this room who’s totally stunned," said Schimberg. “Considering the other nominees, I thought it would be hubris to prepare a speech."

At a starry Gothams that drew Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet and Angelina Jolie, most were expecting triumph for Sean Baker’s “Anora,” a comedy about a sex worker who marries the son of a Russian oligarch. It came in the lead nominee, the Cannes Palme d’Or winner, and maybe a top best-picture contender at the Oscars, but went home empty-handed.

Instead, the night belonged to the A24 release “A Different Man,” which stars Stan as a man with facial deformities who's healed of them. He's then upstaged by the character played by Pearson, who has neurofibromatosis, a condition that covers much of his face with benign skin tumors.

The Gothams aren’t an Oscar bellwether, though several of its recent top winners – including last year's winner “Past Lives,” as well as “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Nomadland” – have gone on to be nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards, with “Everything Everywhere” and “Nomadland” winning.

Whether any of the winners Monday night — “Sing Sing” and “Nickel Boys” were also victorious — will use the early wins as a springboard for more trophies remains to be seen. But the Gothams, a black-tie affair held at Cipriani Wall Street in downtown Manhattan, tend give some sense of the flavor of the upcoming gauntlet of award-season ceremonies.

How prominent politics, and the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, might be in this year’s Oscar race is one of the biggest questions as the season ramps up. On Monday, Trump's name was never uttered on stage (though Stan is in the awards mix for playing him in “The Apprentice" ), nor were there any overtly political statements. But several winners seemed to allude to the shifting political climate.

“Let's keep doing the work that really matters and makes a difference,” said Colman Domingo, who won best lead performance. “That's what we can do right now. That can be the light in the darkness.”

Domingo won for his starring role in “Sing Sing,” the indie drama about a real prison program called Rehabilitation Through the Arts, which helps incarcerated people heal through theater productions. Clarence Maclin, one of the formerly incarcerated men who co-star in the film, won best supporting performance. (The Gothams give gender-neutral acting awards that number 10 nominees instead of the typical five.)

“If someone was going to tell me ten years ago, I was going to be here, I wouldn’t have believed it,” said Maclin.

“Sing Sing,” also from A24, was arguably the emotional winner of the night. The film's ensembled also accepted a tribute award. In one of the evening's most powerful speeches Sean Dino Johnson, a founding member of RTA, spoke passionately about the redemptive qualities of the arts.

“Standing here tonight we are proof that movies like ‘Sing Sing’ don’t just entertain,” said Johnson. “They change lives.”

RaMell Ross' “Nickel Boys," the arrestingly photographed Colson Whitehead adaptation, also won two major awards: best director for Ross and breakthrough performer for Brandon Wilson. Ross’ film, about two Black teenagers at an abusive juvenile reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida, is filmed largely from the first-person perspective of its two main characters.

For many, the Gothams are a chance to make an impression with a speech that helps solidify their awards chances. To that cause, the Gothams gave out an array of tribute awards. This year’s crop was particularly starry, including Zendaya (for “Challengers” ), Jolie (for “Maria”), Chalamet and James Mangold (for “A Complete Unknown”), Denis Villeneuve (for “Dune: Part Two” ), the cast of “The Piano Lesson,” and Franklin Leonard, founder of the unproduced screenplay platform The Black List.

Jolie, who plays the opera singer Maria Callas in “Maria,” also spoke about the importance of the arts.

“It’s so important that art be taught in our schools, and so concerning that is being reduced,” Jolie said.

Zendaya, honored for her performance in Luca Guadagnino's “Challengers,” took a moment to thank her date. “My mom's here tonight," she said. “Shout out mom.”

Chalamet read a short speech about his transformation into Bob Dylan for the upcoming “A Complete Unknown.”

“Getting to study and immerse myself in the world of Bob Dylan has been the greatest education a young artist can receive," Chalamet said. "If you're already a fan of Bob Dylan, this will make perfect sense to you. If you're not familiar with his work, perhaps our film can serve as a humble gateway to one of the great poets and chroniclers of our times.”

Best documentary went to “No Other Land,” a film made by a Palestinian and Israeli filmmaker collective that documents Israeli occupation of a Palestinian village in West Bank over the course of years. Despite being one of the year’s most acclaimed documentaries, “No Other Land” remains without an American distributor.

Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light,” a poetic drama about three women in modern Mumbai, took the award for best international film. Though the film was the first Indian movie in competition in more than 30 years at the Cannes Film Festival, India opted not to select it for its Oscar submission.

The award for breakthrough director went to Vera Drew for “The People's Joker,” a superhero parody about gender identity. Drew thanked Warner Bros. “for not suing me” and Nicole Kidman, an attendee, because, Drew said, “'Batman Forever' is when I realized I was trans.”

Filmmaker and photographer RaMell Ross poses with the best director award for "Nickel Boys" during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Actors Corey Hawkins, from left, Ray Fisher, Skylar Aleece Smith, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, and John David Washington pose with their ensemble tribute awards for "The Piano Lesson" during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Elle Fanning, from left, Boyd Holbrook and Monica Barbaro pose with honorees Timothee Chalamet and James Mangold with their visionary tribute awards for "A Complete Unknown" during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Actor Brandon Wilson poses with the breakthrough performer award for "Nickel Boys" and actor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Timothee Chalamet, left, and James Mangold pose with the visionary tribute award for "A Complete Unknown" during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

From left, Vanessa McDonnell, Aaron Schimberg, Adam Pearson, Gabriel Mayers, Sebastian Stan and Mike Marino pose with the best feature award for "A Different Man" during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Sebastian Stan attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Adam Pearson attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Director Vera Drew, center, poses with the breakthrough director award for "The People's Joker" with actors Adrien Brody, left, and Rachel Brosnahan during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Franklin Leonard poses with the anniversary tribute award during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Angelina Jolie attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Zoe Kravitz attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Oscar Isaac attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Natasha Lyonne attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

John David Washington attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Kieran Culkin attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Pablo Larrain, left, and Angelina Jolie attend The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Pamela Anderson attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Saoirse Ronan attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Zendaya attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Aubrey Plaza attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Actor Angelina Jolie, left, poses with the performer tribute award for her role in "Maria" with filmmaker Pablo Larrain during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Demi Moore attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Adrien Brody, left, and Georgina Chapman attend The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Zendaya attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Coleman Domingo attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia, left, and producer Thomas Hakim pose with the best international feature award for "All We Imagine as Light" during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Nicole Kidman attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Sean Baker attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Colman Domingo, from left, Clarence Maclin, Sean "Dino" Johnson, Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez and John "Divine G" Whitfield pose with the social justice tribute award for "Sing Sing" during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Adam Pearson attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Sebastian Stan attends The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Actor Zendaya poses with the spotlight tribute award for "Challengers" during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Colman Domingo, left, and Clarence Maclin pose with their social justice tribute awards for "Sing Sing" during The Gothams Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

MADRID (AP) — While Europe’s military heavyweights have already said that meeting President Donald Trump’s potential challenge to spend up to 5% of their economic output on security won't be easy, it would be an especially tall order for Spain.

The eurozone’s fourth-largest economy, Spain ranked last in the 32-nation military alliance last year for the share of its GDP that it contributed to the military, estimated to be 1.28%. That’s after NATO members pledged to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense — a target that 23 countries were expected to meet last year that was largely motivated by concerns about the war in Ukraine.

When pressed, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and others in his government have emphasized Spain’s commitment to European security and to NATO. Since 2018, Spain has increased its defense spending by about 50% from 8.5 billion euros ($8.9 billion) to 12.8 billion euros in 2023. Following years of underinvestment, the Sánchez government says the spending increase is proof of the commitment Spain made to hit NATO’s 2% target by 2029.

But for Spain to spend even more — and faster — would be tough, defense analysts and former officials say, largely because of the unpopular politics of militarism in the Southern European nation. The country’s history of dictatorship and its distance from Europe’s eastern flank also play a role.

“The truth is defense spending is not popular in European countries, whether it’s Spain or another European country,” said Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, a former Spanish ambassador to NATO who is currently a member of European Parliament from Spain’s conservative Popular Party. “We grew accustomed after the Second World War to delegate our ultimate defense to the United States of America through its military umbrella, and specifically its nuclear umbrella."

