NY Film Critics Online Announce 12th Annual Awards, Plus AFI's Top 10

Melissa McCarthy

The New York Film Critics Online have followed in the footsteps of the New York Film Critics Circle and the Boston Film Critics Association by naming The Artist Best Picture of 20ll. Bridesmaids, however, was clearly a favorite, honoring the entire cast as best ensemble, plus Melissa McCarthy for best supporting actress.

Michael Shannon

McCarthy's win, along with  Michael Shannon's win for best actor in Take Shelter, were high moments in the evening. The date and place for presenting their 12th annual awards have not been announced.

Here are the major honorees:

NEW YORK FILM CRITICS ONLINE  LIST:

Best Picture, The Artist
Best Director Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Actor Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
Best Actress Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Best Supporting Actor, Albert Brooks, Drive
Best Supporting Actress, Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Best Screenplay Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Best Ensemble Cast, Bridesmaids
Best Foreign Language Film, A Separation
Best Documentary, Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Best Animated Film, The Adventures of Tintin
Breakthrough Performer, Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, The Debt, The Help, Take Shelter, Texas Killing Fields, Coriolanus
Best Cinematography, Emmanuel Lubezski, The Tree of Life
Best Use of Music, Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Best Debut Director, Joe Cornish, Attack the Block

For more, click the title of this post.

Meanwhile, The American Film Institute's top 10 included The Descendants, starring George Clooney; Martin Scorsese’s Hugo; Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris; Steven Spielberg’s War Horse, opening Christmas Day - be sure to take plenty of Kleenex; J.Edger, starring Leonardo DiCaprio; The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, first English version of Swedish author Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series trilogy; The Help, life in a 1950's Mississippi small town; Moneyball, the baseball movie that may win Brad Pitt the Oscar, and The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick's poetic look at family life back when. The AFI awards pretty much cover most of the top Oscar contenders. AFI Official Site.

On the record, I have seen the Swedish movie version of The Girl With the Golden Tattoo. I am anxious to compare it with the English version. I will say, I found the Swedish version course, brutal and often viscous. The original Swedish title means, "Men who Hate Women." Definitely not for the faint of heart.

National Board of Review and NY Film Critics Circle Award Their "Best Of" for 2011

Three Breakout Movies

 

Last week, both the National Board of Review (NBR) and the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) voted the Iranian movie A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) Best Foreign Film. Few outside the movie industry hear about the NBR or the NYFCC awards, but I post them because I rely upon them when making my Oscar picks.

 
A Separation, written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, was awarded the Golden Bear for best film and the Silver Bear for best acting ensemble at the Berlin Film Festival this year. In addition it won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Riga Film Forum in Latvia, along with many festival nominations and awards from various countries around the world.

I hope A Separation receives better treatment by the Academy this year than Farhadi's 2009 film, About Elly. For a list of films submitted and accepted for a run for and Oscar as Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards this coming February, see the link on the right sidebar.

 
Farhadi has a long list of awards beginning with his first movie, Dancing in the Dust in 2003, through his most previous film, About Elly. Unfortunately, his films have not received a single Oscar nomination. His internationally acclaimed About Elly was submitted to the Academy by Iran, but did not make the first cut. This year, A Separation was submitted by Iran. I hope the cultural, religious and political divides between the USA and Iran will not handicap this movie's chance for an Academy Award.

 
So far, there is hope for a first-time nomination for Farhadi. A Separation is about a married couple faced with a difficult decision. Should they move to another country to improve the life of their child, or stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's? For more on A Separation, click the title of this post.

 
The NY Film Critics Circle bestowed its Best Picture award for 2011 to Michel Hazanavicius’ black-and-white silent film The Artist, along with the Best Director award. I predict good things for this movie at the 84th Academy Awards.  Here is the NYFCC's winner's list:

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life)
Best Screenplay: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin (Moneyball)
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Best Foreign-Language Film: A Separation
Best Actor: Brad Pitt (Moneyball, The Tree Of Life)
Best Actress: Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain (The Tree Of Life, The Help and Take Shelter)
Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks (Drive)
Best Nonfiction Film: Cave Of Forgotten Dreams
Best First Feature: Margin Call
2011 Special Award: Raoul Ruiz (posthumous).

 
The National Board Of Review Named Hugo Best Film, and Martin Scorsese Best Director for the animated movie. I also predict good things for this movie at the Academy Awards. Here is is the NBR's winner's list:

Best Film: Hugo
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Actor: George Clooney, The Descendants
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
Best Original Screenplay: Will Reiser, 50/50
Best Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Breakthrough Performance: Felicity Jones, Like Crazy
Breakthrough Performance: Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Debut Director: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Best Ensemble: The Help
Spotlight Award: Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame, X-Men: First Class)
NBR Freedom of Expression: Crime After Crime
NBR Freedom of Expression: Pariah
Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation
Best Documentary: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: The Harry Potter Franchise – A Distinguished Translation from Book to Film.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 5:30 a.m. PT, in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 will be presented on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Official Site

82nd Academy Awards® Nominations

AVATAR and THE HURT LOCKER lead the nominations with the most, nine each. UP received five, including Best Animated Film and Best Motion Picture.

