Indiana, San Francisco, Southeastern and Austin Film Critics Awards

December 19, 2009

Not a whole lot of surprises from these four critics groups, but it is nice to see a few people getting much deserved recognition such as Melanie Laurent and Christian McKay. I'm also thrilled to see one of my favorite movies of the year, Where the Wild Things Are, garner some love from critics in Indiana.

Here are the winners:

Indiana Film Critics Awards

Best Film- Up in the Air

Best Foreign Language Film- Sin Nombre

Best Documentary- The Cove

Best Animated Film- Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best Director- Spike Jonze- Where the Wild Things Are

Best Actor- George Clooney- Up in the Air

Best Actress- Carey Mulligan- An Education

Best Supporting Actress- Mo'Nique- Precious

Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Best Screenplay- Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner- Up in the Air

Original Vision Award- Where the Wild Things Are



San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards

Best Picture- The Hurt Locker

Best Director- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Original Screenplay- Quentin Tarantino- Inglourious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay- Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach- Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best Actor- Colin Firth- A Single Man

Best Actress- Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor- Christian McKay- Me & Orson Welles

Best Supporting Actress- Mo'Nique- Precious

Best Foreign Language Film- You, the Living

Best Documentary- Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Best Cinematography- A Serious Man

Special Citation- Sita Sings the Blues



Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards

Best Picture- Up in the Air

Best Actor- George Clooney- Up in the Air

Best Actress- Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress- Mo'Nique- Precious

Best Director- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Original Screenplay- Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber- (500) Days of Summer

Best Adapted Screenplay- Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner- Up in the Air

Best Foreign Language Film- Summer Hours

Best Documentary- Food, Inc.

Best Animated Feature- Up

Wyatt Award (given to a film that best depicts the South)- That Evening Sun



Austin Film Critics Association Awards

Best Picture- The Hurt Locker

Best Director- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Actor- Colin Firth- A Single Man

Best Actress- Melanie Laurent- Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress- Anna Kendrick- Up in the Air

Best Original Screenplay- Quentin Tarantino- Inglourious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay- Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner- Up in the Air

Best Cinematography- The Hurt Locker

Best Original Score- Up

Best Foreign Language Film- Sin Nombre

Best Documentary- Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Best Animated Film- Up

Breakthrough Artist Award- Christian McKay- Me and Orson Welles

Best First Film- Neil Blomkamp- District 9

Best Austin Film- Me and Orson Welles

Alliance of Women Film Journalists Awards

December 18, 2009

These ladies sure like to give out awards, which are called the EDAs (Excellent Dynamic Activism). Awards are split into three categories: EDA Annual Achievement Awards, EDA Female Focus Awards, EDA Special Mention Awards. Some categories are obviously a bit tounge-in-cheek, but most truly reward films that impacted the female film critic community.

There aren't enough women directors in Hollywood, so I'm sure it was refreshing for voters to unabashedly proclaim Kathryn Bigelow as Best Director for The Hurt Locker. The AWFJ isn't alone. Bigelow has pretty much won every Best Director award so far. Look for her to win once again during the Academy Awards ceremony.

Here are the winners:

EDA Annual Achievement Awards

Best Film- The Hurt Locker

Best Animated Film- Up

Best Director- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Original Screenplay- Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber- (500) Days of Summer

Best Adapted Screenplay- Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner- Up in the Air

Best Documentary- The Cove

Best Actress- Carey Mulligan- An Education

Best Supporting Actress- Mo'Nique- Precious

Best Actor- Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart

Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Best Ensemble Cast- The Hurt Locker

Best Editing- Inglourious Basterds

Most Beautiful Film- Bright Star

Best Non-English-Language Film- Summer Hours

EDA Female Focus Awards

Best Woman Director- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Woman Screenwriter- Jane Campion- Bright Star

