Since the National Board of Review aren’t critics, I’ll start a separate thread on the various national & regioinal Critics organizations that give out awards at the end of the year.
First up: The Boston Film Critics (winners in Bold, runners-up in Italics)
Picture: The Departed / United 93
Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland / Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson
Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen / Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Supporting Actor: Mark Wahlberg, The Departed / Michael Sheen, The Queen & Alec Baldwin, The Departed
Supporting Actress: Shareeka Epps, Half Nelson / Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Director: Martin Scorsese, The Departed / Paul Greengrass, United 93
Screenplay: The Departed / The Queen
Foreign Language Film: Pan’s Labyrinth / Volver
Documentary: Deliver Us from Evil & Shut Up and Sing / 51 Birch Street
Cinematography: Pan’s Labyrinth / The Painted Veil & Curse of the Golden Flower
Not a big surprise that Scorsese’s film is popular among the Boston crowd, but lots of love for The Queen, Half Nelson & Pan’s Labyrinth, too.
The Los Angeles Film Critics announce later today, and the New York tomorrow.
Los Angeles Film Critics (winners in Bold, runners-up in Italics)
Picture: Letters from Iwo Jima / The Queen
Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland & Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat
Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen / Penelope Cruz, Volver
Supporting Actor: Michael Sheen, The Queen / Sergi Lopez, Pan’s Labyrinth
Supporting Actress: Luminita Gheorghiu, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu / Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Director: Paul Greengrass, United 93 / Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers
Screenplay: The Queen / Little Miss Sunshine
Foreign Language Film: The Lives of Others / Volver
Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth / Darwin’s Nightmare
Cinematography: Children of Men / Flags of Our Fathers
Production Design: Pan’s Labyrinth / Children of Men
Music: The Queen & The Painted Veil / The Good German & Little Children
Animated Feature: Happy Feet / Cars
New York Film Critics Online (different from the NY (print) Film Critics):
Picture: The Queen
Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen
Supporting Actor: Michael Sheen, The Queen
Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls & Catherine O’Hara, For Your Consideration
Director: Stephen Frears, The Queen
Screenplay: The Queen
Foreign Language Film: Pan’s Labyrinth
Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
Cinematography: The Illusionist
Music: The Illusionist
Animated Feature: Happy Feet
Wow…The Queen wins one and comes in second in the other, plus Forrest winning for King and Helen as Queen - looks like a very royal year ahead…I suppose it would only be fitting for a Queen to finally win this year, considering Brokeback lost last year.
Letters From Iwo Jima has gotten rave reviews, and reading them, I am considering going to see it, despite the fact I am not a big war film fan. I had no idea the history behind the story, and it sounds like this certainly is a (true) story worth learning about in this film.
Well, at least a few nominations for Oscar are already set - my guess is Helen should start preparing her acceptance speech - (as I predicted in the recent thread about The Queen) - although I am sort of surprised neither set of film critics even mentioned The Departed - I was sure that was a lock for Best Film this year. And no love for Blood Diamond?
Picture: United 93
Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen
Supporting Actor: Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Director: Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Screenplay: The Queen
Foreign Language Film: Army of Shadows
Documentary: Deliver Us from Evil
Cinematography: Pan’s Labyrinth
Animated Feature: Happy Feet
Washington D.C. Film Critics:
Picture: United 93
Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen
Supporting Actor: Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Director: Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine & Thank You for Smoking
Foreign Language Film: Pan’s Labyrinth
Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth
Art Direction: Marie Antoinette
Animated Feature: Happy Feet
The Whitaker/Mirren sweep continues, with Scorsese & Hudson following close behind, though no real front-runner is emerging from Picture, though The Queen & The Departed seem to be the two true locks for a nod at this point (they were both locked in a tie for Pic in NY, and U93 was picked as a compromise choice). I honestly don’t think U93 has a prayer at an Oscar Pic nod, but it does increase director Greengrass’s likelihood in the Director’s branch.
Army of Shadows is a terrific film but a cheat choice because it was made 35 years ago. Really can’t wait until Pan’s Labyrinth is released. That and Children of Men are the two I’m most looking forward to.
Ack! I really REALLY wish I’d seen United 93 now. It was high on my radar but when it came I just never got around to it. I have seen/will see everything else on the list. Is it out on DVD?
I don’t quite get the love for Little Children. It was a good movie, but, IMO, not a great one. There were several that I liked quite a bit more. LC better than Apocalypto? Come on. Hooray for the addition of Blood Diamond though.
Good for Leo! They’re doing what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can’t do, nominating him for both films.
I’m kicking myself for missing Half Nelson too.
Hooray for Penelope, but…Kate Winslet? She’s probably my favorite current actress out there (well, along with Cate Blanchett and Nicole Kidman) but she didn’t have a whole lot to do in LC. She did it well though, as always.
I knew I loved these guys. Ben Affleck! He deserves far more awards attention for that role. I don’t get the Djimon Hounsou though. Blood Diamonds was one of my favorite films of the year, but his role was badly underwritten. It was my one disappointment about the film. Jackie Earle Haley from Little Children should be on that list.
Adriana, Rinko, Catherine and Emma? Alright! Damn I love these critics!
Great lineup. Bobby! Cool! (ok, so I’m inarticulate tonight)
All good. Nice that someone remembered Monster House.
I missed A Good Year too.
I missed Akeelah and the Bee too. Hurry up, Pan’s Labyrinth!
Good for TYFS.
Pirates?? I missed Lassie (darn it). Nice that Flicka wasn’t forgotten.
I haven’t seen any of these.
Apocalypto!! Great!
This category confuses me. At least, “The Neighbor” confuses me. Was it a song written specifically for the film? Because if they’re going to choose a song that was IN the film, “Not Ready To Make Nice” is one of the greatest songs ever.
Ok, someone else remembered Marie Antoinette.
I have to admit that I don’t pay much attention to scores as I’m watching the movie. Composers have to walk a fine line. If the score stands out too much, that’s bad. If people don’t really think about the music as they’re watching the film, the composer has done his or her job. However, if the score is unmemorable, they haven’t done their job well enough. I’m sure these are all very good.
Wordplay! Good. I didn’t see TFINYR and WKTEC. I’m rooting for Shut Up and Sing. I saw it twice and I’m not even a Dixie Chicks fan (except for that one song).
San Francisco Film Critics Circle (I only have winners):
I saw little children a while ago, maybe a month or so ago and it has held up as my favorite picture of the year. I hope it does well come Oscar season. It’d also be pretty neat if Sacha Baron Cohen gets a nomination but I’d be more than a little surprised.
It still appears that Helen Mirren has a lock on just about every award. I HAVE to see Pan’s Labyrinth but I don’t see it opening any time soon in Canada. We’ll see.