Will it be Sandra Bullock vs. Meryl Streep for Best Actress and James Cameron vs. Kathryn Bigelow (former wife) for Best Director? Or, will INGLORIOUS BASTERDS rewrite this speculation history by being the big winner?

Nominations for the 82 Academy Awards® were announced a little after 5 a.m. this morning from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak, accompanied by Oscar-nominated actress and Academy member Anne Hathaway, read the nominees for 10 out of the 24 categories.

The gold statuettes will be presented to the winners at a gala on Sunday, 7 March, in the Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

The Official Website for the Academy Awards is now up and, this year, it has gone high tech and interactive. Visitors will be able to cast their votes for many things connected to the awards. Click the title of this post to link to it.

Here are all the 82nd Academy Award Nominations ~~

BEST PICTURE (with director):
AVATAR, James Cameron
THE BLIND SIDE, John Lee Hancock
DISTRICT 9, Peter Jackson
AN EDUCATION, Lone Scherfig
THE HURT LOCKER, Kathryn Bigelow
INGLOURIOS BASTERDS, Quinten Tarantino
PRECIOUS: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, Lee Daniels
A SERIOUS MAN, Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
UP, Peter Docter
UP in the AIR, Jason Reitman

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Jeff Bridges, CRAZY HEART
George Clooney, UP in the AIR
Colin Firth, A SINGLE MAN
Morgan Freeman, INVICTUS
Jeremy Renner, THE HURT LOCKER

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Matt Damon, INVICTUS
Woody Harrelson, THE MESSENGER
Christopher Plummer, THE LAST STATION
Stanley Tucci, THE LOVELY BONES
Christoph Waltz, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Sandra Bullock, THE BLIND SIDE
Helen Mirren, THE LAST STATION
Carey Mulligan, AN EDUCATION
Gabourey Sidibe, PRECIOUS: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Meryl Streep, JULIE & JULIA

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Penélope Cruz, NINE
Vera Farmiga, UP in the AIR
Maggie Gyllenhaal, CRAZY HEART
Anna Kendrick, UP in the AIR
Mo'Nique, PRECIOUS: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
CORALINE, Henry Selick
FANTASTIC MR. FOX, Wes Anderson
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, John Musker and Ron Clements
THE SECRET OF KELLS, Tom Moore
UP, Pete Docter

ART DIRECTION:
AVATAR
THE IMAGINARIUM of DOCTOR PARNASSUS
NINE
SHERLOCK HOLMES
THE YOUNG VICTORIA
 
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
AVATAR
HARRY POTTER and the HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
THE WHITE RIBBON

DIRECTING:
AVATAR, James Cameron
THE HURT LOCKER, Kathryn Bigelow
INGLOURIUOUS BASTERDS, Quentin Tarantino
PRECIOUS: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, Lee Daniels
UP in the AIR, Jason Reitman

DOCUMENTARY (Feature):
BURMA VJ
THE COVE
FOOD, INC.
THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
WHICH WAY HOME

DOCUMENTARY (Short Subject):
CHINA'S UNNATURAL DISASTER: The Tears of Sichuan Province
THE LAST CAMPAIGN OF GOVERNOR BOOTH GARDNER
THE LAST TRUCK: Closing of a GM Plant
MUSIC BY PRUDENCE
RABBIT à la BERLIN

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM (with country and director/s):
AJAMI, Israel, Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani
EL SECRETO de SUS OJOS, Argentina (The Secret in Their Eyes), Juan José Campanella
THE MILK OF SOROW, Peru (La teta asustada), Claudia Llosa
UN PROPHÈTE, France (A PROPHET), Jacques Audiard
THE WHITE RIBBON, Germany (Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte), Michael Haneke

MUSIC (Original Score):
AVATAR, James Horner
FANTASTIC MR. FOX, Alexandre Desplat
THE HURT LOCKER, Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
SHERLOCK HOLMES, Hans Zimmer
UP, Michael Giacchino

MUSIC (Original Song):
"Almost There" from 'The Princess and the Frog' - Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Down in New Orleans" from 'The Princess and the Frog' - Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Loin de Paname" from 'Paris 36' - Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
"Take It All" from 'Nine' - Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
"The Weary Kind" from 'Crazy Heart' - Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

SHORT FILM (Animated):
FRENCH ROAST
GRANNY O'GRIMM'S SLEEPING BEAUTY
THE LADY AND REAPER (La Dama y la Muerte)
LOGORAMA
A MATTER of LOAF and DEATH

