Saturday, December 21, 2013

Dublin Film Critics Circle

BEST PICTURE
  1. Gravity
  2. The Great Beauty
  3. The Act of Killing
  4. Blue is the Warmest Color
  5. Before Midnight
  6. Behind the Candelabra
  7. Django Unchained
  8. Beyond the Hills
  9. The Selfish Giant; Blue Jasmine; Zero Dark Thirty
  10. What Maisie Knew 
BEST DIRECTOR
  1. Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
  2. Paolo Sorrentino, The Great Beauty
  3. Clio Barnard, The Selfish Giant
  4. Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty; Abdellatif Kechiche, Blue is the Warmest Color; Steven Soderbergh, Behind the Candelabra; Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
  5. Ben Wheatley, A Field in England
  6. Richard Linklater, Before Midnight
  7. Derek Cianfrance, The Place Beyond the Pines
  8. Shane Carruth, Upstream Color
  9. Cristian Mungiu, Beyond the Hills
  10. Joshua Oppenheimer, The Act of Killing; Woody Allen, Blue Jasmine 

Friday, December 20, 2013

Nevada Film Critics Association

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
ACTRESS: Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
ANIMATED FILM: Frozen
ENSEMBLE CAST: August: Osage County
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug- Dan Hennah
VISUAL EFFECTS: Gravity
YOUTH PERFORMANCE: Sophie Nelisse, The Book Thief

Utah Film Critics Association

PICTURE: Gravity
runner-up: 12 Years a Slave
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
runner-up: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
ACTRESS: Adéle Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color
runners-up: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine; Sandra Bullock, Gravity
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Bill Nighy, About Time
runner-up: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Scarlett Johansson, Her
runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The World's End- Simon Pegg & Edgar Wright
runner-up: The Way Way Back- Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Blue Midnight- Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke
runner-up: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
runners-up: From Up on Poppy Hill; The Wind Rises
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
runner-up: The Past
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
runner-up: Inside Llewyn Davis- Bruno Delbonnel

2013 Foreign Language Film Shortlist

  • The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
  • An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
  • The Grandmaster (Hong Kong)
  • The Great Beauty (Italy)
  • The Hunt (Denmark)
  • The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
  • The Notebook (Hungary)
  • Omar (Palestine)
  • Two Lives (Germany)

Saving Mr. Banks

"It smells of chlorine... and sweat," is author P.L. Travers' (played by Emma Thompson) first comment of Los Angeles in Saving Mr. Banks, a featherweight cinematic footnote that tries to explore how how her iconic Mary Poppins became a practically perfect in every way confection for Walt Disney Studios.  Travers, in the film,  intends it as a put down, and it's not the first nor the last biting word the author shares throughout the course of the two hour plus film.  As characterized by screenwriters Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith, Travers is a most disagreeable figure-- a harsh, unlikable ninny whose displeasure is squarely aimed at Walt Disney who has the gall to try and seduce the stuffy, refined British harpy into signing away the rights to her beloved creation.  Her fears are that a Disney-fied adaptation would turn her books into a twinkly, sparkly confection devoid of reality, humanity or, as she eloquently puts it, "gravitas."

The cruel joke of the artificially sweetened Saving Mr. Banks is, of course, that Walt Disney did indeed make Mary Poppins and made it into one of his most charming, eternally loved properties-- the 1964 classic remains to this day the only live action film distributed by Disney to be nominated for a Best Picture nomination, and just this last week the film was inducted for preservation by the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."  Take that Mrs. Travers, of which she insists on being called.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Las Vegas Film Critics Society

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave

Top Ten of 2013:
  1. 12 Years a Slave
  2. Dallas Buyers Club
  3. Gravity
  4. The Wolf of Wall Street
  5. American Hustle
  6. Inside Llewyn Davis
  7. Saving Mr. Banks
  8. Nebraska
  9. Her
  10. Lone Survivor 
DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
ACTRESS: Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: Blackfish
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
FILM EDITING: Gravity- Alfonso Cuaron & Mark Sanger
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Gravity- Andy Nicholson
COSTUME DESIGN: 12 Years a Slave- Patricia Norris
SCORE: 12 Years a Slave- Hans Zimmer
SONG: "Please Mr. Kennedy," 12 Years a Slave
VISUAL EFFECTS: Gravity
FAMILY FILM: Saving Mr. Banks
HORROR / SCI-FI FILM: Pacific Rim
COMEDY FILM: This Is the End
ACTION FILM: Lone Survivor
YOUTH IN FILM: Ty Sheridan, Mud
BREAKOUT FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station
WILLIAM HOLDEN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: John Goodman