“It's true that we need to spend more,” Pascual de la Parte said of Spain.

Spain joined NATO in 1982, a year after the young, isolated democracy survived a coup attempt by its armed forces and seven years after the end of the 40-year military dictatorship led by Gen. Francisco Franco. Under a 1986 referendum, a narrow majority of Spaniards voted to stay in the alliance, but it wasn’t until 1999 that the country that is now Europe’s fourth-largest by population joined NATO’s military structure.

In that sense, “we are a very young member of NATO,” said Carlota Encina, a defense and security analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute think tank in Madrid.

Opinion polls generally show military engagement as unpopular among Spanish voters. An overwhelming majority of Spaniards were opposed to their country’s involvement in the 2003 Iraq war, polls showed at the time, but support for NATO in recent years has grown.

About 70% of Spaniards were in favor of NATO sending military equipment, weapons and ammunition to Ukraine soon after Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country, according to a March 2022 poll conducted by the state-owned Centre for Sociological Studies, or CIS. But only about half were in favor of Spain increasing its own defense budget, according to another survey CIS conducted that month.

Across the spectrum, political analysts and former Spanish politicians say militarism just isn’t great politics. Madrid is nearly 3,000 kilometers (roughly 1,800 miles) west of Kiev, unlike the capitals of Poland, Estonia or Latvia, which are closer and have exceeded the alliance's 2% target based on last year’s estimates.

Ignasi Guardans, a Spanish former member of the European Union’s parliament, said many Spaniards value their army for humanitarian efforts and aid work, like the help thousands of soldiers provided after the destructive Valencia flash floods last year.

“Now the army has returned to have some respect,” Guardans said, “but that’s not NATO.”

Encina said Spanish politicians generally feel much more pressure to spend publicly on other issues. “This is something that politicians here always feel and fear,” she said. The thinking goes, “why do we need to invest in defense and not in social issues?”

Spain’s leaders point out that while they have yet to meet NATO’s budget floor, it’s unfair to only consider the country’s NATO contributions as a percentage of GDP to measure of its commitments to Europe and its own security.

Officials often point to the country’s various EU and U.N. missions and deployments, arguing that through them, the country contributes in good form.

“Spain, as a member of NATO, is a serious, trustworthy, responsible and committed ally,” Defense Minister Margarita Robles told reporters this week following comments made by Trump to a journalist who asked the U.S. president about NATO’s low spenders. “And at this moment, we have more than 3,800 men and women in peace missions, many of them with NATO,” Robles said.

Spain’s armed forces are deployed in 16 overseas missions, according to the defense ministry, with ground forces taking part in NATO missions in Latvia, Slovakia and Romania and close to 700 soldiers in Lebanon as part of the country’s largest U.N. mission.

Spain also shares the Morón and Rota naval bases in the south of the country with the U.S. Navy, which stations six AEGIS destroyers at the Rota base in Cádiz.

Analysts also point to the fact that Spain’s government routinely spends more on defense than what is budgeted, through extraordinary contributions that can exceed the official budget during some years by 20% to 30%.

“The reality is, the whole thing is not very transparent,” Ignasi said.

Pascual de la Parte, who was Spain’s NATO ambassador from 2017 to 2018, said the 2% metric shouldn’t be the only measure since not every NATO member accounts for their defense budgets in the same way.

“There is no agreement between allies in choosing which criteria decide the real spending effort,” he said, adding that, for example, while some countries include things like soldiers’ pensions in their accounting, others don’t. “Ultimately, they can involve very disparate realities.”

FILE - A general view of the Meeting of the North Atlantic Council Session with fellow heads of state at the NATO summit at the IFEMA arena in Madrid, on June 30, 2022. (Jonathan Ernst/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Bulgarian and Spanish Air Forces'personnel pose in front of Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon II aircraft and MiG-29, in Graf Ignatievo, Feb. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova, file)

FILE - Armed Spanish military police are seen on duty at the square in front of the Spanish Cortes (Parliament) seen in the background, in Madrid, Feb. 24, 1981 while inside the lower house about 150 armed Civil Guards still hold the deputies hostage. (AP Photo)