Best Animated Female- Coraline- Coraline

Best Breakthrough Performance- Carey Mulligan- An Education

Woman's Image Award- Kathryn Bigelow

Perseverance Award- Agnes Varda

Actress Defying Age and Ageism- Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia and It's Complicated

Sexist Pig Award- Robert Luketic- The Ugly Truth

This Year's Outstanding Achievement By a Woman in the Film Industry- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

AWFJ Award for Humanitarian Activism- Rebecca Cammisa- Which Way Home

EDA Special Mention Awards

AWFJ Hall of Shame Award- Robert Luketic- The Ugly Truth

Actress Most in Need of a New Agent- Hilary Swank

Movie You Wanted to Love But Just Couldn't- Amelia

Unforgettable Moment Award (tie)- Shoshanna (Melanie Laurent) burns down the theater- Inglourious Basterds & Mary (Mo'Nique) admits the abuse- Precious

Best Depiction of Nudity, Sexuality or Seduction (tie)- Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard- An Education & Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin- It's Complicated

Sequel That Shouldn't Have Been Made Award- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Remake That Shouldn't Have Been Made Award- Land of the Lost

Cultural Crossover Award- District 9

Bravest Performance Award- Mo'Nique- Precious

Most Egregious Age Difference Between the Leading Man and the Love Interest Award- Larry David & Evan Rachel Wood (40 years difference)- Whatever Works

NY Film Critics Online & NY Film Critics Circle Awards

December 18, 2009

The lesser known New York Film Critics Online awarded Best Picture to Avatar, while the more respected New York Film Critics Circle awarded Best Picture to The Hurt Locker. Yet, the Big Apple critics do agree on the winners in a number of categories including Kathryn Bigelow for Best Director, Meryl Streep for Best Actress, Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor and Mo'Nique for Best Supporting Actress.

I think Meryl Streep has become the solid front runner for the Best Actress Oscar for her great portrayal of Julia Child in Julie & Julia. Also, there very well could be a showdown for the Best Animated Picture Oscar between Up and Fantastic Mr. Fox. I will be rooting for Up.

Here are the winners:

New York Film Critics Online Awards

Best Picture- Avatar

Best Actor- Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart

Best Actress- Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

Best Director- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress- Mo'Nique- Precious

Breakthrough Performer- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Debut Director- Marc Webb- (500) Days of Summer

Best Ensemble Cast- In the Loop

Best Screenplay- Quentin Tarantino- Inglourious Basterds

Best Documentary- The Cove

Best Foreign Language Film- The White Ribbon

Best Animated Film- Up

Best Cinematography- Inglourious Basterds

Best Film Music or Score- Crazy Heart

Top Ten Films of 2009 (in alphabetical order):

Adventureland
Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
Precious
A Serious Man
Two Lovers
Up
Up in the Air



New York Film Critics Circle Awards:

Best Picture- The Hurt Locker

Best Director- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Screenplay- In the Loop

Best Actress- Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

Best Actor- George Clooney- Up in the Air & Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best Supporting Actress- Mo'Nique- Precious

Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Best Cinematography- The White Ribbon

Best Animated Film- Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best Non-Fiction Film- Of Time and the City

Best Foreign Film- Summer Hours

Best First Film- Steve McQueen- Hunger

Boston Society of Film Critics Award Winners

December 15, 2009

In Bahston, they sure do like their bomb disarming Iraq War movies. The Hurt Locker took home five awards including Picture, Director and Actor for Jeremy Renner. Renner is the wild card when it comes to the Best Actor Oscar nominations. At this point, George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Colin Firth and Morgan Freeman are probably going to get nominated for their respective films. The fifth slot could go to Renner, though Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man) and Daniel Day-Lewis (Nine) are also very much in the running. It seems to me at this point that Kathryn Bigelow is the clear favorite to win the Oscar for Best Director. That would not be a bad win at all.