Florida Film Critics Circle

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: American Hustle
DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Joaquin Phoenix, Her
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
runner-up: Judi Dench, Philomena
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
runner-up: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
runner-up: American Hustle- Eric Singer & David O. Russell
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
runner-up: The Wolf of Wall Street- Terrence Winter
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
runner-up: The Wind Rises 
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
runner-up: The Hunt 
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Great Gatsby
runner-up: American Hustle
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity
runner-up: Inside Llewyn Davis
VISUAL EFFECTS: Gravity
runner-up: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
PAULINE KAEL BREAKOUT AWARD: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station

2013 National Registry Inductees

The following is the list of the 25 films invited to join the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress:



  • Bless Their Little Hearts (1984)- Billy Woodbury's independent drama.
  • Brandy in the Wilderness (1961)- Stanton Kaye's experimental autobiography
  • Cicero March (1966)- Eight minute documentary about race relations in an Illinois town.
  • Daughter of Dawn (1929)- Recently unearthed independent drama.
  • Decasia (2002)- Bill Morrison's documentary consisting of decomposing nitrate.
  • Ella Cinders (1926)- Silent featuring Colleen Moore
  • Forbidden Planet (1956)- Fred M. Wilcox's sci/fi adventure with Walter Pigeon that's loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest.
  • Gilda (1946)- Charles Vidor's noir classic which features legend Rita Hayworth at her most utterly iconic while lip-syncing to "Put the Blame on Mame."
  • The Hole (1962)- John and Faith Hubley's Oscar-winning animated short.
  • Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)- Stanley Kramer's twice Oscar-winning chronicle of the Nuremberg trials which starred Maximilian Schell, Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift, Judy Garland, and a pre-Captain Kirk William Shatner.
  • King of Jazz (1930)- Musical revue shot in two-strip Technicolor that featured a young Bing Crosby.
  • The Lunch Date (1989)- Adam Davidson's ten-minute short that won the 1990 Student Academy Award.
  • The Magnificent Seven (1960)- John Sturges' American remake of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai with Steve McQueen.
  • Martha Graham Early Dance Films (1931-1944)- Four silent films featuring Graham.
  • Mary Poppins (1964)- Right in time for the films 40th anniversary; Julie Andrews won an Oscar for her portrayal of practically perfect nanny based on P.L. Travers' novel.  You can see the (fictionalized) backstory of how it got made in the current Saving Mr. Banks.
  • Men & Dust (1940)- Labor advocacy film produced and directed by Lee Dick, a pioneering female documentary filmmaker.
  • Midnight (1939)- A romantic comedy directed by Mitchell Leisen from a script by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett-- Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche and John Barrymore star,
  • Notes on the Port of St. Francis(1951)- Experimental documentary from Frank Stauffacher narrated by Vincent Price.
  • Pulp Fiction (1994)- Quentin Tarantino's splicing of genre and form; won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and the Palme D'Or at Cannes. 
  • The Quiet Man (1992)- John Ford won his fourth Oscar for this classic which starred John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara.
  • The Right Stuff (1983)- Philip Kaufman's epic about the early days of the space age.
  • Roger & Me (1989)- Michael Moore's muckraking documentary about his pursuit of GM honcho Roger Smith; the film that started it all.
  • A Virtuous Vamp (1919)- Silent romantic comedy written by Anita Loos.
  • Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)- Mike Nichols' adaptation of the Edward Albee play that won 5 Oscars, including one for star Elizabeth Taylor.
  • Wild boys of the Road (1933)- William Wellman's socially conscious Great Depression drama.

Edgar Wright's Top Ten of 2013

I love it when filmmakers make a personal top ten list.  Here's Edgar Wright's auteur-heavy top picks for 2013.  Whilst his Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz are dear to my heart (I haven't seen The World's End yet, I know!), it was his Scott Pilgrim vs. the World that stole it, a top ten personal favorite of mine from 2010.  He was even gracious enough to add a corresponding video.

  1. Gravity (Alfonso Cuarón)
  2. Spring Breakers (Harmony Korine)
  3. Blue Jasmine (Woody Allen)
  4. Before Midnight (Richard Linklater)
  5. Behind the Candelabra (Steven Soderbergh)
  6. Short Term 12 (Destin Cretton)
  7. The Spectacular Now (James Pondstadt)
  8. Prisoners (Denis Villeneuve)
  9. The Bling Ring (Sofia Coppola)
  10. Rush (Ron Howard)

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Phoenix Film Critics Society

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave

Top Ten of 2013:
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • American Hustle
  • Dallas Buyers Club
  • Gravity
  • Mud
  • Nebraska
  • Philomena
  • Saving Mr. Banks
  • Short Term 12 
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Nebraska- Bob Nelson
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: 20 Feet From Stardom
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
COSTUME DESIGN: The Great Gatsby- Catherine Martin
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Gravity
SCORE: Frozen
SONG: "Let it Go," Frozen
STUNTS: Fast & Furious 6
LIVE ACTION FAMILY FILM (G or PG): Oz: The Great & Powerful
OVERLOOKED FILM OF THE YEAR: (tie) The Kings of Summer; The Spectacular Now
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE ON CAMERA: Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE OFF CAMERA: Lake Bell, In a World...
BEST YOUTH PERFORMANCE (MALE): Ty Sheridan, Mud
BEST YOUTH PERFORMANCE (FEMALE): Sophie Nélisse, The Book Thief