SHORT FILM (Live Action):
THE DOOR
INSTEAD OF ABRACADABRA
KAVI
MIRACLE FISH
THE NEW TENANTS

COSTUME DESIGN:
BRIGHT STAR
COCO BEFORE CHANEL
THE IMAGINARIUM of DOCTOR PARNASSUS
NINE
THE YOUNG VICTORIA

MAKEUP:
IL DIVO
STAR TREK
THE YOUNG VICTORIA

FILM EDITING:
AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
PRECIOUS: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

SOUND EDITING:
AVATAR
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
STAR TREK
UP

SOUND MIXING:
AVATAR
THE HURT LOCKER
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS
STAR TREK
TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen

VISUAL EFFECTS:
AVATAR
DISTRICT 9
STAR TREK

WRITING (Adapted Screenplay with writer/s):
DISTRICT 9, Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
AN EDUCATION, Nick Hornby
IN the LOOP, Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
PRECIOUS: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
UP in the AIR, Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner

WRITING (Original Screenplay with writer/s):
THE HURT LOCKER, Mark Boal
INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, Quentin Tarantino
THE MESSENGER, Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
A SERIOUS MAN, Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
UP, Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Tom McCarthy

For the list of all with all the credits, CLICK HERE.

Winners of the Motion Picture Golden Globes® for 2009

67th Golden Globe Awards, Sunday, 17 January 2010, Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills, California.

There were surprises and, perhaps, some questions about the winners at this year's Golden Globe Awards. One thing is certain, the winners are all over the map. There is no discernable pattern, no way to say that the Globes are an indicator of how the Academy Awards will go this year.

However, if you read this blog even occasionally, you have already learned that the sponsors of the Globes, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, is composed of journalists, as opposed to the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is composed of those who belong to the industry's guilds. The members of the HFPA nominate for the Golden Globes the people they want to see, and meet. The members of AMPAS honestly nominate their peers they not only work with and usually like, but the ones they feel actually deserve an Oscar, and "like" is the operative word.

Tonight was a fun night. James Cameron won for Best Director of AVATAR, and the technology expanding movie won Best Motion Picture, Drama. He even tipped his hat to one of his ex wives, Kathryn Bigelow, saying he thought she would take the director's award for THE HURT LOCKER. That might happen at the Oscars®.

And glory be, my favorite animated movie, UP, topped its category, thanks to the voice acting skills of one my favorite people on this Earth, Edward Asner, who voiced to role of the old curmudgeon. It also won best score for Michael Giacchino.

I must confess, I really like that score, but I was cheering for James Horner for AVATAR. I not only love his music, there is a familial connection. The same was true for Best Song. Down deep, I have felt the vibes for the nominated song from CRAZY HEART by T-Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham, "The Weary Kind," but there was the beautiful song in AVATAR, "I Will See You," by, yep, James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell.

THE WHITE RIBBON, directed by Michael Haneke, won the Best Film at Cannes last May and it won the Best Foreign Language Film tonight. I has been submitted for Oscar consideration in that category.

THE HANGOVER took home the statuette for Best Motion Picture, Musical Comedy or Drama. The Best Screenplay went to Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for UP IN THE AIR.

I was delighted to see Jeff Bridges win Best Actor, Drama, for CRAZY HEART, and not really surprised when Sandra Bullock won in the Best Actress, Drama, for THE BLIND SIDE. With the exception of Helen Mirren and Bullock, the other nominees were panty weights in that category, and I expected Bullock would win. Mirren's chances suffered because THE LAST STATION's lack of promotion and from poor distribution.

I knew Meryl Streep, who was nominated for two roles in the Best Actress, Musical or Comedy category, almost had to win one. I hoped it would be for her role as Julia Chile in JULIE & JULIA. It was, although she is a hoot opposite Alec Baldwin in IT'S COMPLICATED.

I'm blowing big kisses to Robert Downey, Jr., for a magnificent comedic performance in SHERLOCK HOLMES and for winning a Best Actor, Musical or Comedy Globe for it. Cheers for Jeff Bridges for winning in the same category for Drama.

No surprise concerning the winners of Best Supporting Actor and Actress, for sure. I have never seen a year when these categories have produced such strong contenders. Christoph Waltz for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, and Mo'Nique for PRECIOUS: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire. Both "heavy" roles.

