NY joins lengthening line behind ‘Hurt Locker’
The New York Film Critics Circle has weighed in with their picks for the best of 2009 and the main surprise for me is that they actually agreed with LA on Best Film and Best Director. Not that either is undeserving, but the two groups almost willfully seem to disagree whenever possible.
I love the Best Screenplay nod for In the Loop, the Animated Film pick of Fantastic Mr. Fox and the Foreign Language selection Summer Hours. The latter is particularly gratifying since it’s officially my only 5-star review so far this year, yet it has been mostly ignored in favor of The White Ribbon and other films all year long. Now the LA and NY critics have corrected that somewhat.
As it was for the LA picks, the Christoph Waltz nom is very deserved, but I didn’t comment on it because it’s not very surprising. More surprising is how manyof the critics groups seem to be overlooking Gabourey Sidibe for Best Actress. I thought she was more effective than the one-and-a-half-note Mo’nique, but then my judgment of Precious itself is a little off base so what do I know?
For the record, I scored 5 out of 10 in the predictions which sucks, but is better than the 1 out of 10 I pulled with the LA critics.
- Best Film: 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 and Fantastic Mr. Fox
- Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique – Precious
- Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds
- Best Cinematography: Christian Berger - The White Ribbon
- Best Animated Film: Fantastic Mr. Fox
- Best Non-fiction Film: Of Time and the City
- Best Foreign Language Film: Summer Hours
- Best First Feature: Hunger, director Steve McQueen
- Special Award: To Andrew Sarris – his contribution to film criticism
via: Awards Daily
Filed under: Awards, Critics
Tags: New York Film Critics Circle, NYFCC
As I just stated at the Watercooler, I now believe THE HURT LOCKER (a film I gave 4 1/2 stars to when it released) is now apparently the front-runner for the Oscars, ahead of UP IN THE AIR, which at least for me is good news. Bigelow is a deserving winner too, even if a few others at least matched her for me.
The best performances of the year were delivered by Colin Firth and Abbie Cornish, not George Clooney and Meryl Streep. But hey, opinions greater than mine collaborated on those decisions.
I like FANTASTIC MR. FOX, but Pixar’s UP, an emotionally stirring film was the better choice, even if I worship Roald Dahl. The choice there of Davies’ OF TIME AND THE CITY is a very fine one, and Craig I do share your enthusiasm for Mr. Waltz.
The cinematography award for THE WHITE RIBBON is dead-on, as that’s it’s most extraordinary component.
SUMMER HOURS is a superlative choice. I might have 35 SHOTS OF RUM higher on my ten-best list, but both will be there, and either is a great choice.
It’s not my pick, but I’m not unhappy to see The Hurt Locker grabbing the critical support. I still think Up in the Air has an edge with the Academy because they’re a softer sell than critics.
I liked UP quite a bit when I saw it, but it faded for me quickly where Fantastic Mr. Fox was even better the second time around. As everyone has said, the opening segment of UP was sublime, but the rest didn’t live up to that early promise.
I’m a little skeptical that these critics’ picks have much sway over Oscar voters, but we’ll see.
They don’t have sway at all, but when both groups go with the same choice it does create some momentum.
The opening of UP was indeed sublime and it ranks with the restaurant scene in 35 SHOTS OF RUM as the best individual scene of the year. But the rest of UP for me was only marginally inferior, meaning it’s the second-best Pixar film of them all behind WALL-E.
Be easy.
Clooney given kudos for both roles – interesting.
Joel, I agree though I think all of this love gives the film a bigger echo on Oscar radar. The voters right now are swamped with screenings and screeners and there’s really no way they’re going to see everything. Hurt Locker came out in the Summer and hardly anyone saw it so it needs a little something something to gain some momentum. This at least might encourage some voters to have a look at it ahead of some of the other choices.
Sam, I’d put Up somewhere in the vast Pixar middle ground which I should add is leaps and bounds above much of what passes for family entertainment in the US. For me The Incredibles is the cream of the crop, Cars is at the bottom and is the only one they’ve made I have no interest in seeing again.
I saw that Alison and was disappointed they didn’t do the same for Streep (she was GREAT in Fox), though hers wasn’t a leading part so that’s probably why it didn’t cross over as it did for Clooney.
Aye Craig on CARS.
I’m with everyone on Cars. It wasn’t terrible but it was pretty forgettable in my opinion.
The Incredibles is definitely the best, in my opinion.