Austin Film Critics Association

 
PICTURE: Her

Top Ten of 2013
  1. Her
  2. 12 Years a Slave
  3. Gravity
  4. The Wolf of Wall Street
  5. Inside Llewyn Davis
  6. Short Term 12
  7. Mud
  8. Before Midnight
  9. Dallas Buyers Club
  10. Captain Phillips 
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
ACTRESS: Brie Larson, Short Term 12
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
SCORE: Her- Arcade Fire
FIRST FILM: Fruitvale Station- Ryan Coogler
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST: Brie Larson, Short Term 12
BEST AUSTIN FILM: Before Midnight
SPECIAL HONORARY AWARD: Scarlett Johansson, Her

Toronto Film Critics Association

PICTURE: Inside Llewyn Davis
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wind Rises
FOREIGN FILM: A Touch of Sin
FIRST FEATURE: Neighboring Sounds
BEST CANADIAN FILM: The Dirties; Gabrielle; Watermark

Chicago Film Critics Association

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave
DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wind Rises
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
FOREIGN FILM: The Act of Killing
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Gravity
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity
FILM EDITING: Gravity
ORIGINAL SCORE: Her
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Adéle Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER: Destin Cretton, Short Term 12

Monday, December 16, 2013

Film Comment's Best of 2013

  1. Inside Llewyn Davis- Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
  2. 12 Years a Slave- Steve McQueen
  3. Before Midnight- Richard Linklater
  4. The Act of Killing- Joshua Oppenheimer
  5. A Touch of Sin- Jia Zhang-ke
  6. Leviathan- Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Véréna Paravel
  7. Gravity- Alfonso Cuarón
  8. Computer Chess- Andrew Bujalski
  9. Frances Ha- Noah Buambach
  10. Upstream Color- Shane Carruth
  11. Museum Hours- Jem Cohen
  12. Blue is the Warmest Color- Abdellatif Kechiche
  13. Bastards- Claire Denis
  14. Spring Breakers- Harmony Korine
  15. Like Someone in Love- Abbas Kiarostami
  16. Stories We Tell- Sarah Polley
  17. Her- Spike Jonze
  18. Nebraska- Alexander Payne
  19. American Hustle- David O. Russell
  20. The Grandmaster- Wong Kar Wai
  21. At Berkeley- Frederick Wiseman
  22. Beyond the Hills- Christian Mungiu
  23. No- Pablo Larraín
  24. The Great Beauty- Paolo Sorrentino
  25. Blue Jasmine- Woody Allen
  26. All is Lost- J.C. Chandor
  27. Post Tenebras Lux- Carlos Reygadas
  28. Something in the Air- Olivier Assayas
  29. Viola- Matías Pineiro
  30. Fruitvale Station- Ryan Coogler
  31. To the Wonder- Terrence Malick
  32. Night Across the Street- Raúl Ruiz
  33. Room 237- Rodney Ascher
  34. Faust- Aleksandr Sokurov
  35. Let the Fire Burn- Jason Osder
  36. Le Pont du Nord- Jacques Rivette
  37. The Wolf of Wall Street- Martin Scorsese
  38. You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet- Alain Resnais
  39. The Last Time I Saw Macao- Joao Pedro Rodriguez
  40. The Past- Asghar Farhadi
  41. The Square- Jehane Noujaim
  42. The Wind Rises- Hayao Miyazaki
  43. Drug War- Johnnie To
  44. Cousin Jules- Dominique Benicheti
  45. Much Ado About Nothing- Joss Whedon
  46. Passion- Brian De Palma
  47. Short Term 12- Destin Daniel Cretton
  48. Dallas Buyers Club- Jean-Marc Vallee
  49. Berberian Sound Studio- Peter Strickland
  50. Captain Phillips- Paul Greengrass