Here are the winners:

Best Picture- The Hurt Locker

Best Actor- Jeremy Renner- The Hurt Locker

Best Actress- Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress- Mo'Nique- Precious

Best Director- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Screenplay- Joel & Ethan Coen- A Serious Man

Best Cinematography- The Hurt Locker

Best Documentary- The Cove

Best Foreign Language Film- Summer Hours

Best Animated Film- Up

Best Film Editing- The Hurt Locker

Best New Filmmaker- Neill Blomkamp- District 9

Best Ensemble Cast (tie)- Precious & Star Trek

Best Use of Music in a Film- Crazy Heart

American Film Institute's Movies of the Year- Official Selections

December 15, 2009

This is not a very good list. Sure, The Hangover is funny, but it's not THAT funny. It's good, but it's not THAT good. Coraline is fine, but it doesn't deserve to be called one of the ten best American films of the year. Same goes for The Messenger. Of course, I'm glad to see a few five star films on their list (Up in the Air, Up, Sugar), as well as two four-and-a-half star flicks (A Serious Man, The Hurt Locker).

Here are the winners:

Coraline

The Hangover

The Hurt Locker

The Messenger

Precious

A Serious Man

A Single Man

Sugar

Up

Up in the Air

Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards

December 15, 2009

The Hurt Locker gets its first Best Picture win courtesy of the LA film critics. That's not the only big story coming out of the LAFCAs. Yolande Moreau for Seraphine??? Where did that come from? I haven't seen Seraphine yet, but it's been on my list to see for a long time, and now I can't wait to check it out. Jeff Bridges also garners some love, which makes me think he's pretty much a lock on an Oscar nomination for Best Actor at this point. Also, District 9 won in just the right categories, which makes me slightly less perturbed that the inferior Fantastic Mr. Fox beat out the wondrous Up. It's okay, though, since Up will absolutely win the Oscar. No doubt about it folks!

Here are the winners: (go to http://www.lafca.net/news.html to see the runners-up in each category)

Best Picture- The Hurt Locker

Best Director- Kathryn Bigelow- The Hurt Locker

Best Actress- Yolande Moreau- Seraphine

Best Actor- Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart

Best Animated Feature- Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best Foreign Language Film- Summer Hours

New Generation Award- Neill Blomkamp- District 9

Best Music/Score- Crazy Heart

Best Production Design- District 9

Best Cinematography- The White Ribbon

Best Supporting Actress- Mo'Nique- Precious

Best Supporting Actor- Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

Best Screenplay- Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner- Up in the Air

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film (tie)- The Beaches of Agnes & The Cove

European Film Awards

December 15, 2009

There's an ocean between us, but that doesn't mean that we should ignore the accolades that the European critics dole out. Sadly, the European Film Awards have no impact whatsoever on the Academy Awards, but they often single out some of those films that we Americans might not yet have had the chance to see. Personally, I can't wait until I see The White Ribbon and A Prophet. It's also nice to revisit some films that were released in America in 2008. Slumdog Millionaire is a true gem, and Kate Winslet gives one of my all-time favorite performances ever in The Reader.

Here are the winners:

European Film- The White Ribbon

European Actor- Tahar Rahim- A Prophet

European Actress- Kate Winslet- The Reader (US release in 2008)

European Screenwriter- Michael Haneke- The White Ribbon

Carlo di Palma European Cinematographer- Anthony Dod Mantle- Antichrist & Slumdog Millionaire (Slumdog Millionaire US release in 2008)

European Film Academy Prix D'Excellence- Brigitte Taillandier, Francis Wargnier, Jean-Paul Hurier & Marc Doisne (Sound Design)- A Prophet

European Composer- Alberto Iglesias- Broken Embraces

European Discovery- Katalin Varga (No US release date set)

European Film Academy Animated Feature Film- Mia and the Magoo (No US release date set)

European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award- Ken Loach

European Achievement in World Cinema- Isabelle Huppert

European Film Academy Documentary- The Sound of Insects

People's Choice Award for Best European Film- Slumdog Millionaire