The absolutely best list on the Planet of all the Golden Globe winners can be found on the IMDb, but here's the short list of the winners in the Motion Picture categories:

• Best Motion Picture - Drama: AVATAR.
• Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy: THE HANGOVER.
• Best Animated Motion Picture - UP.
• Best Foreign Language Film - THE WHITE RIBBON (Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte, Germay), directed by Michael Haneke.
• Best Director - Motion Picture: James Cameron for AVATAR.
• Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: UP IN THE AIR by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner.
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama: Jeff Bridges for CRAZY HEART.
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama: Sandra Bullock for THE BLIND SIDE.
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy: Robert Downey Jr., for SHERLOCK HOLMES.
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy: Meryl Streep for JULIE & JULIA.
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Drama: Christoph Waltz for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS.
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - Drama: Mo'Nique for PECIOIUS: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.
• Best Original Song - Motion Picture: "The Weary Kind," by T-Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham, CRAZY HEART.
• Best Original Score - Motion Picture: Michael Giacchino for UP.

GOLDEN GLOBES NOMINATE FOREIGN FILMS

These five films were nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) to vie for a Golden Globe as best foreign language film (BFLF):

THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX (DER BAADER MEINHOF KOMPLEX, Germany)*;

EVERLASTING MOMENTS (MARIA LARSSONS EVIGA ÖGONBLICK, Sweden/Denmark)*;

GOMORRAH (GOMORRA, Italy)*;
I'VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME, France). Releasing: Sony Pictures Classics;
WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Israel)*. Releasing: Sony Pictures Classics.
__
* Submitted to the Academy for consideration for BFLF Oscar. EVERLASTING MOMENTS submitted by Sweden, and France submitted THE CLASS instead.
__

In addition, the "little movie that might," SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, received a best picture (drama) nomination, and the director Danny Boyle received a best director nomination. SLUMDOG also received a best original score nomination for composer A. R. Rahman. This movie has been picked up by Fox Searchlight. Pay attention to it.

All the directors in the best motion picture (drama) competition were nominated, to wit: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (David Fincher) , FROST / NIXON (Ron Howard), THE READER (Stephen Daldry), and REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (Sam Mendes). Oh, if the Oscars could only be that clean this year.

Four of the nominated pictures picked up nominations for their leading actors: Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road), Frank Langella (Frost / Nixon), Sean Penn (Milk), and Brad Pitt (The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button). However, the one to watch in this category is Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler).

Only one actress from the nominated best motion picture (drama) list was nominated, Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road). The other actresses are: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Meryl Streep (Doubt), and Kristin Scott Thomas (I've Loved You So Long). Meryl Streep is also nominated for best actress (musical or comedy) for MAMMA MIA!

The five nominees in the best motion picture (musical or comedy) category are: BURN AFTER READING, HAPPY-G0-LUCKY, IN BRUGES, MAMMA MIA! and VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA. The actresses nominated in this category, other than Streep, are: Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky), Frances McDormand (Burn After Reading) and Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey).

My favorite actor leads the actors nominated in the best actor (musical or comedy) category, Javier Bardem (Vicky Cristina Barcelona). The others are: Colin Farrell (In Bruges), James Franco (Pineapple Express), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges) and Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey).

You can see the full list of nominees by clicking here, or the title of this post and hopefully, there will be a Golden Globes ceremony. You must remember that the gala was canceled last year because of the Writers Guild strike. Well, the actors (Screen Actors Guild) have been threatening to walk. Let us hope not, especially with the economy in such bad shape.

Nicholson, Streep to present at Oscars®

Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, each holding the record for most Academy Award® nominations by actors in their respective categories, will join Oscar® winner Philip Seymour Hoffman as presenters on the 79th Academy Awards, telecast producer Laura Ziskin announced today. Also announced as presenters: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey, Jr., Greg Kinnear, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Ken Watanabe, Naomi Watts, Gael Garcia Bernal, Emily Blunt, Catherine Deneuve, former Vice President Al Gore, James McAvoy, and Jerry Seinfeld.

Previously listed in the post of 22 February:
Ben Affleck, Jessica Biel, Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Will Ferrell, Jodie Foster, Eva Green, Tom Hanks, Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Diane Keaton, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez, Tobey Maguire, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Rachel Weisz, Kate Winslet, and Reese Witherspoon.

Once PricewaterhouseCoopers has tabulated the votes, the winners’ names will be placed in sealed, foil-lined envelopes. Only two people at PWC will know the results before the envelopes are opened onstage Oscar Night®, Sunday, 25 February, lead partners Brad Oltmanns and Rick Rosas. 5,830 final ballots were mailed to voting members of the Academy on Wednesday, 31 January.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented this Sunday night at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®. The Oscars® will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST).

The evening begins with a half-hour arrivals segment, "The Road to the Oscars®," before the start of the presentation ceremony at 5 p.m., PST. Film historian, television host, and Hollywood Reporter columnist Robert Osborne will once again serve as the Academy's red carpet celebrity greeter. Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley will be the voice of fashion, and Allyson Waterman will interview the various celebrities.