Women Film Critics Circle

BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN: Philomena
runner-up: Mother of George
BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN: Enough Said
runner-up: Inch Allah
BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER (SCREENWRITING AWARD): Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
runner-up: Nicole Holofcener, Enough Said
BEST ACTRESS: Judi Dench, Philomena
runner-up: Barbara Sukowa, Hannah Arendt
BEST ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station
BEST YOUNG ACTRESS: Onata Aprile, What Maisie Knew
runner-up: Waad Mohammed, Wadjda
BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS: Melissa McCarthy, The Heat
runner-up: Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
BEST FOREIGN FILM ABOUT WOMEN: Wadjda
runner-up: Inch Allah
BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE: Philomena
runner-up: Girls in the Band
WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN MOVIE: The Bling Ring
runner-up: Machete Kills
BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: James Gandolfini, Enough Said
WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE: Only God Forgives
runner-up: Out of the Furnace
BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE  BY OR ABOUT WOMEN: Phil Spector
runner-up: Pussy Riot
BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES: Before Midnight
runner-up: Enough Said
BEST ANIMATED FEMALES: Frozen
runner-up: The Croods
BEST FAMILY FILM: The Wind Rises
runner-up: Black Nativity
WOMEN'S WORK (BEST ENSEMBLE): Ginger & Roses
runners-up: Winnie Mandela; August: Osage County
BEST DOCUMENTARY ABOUT WOMEN: Stories We Tell
runner-up: Girls in the Band
MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MOM OF THE YEAR: Kristin Scott Thomas, Only Good Forgives
BEST SCREEN COUPLE: Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke, Before Midnight
BEST SONG: "Would You Bleed for Love," Winnie Mandela

full list here.

SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Emma Thompson
For her eclecticism in switching from period films to fantasy genre, to contemporary settings. And embodying all kinds of women with raw and pure interpretations.
Acting and Activism Award
Charlize Theron
For her work for The Global Fund, and for starting the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Which educates young people about HIV/AIDS.
Courage in Filmmaking
Laura Poitras
For bringing the Edward Snowden NSA revelations to light and driven into exile in Germany for doing so. And currently making a documentary about it.
Adrienne Shelly Award: "Augustine" (Runner-up: "Lovelace")
For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women Augustine.
Josephine Baker Award: "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: "Go for Sisters")
For best expressing the woman of color experience in America.
Karen Morley Award: "Winnie Mandela" (Runner-up: "Wadjda")
For best exemplifying a woman's place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity.
Courage in Acting: Soko, "Augustine"
Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on the screen.
The Invisible Woman Award: Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"
Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored.
Just Kidding Award: Best Male Images in a Movie: "Last Vegas"

Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/2013-women-film-critics-circle-winners#u2pvozipOm2Gpci8.99
SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Emma Thompson
For her eclecticism in switching from period films to fantasy genre, to contemporary settings. And embodying all kinds of women with raw and pure interpretations.
Acting and Activism Award
Charlize Theron
For her work for The Global Fund, and for starting the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Which educates young people about HIV/AIDS.
Courage in Filmmaking
Laura Poitras
For bringing the Edward Snowden NSA revelations to light and driven into exile in Germany for doing so. And currently making a documentary about it.
Adrienne Shelly Award: "Augustine" (Runner-up: "Lovelace")
For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women Augustine.
Josephine Baker Award: "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: "Go for Sisters")
For best expressing the woman of color experience in America.
Karen Morley Award: "Winnie Mandela" (Runner-up: "Wadjda")
For best exemplifying a woman's place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity.
Courage in Acting: Soko, "Augustine"
Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on the screen.
The Invisible Woman Award: Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"
Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored.
Just Kidding Award: Best Male Images in a Movie: "Last Vegas"

Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/2013-women-film-critics-circle-winners#u2pvozipOm2Gpci8.99
SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Emma Thompson
For her eclecticism in switching from period films to fantasy genre, to contemporary settings. And embodying all kinds of women with raw and pure interpretations.
Acting and Activism Award
Charlize Theron
For her work for The Global Fund, and for starting the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Which educates young people about HIV/AIDS.
Courage in Filmmaking
Laura Poitras
For bringing the Edward Snowden NSA revelations to light and driven into exile in Germany for doing so. And currently making a documentary about it.
Adrienne Shelly Award: "Augustine" (Runner-up: "Lovelace")
For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women Augustine.
Josephine Baker Award: "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: "Go for Sisters")
For best expressing the woman of color experience in America.
Karen Morley Award: "Winnie Mandela" (Runner-up: "Wadjda")
For best exemplifying a woman's place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity.
Courage in Acting: Soko, "Augustine"
Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on the screen.
The Invisible Woman Award: Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"
Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored.
Just Kidding Award: Best Male Images in a Movie: "Last Vegas"

Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/2013-women-film-critics-circle-winners#u2pvozipOm2Gpci8.99
SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Emma Thompson
For her eclecticism in switching from period films to fantasy genre, to contemporary settings. And embodying all kinds of women with raw and pure interpretations.
Acting and Activism Award
Charlize Theron
For her work for The Global Fund, and for starting the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Which educates young people about HIV/AIDS.
Courage in Filmmaking
Laura Poitras
For bringing the Edward Snowden NSA revelations to light and driven into exile in Germany for doing so. And currently making a documentary about it.
Adrienne Shelly Award: "Augustine" (Runner-up: "Lovelace")
For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women Augustine.
Josephine Baker Award: "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: "Go for Sisters")
For best expressing the woman of color experience in America.
Karen Morley Award: "Winnie Mandela" (Runner-up: "Wadjda")
For best exemplifying a woman's place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity.
Courage in Acting: Soko, "Augustine"
Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on the screen.
The Invisible Woman Award: Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"
Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored.
Just Kidding Award: Best Male Images in a Movie: "Last Vegas"

Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/2013-women-film-critics-circle-winners#u2pvozipOm2Gpci8.99
 

St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association

FILM: 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: American Hustle
DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
runner-up: Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
runner-up: Will Forte, Nebraska
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: June Squibb, Nebraska
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
runner-up: American Hustle- Eric Singer & David O. Russell
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
runner-up: Philomena- Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
runner-up: The Wind Rises 
DOCUMENTARY: Blackfish
runners-up: The Act of Killing; Stories We Tell 
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
runner-up: Wadjda 
ART DIRECTION: The Great Gatsby
runner-up: Her
CINEMATOGRAPHY: 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Gravity
SOUNDTRACK: Inside Llewyn Davis
runner-up: Frozen
BEST ART HOUSE OR FESTIVAL FILM: Short Term 12
runners-up: Blue is the Warmest Color; Frances Ha
BEST COMEDY: (tie) Enough Said; The World's End
BEST SCENE: 12 Years a Slave- The hanging scene
runner-up: Gravity- Opening tracking scene

Southeastern Film Critics Association

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave

Top Ten of 2013:
12 Years a Slave
Gravity
American Hustle
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Dallas Buyers Club
Philomena
Captain Phillips
The Wolf of Wall Street

DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity 
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
runner-up: Judi Dench, Philomena
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
runner-up: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: American Hustle- Eric Singer & David O. Russell
runner-up: Her- Spike Jonze

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
runner-up: Philomena- Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
runners-up: Blackfish; Muscle Shoals 
FOREIGN FILM: The Hunt
runner-up: Blue is the Warmest Color 
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
runner-up: 12 Years a Slave- Sean Bobbitt

ACTING ENSEMBLE: American Hustle
runner-up: 12 Years a Slave
GENE WYATT AWARD: Jeff Nichols, Mud
runner-up: Greg "Freddy" Cammalier, Muscle Shoals  

Critics Choice Nominations

PICTURE
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
Saving Mr. Banks
The Wolf of Wall Street

DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips
Spike Jonze, Her
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
David O. Russell, American Hustle
Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

ACTOR
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford, All is Lost

ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Brie Larson, Short Term 12
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Scarlett Johansson, Her
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels' The Butler

Online Film Critics Society

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wind Rises
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: Blue is the Warmest Color
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
FILM EDITING: Gravity- Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Sanger

Dallas/Ft. Worth Film Critics Association

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave

Top Ten of 2013:
  1. 12 Years a Slave
  2. Gravity
  3. Nebraska
  4. American Hustle
  5. Dallas Buyers Club
  6. Her
  7. The Wolf of Wall Street
  8. Inside Llewyn Davis
  9. Captain Phillips
  10. Mud  
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: 20 Feet From Stardom
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity
RUSSELL SMITH AWARD: Fruitvale Station

Indiana Film Journalists Awards

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Her
DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Spike Jonze, Her
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
ACTRESS: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color
runner-up: Brie Larson, Short Term 12
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
runner-up: Jeremy Renner, American Hustle
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
runner-up: June Squibb, Nebraska
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
runner-up: Rush- Peter Morgan
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Before Midnight- Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke
runner-up: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
MUSICAL SCORE: 12 Years a Slave- Hans Zimmer
runner-up: Rush- Hans Zimmer
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
runners-up: The Wind Rises; The Croods
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
runner-up: Stories We Tell
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
runner-up: The Grandmaster
ORIGINAL VISION AWARD: Her
runner-up: Gravity
THE HOOSIER AWARD: Medora

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Kansas City Film Critics Circle

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave
DIRECTOR: (tie)  Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave; Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
ACTRESS: Sandra Bullock, Gravity
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: (tie) Despicable Me 2; Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
VINCE KOEHLER AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY/SCI-FI/HORROR FILM: Her

San Francisco Film Critics Circle

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: James Franco, Spring Breakers
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: American Hustle- David O. Russell & Eric Singer
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color 
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
FILM EDITING: Gravity- Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Sanger
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Gravity- Andy Nicholson

Houston Film Critics Awards

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave

Top Ten of 2013:
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • All is Lost 
  • American Hustle
  • Before Midnight
  • Dallas Buyers Club
  • Fruitvale Station
  • Gravity
  • Inside Llewyn David
  • Nebraska
  • Saving Mr. Banks

DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
ACTRESS: Sandra Bullock, Gravity
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: 20 Feet From Stardom
FOREIGN FILM:  The Hunt
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki  
ORIGINAL SCORE: Gravity- Steven Price
ORIGINAL SONG: "Please Mr. Kennedy," Inside Llewyn Davis 

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Best Make-up and Hairstyling Oscar Shortlist

The back-off for the films that will be nominated for this years Make-up and Hairstyling Academy Award.  This is the wacky category that in the past has anointed such stellar films as The Wolfman, Norbit, Click, Scrooged and Harry and the Hendersons as Academy Award nominee.  As always, brace thy selves. 

Bad Grandpa, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, The Lone Ranger: Oscar nominees?  Maybe so!





  • American Hustle
  • Dallas Buyers Club
  • The Great Gatsby
  • Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
  • The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
  • Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa
  • The Lone Ranger

The Precious, Precocious, Grand Budapest Hotel


Friday, December 13, 2013

African-American Film Critics Awards


PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave

Top Ten of 2013:
  1. 12 Years a Slave
  2. Lee Daniels' The Butler
  3. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
  4. American Hustle
  5. Gravity
  6. Fruitvale Station
  7. Dallas Buyers Club
  8. Saving Mr. Banks
  9. Out of the Furnace
  10. 42  
DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
ACTOR: Forest Whitaker, Lee Daniels' The Butler
ACTRESS: Sandra Bullock, Gravity
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels' The Butler
SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
MUSIC: Black Nativity- Raphael Sadiq 
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: American Promise 

BEST INDEPENDENT FILM: Fruitvale Station
BEST WORLD CINEMA: Mother of George

Detroit Film Critics Awards

PICTURE: Her
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
ACTRESS: Brie Larson, Short Term 12
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Scarlett Johansson, Her
SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
DOCUMENTARY: Stories We Tell
ENSEMBLE CAST: American Hustle
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Brie Larson, Short Term 12


Scarlett Johansson's "Samantha" in Her.
Well, someone bit.  Correction-- a second someone.  Scarlett Johansson's voice only performance in Spike Jonze's Her has been critically lauded ever since the film premiered as the closing at the New York Film Festival circling the issue over whether a non-traditional performance gain traction in the Oscar race, yet again.  Johansson, who was deemed ineligible by the Hollywood Foreign Press, and really has no chance of a history-making Oscar nomination.  The Detroit Film Critics as well as the Rome Film Festival have swung at the bat for ScarJo however.  Not too shabby all considering.


Thursday, December 12, 2013

Golden Globe Nominations

BEST PICTURE (Drama)
12 Years a Slave
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena
Rush 

BEST PICTURE (Musical or Comedy)
American Hustle
Her
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska
The Wolf of Wall Street 

BEST DIRECTOR
Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips 
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
David O. Russell, American Hustle 

BEST ACTOR (Drama)
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Idris Elba, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford, All is Lost

BEST ACTOR (Musical or Comedy)
Christian Bale, American Hustle
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street
Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
Joaquin Phoenix, Her 

BEST ACTRESS (Drama)
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
Kate Winslet, Labor Day   

BEST ACTRESS (Musical or Comedy)
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Julie Delpy, Before Midnight
Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska 

BEST SCREENPLAY
12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
American Hustle- Eric Singer & David O. Russell
Her- Spike Jonze
Nebraska- Bob Nelson
Philomena- Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Frozen

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Blue is the Warmest Color (France)
The Great Beauty (Italy)
The Hunt (Denmark)
The Past (Iran)
The Wind Rises (Japan)   

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
12 Years a Slave
All is Lost 
The Book Thief
Gravity
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Let it Go," Frozen
"Atlas," The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
"Please Mr. Kennedy," Inside Llewyn Davis
"Ordinary Love," Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
"Sweeter Than Fiction," One Chance

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

San Diego Film Critics Society

PICTURE: Her
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis
ACTRESS: Cate Blanachett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Shailene Woodley, The Spectacular Now
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Before Midnight- Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wind Rises
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
FOREIGN FILM: Drug War
CINEMATOGRAPHY: To the Wonder- Emmanuel Lubezki
FILM EDITING: Captain Phillips- Christopher Rouse
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Great Gatsby- Catherine Martin & Karen Murphy
SCORE: Her- Arcade Fire
ENSEMBLE CAST: American Hustle
KYLE COUNTS AWARD:  Destin Cretton

Screen Actors Guild Nominations

BEST ENSEMBLE
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
August: Osage County
Dallas Buyers Club
Lee Daniels' The Butler 

BEST ACTOR
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Forest Whitaker, Lee Daniels' The Butler 

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Judi Dench, Philomena
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Daniel Bruhl, Rush
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts, August: Osage County
June Squibb, Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels' The Butler 

BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE
All is Lost
Fast & Furious 6
Lone Survivor
Rush
The Wolverine

SAG Predictions

The Screen Actors Guild Award nominations are upon us.  Now things get serious.  Here's my stab at making a fool of myself.

MY PREDICTIONS:
BEST ENSEMBLE
12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
August: Osage County
Lee Daniels' The Butler
Prisoners

WHY THEM: 12 Years is the important, can't miss nomination get of the season.  American Hustle, August: Osage County, The Butler all have august and large ensembles.  Prisoners because of its bounty of award-caliber stars in a film I didn't particularly care for (usually one or two of them gets SAG acknowledgement.)  I vetoed Wolf of Wall Street on the conceit that it just started screening (American Hustle had a full week ahead of them), Gravity because, well, duh...same for All is Lost.

WATCH OUT FOR: Blue Jasmine, Her, Dallas Buyers Club, Inside Llewyn Davis, Fruitvale Station, Saving Mr. Banks

BEST ACTOR
Bruce Dern, Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Redford, All is Lost
Forest Whitaker, Lee Daniels' The Butler

WHY THEM:  Dern, Ejiofor, McConaughey and Redford seem unmovable.  That fifth slot is vulnerable, but SAG is a place where The Butler can make its mark.

WATCH OUT FOR: Joaquin Phoenix, Her; Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street; Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station; Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST ACTRESS
Amy Adams, American Hustle
Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Meryl Streep, August: Osage County
Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks

WHY THEM: Blanchett, Bullock and Thompson seem no brains.  SAG should go for the Streep, one assumes while Adams is a favorite trying something new in a newly buzzed about film.

WATCH OUT FOR: Judi Dench, Philomena; Brie Larson, Short Term 12; Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha (I wish); Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Enough Said; Adéle Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips
Michael Fassbender, 12 Years a Slave
James Gandolfini, Enough Said
Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks
Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club  

WHY THEM:  Like all the acting categories, this one is hard to predict and a bunch of throws to the wall.  Abdi and Leto for breakthrough triumps; Hanks because he's an icon playing an icon; Fassbender because this category loves villains and Gandolfini because of industry respect.

WATCH OUT FOR: Jonah Hill, The Wolf of Wall Street; Jake Gyllenhaal, Prisoners; Will Forte, Nebraska; Daniel Bruhl, Rush; Andrew Dice Clay, Blue Jasmine; David Oyelowo, Lee Daniels' The Butler; Matthew McConaughey, Mud; Geoffrey Rush, The Book Thief; James Franco, Spring Breakers

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Margo Martindale, August: Osage County
Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
June Squibb, Nebraska
Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels' The Butler

WHY THEM: Just passing through.  Lawrence, Nyong'o and Winfrey are the only one I'm confident about.

WATCH OUT FOR: Julia Roberts, August: Osage County; Sally Hawkins, Blue Jasmine; Octavia Spencer, Fruitvale Station; Sarah Paulson, 12 Years a Slave   

  

Monday, December 9, 2013

Washington D.C. Film Critics Awards

FILM: 12 Years a Slave
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: 12 Years a Slave- John Ridley
ANIMATED FEATURE: Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: Blackfish
FOREIGN FILM: The Broken Circle Breakdown
ART DIRECTION: The Great Gatsby- Catherine Martin & Beverley Dunn
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
FILM EDITING: Gravity- Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Sanger
ORIGINAL SCORE: 12 Years a Slave- Hans Zimmer
ENSEMBLE CAST: 12 Years a Slave
YOUTH PERFORMANCE: Tye Sheridan, Mud
JOE BARBER AWARD FOR BEST PORTRAYAL OF WASHINGTON, D.C.: Lee Daniels' The Butler

American Film Institute Best of 2013

 MOVIES:
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • American Hustle
  • Captain Phillips
  • Fruitvale Station
  • Gravity
  • Her
  • Inside Llewyn Davis
  • Nebraska
  • Saving Mr. Banks
  • The Wolf of Wall Street

TELEVISON:
  • The Americans
  • Breaking Bad
  • Game of Thrones
  • The Good Wife
  • House of Cards
  • Mad Men
  • Masters of Sex
  • Orange is New Black
  • Scandal
  • Veep  

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Los Angeles Film Critics Association

PICTURE: (tie) Gravity; Her

DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
runner-up: Spike Jonze, Her

ACTOR: Bruce Dern, Nebraska
runner-up: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

ACTRESS: (tie) Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine; Adéle Exarchopouos, Blue is the Warmest Color

SUPPORTING ACTOR: (tie) James Franco, Spring Breakers; Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: June Squibb, Nebraska

SCREENPLAY: Before Midnight- Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater
runner-up: Her- Spike Jonze

ANIMATED FEATURE: Ernest & Celestine
runner-up: The Wind Risese

DOCUMENTARY: Stories We Tell
runner-up: The Act of Killing

FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
runner-up: The Great Beauty

SCORE: Inside Llewyn Davis- T Bone Burnett
runner-up: Her- Arcade Fire & Owen Pallett

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
runner-up: Inside Llewyn Davis- Bruno Delbonnel

FILM EDITING: Gravity- Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Singer
runner-up: Upstream Color- Shane Carruth & David Lowery

PRODUCTION DESIGN: Her- K.K. Barrett
runner-up: Inside Llewyn Davis- Jess Gonchor

DOUGLAS EDWARD INDEPENDENT/EXPERIMENTAL FILM/VIDEO AWARD: Cabinets of Wonder: Films and a Performace by Charlotte Pryce

NEW GENERATION PRIZE: Megan Ellison
 

Boston Film Critics Society

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: The Wolf of Wall Street

DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street

ACTOR:  Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
runner-up: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wall Street

ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
runner-up: Judi Dench, Philomena

SUPPORTING ACTOR: James Gandolfini, Enough Said
runners-up: Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips; Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

SUPPORTING ACTRESS: June Squibb, Nebraska
runner-up: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave

SCREENPLAY:  Enough Said- Nicole Holofcener
runner-up: The Wolf of Wall Street- Terence Winter

ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wind Rises
runner-up: Frozen 

DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
runner-up: Blackfish

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
runner-up: The Grandmaster- Philippe Le Sourd

FILM EDITING: Rush- Daniel P. Hanely & Mike Hills
runner-up: The Wolf of Wall Street- Thelma Schoonmaker

USE OF MUSIC: Inside Llewyn Davis
runner-up: Nebraska

NEW FILMMAKER: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station
runner-up: Josh Oppenheimer, The Act of Killing

New York Film Critics Online

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave
DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
SCREENPLAY: Her- Spike Jonze
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wind Rises
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Gravity- Emmanuel Lubezki
USE OF MUSIC: Inside Llewyn Davis
DEBUT DIRECTOR: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Adéle Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color
ENSEMBLE CAST: American Hustle

British Independent Film Awards

FILM: Metro Manila
DIRECTOR: Sean Ellis, Metro Manila
ACTOR: James McAvoy, Filth
ACTRESS: Lindsay Duncan, Le Week-end
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Ben Mendelsohn, Starred Up
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Imogen Poots, The Look of Love
DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD FOR DEBUT FEATURE: Paul Wright, For Those in Peril
SCREENPLAY: Locke- Steven Knight
INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
DOCUMENTARY: Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer
ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION: Metro Manila
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: The Selfish Giant (casting)
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER: Chloe Pirrie, Shell
VARIETY AWARD: Paul Greengrass
RICHARD HARRIS AWARD: Julie Walters
BRITISH SHORT FILM:  Z1

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Boston Online Film Critics

Not to be confused with the more distinguished Boston Society of Film Critics, which are set to announce tomorrow.

PICTURE: 12 Years a Slave

Top Ten of 2013:
  1. 12 Years a Slave
  2. Inside Llewyn Davis
  3. The Wolf of Wall Street
  4. Gravity
  5. Before Midnight
  6. The Spectacular Now
  7. Blue is the Warmest Color
  8. Spring Breakers
  9. The World's End
  10. Fruitvale Station  
DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave 
ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave
ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, 12 Years a Slave
SCREENPLAY: Before Midnighti- Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke & Richard Linklater
ANIMATED FEATURE: (tie) The Wind Rises; Frozen
DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
FOREIGN FILM: Blue is the Warmest Color
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Inside Llewyn Davis- Bruno Delbonnel
FILM EDITING: 12 Years a Slave- Joe Walker
ORIGINAL SCORE: 12 Years a Slave- Hans Zimmer

12 Years a Slave earns it's first Best Film mention, albeit from the two-year, barely established Boston Online Film Critics, but a wins a win.  Included in the sweep were director Steve McQueen, actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong'o and below the line nods for film editing and score.

European Film Awards

BEST FILM: The Great Beauty
BEST DIRECTOR: Pablo Sorrentino, The Great Beauty
BEST ACTOR: Toni Servillo, The Great Beauty
BEST ACTRESS: Veerle Baetens, The Broken Circle Breakdown
BEST SCREENWRITER: François Ozon, In the House
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: The Congress
BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Act of Killing
BEST EUROPEAN COMEDY:  Love is All You Need
BEST COMPOSER: Ennio Morricone, The Best Offer
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER: Asaf Sudry, Fill the Void
BEST FILM EDITOR:  Cristiano Travaglioli, The Great Beauty
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Sarah Greenwood, Anna Karenina
BEST COSTUME DESIGNER: Paco Delgado, Blancanieves
BEST SOUND DESIGNERS: Matz Muller & Erik Mischijew, Paradise: Faith

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Visual Effects Bake-Off

These ten films are the semi-finalists for the Best Visual Effects Oscar.  And the Oscar goes to... Gravity.


  • Elysium
  • Gravity
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  • Iron Man 3
  • The Lone Ranger
  • Oblivion
  • Pacific Rim
  • Star Trek: Into Darkness
  • Thor: The Dark World
  • World War Z

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

2014 Sundance Film Festival Line-Up

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION

These films hope to join the ranks of past Sundance triumphs Precious, Winter's Bone, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Fruitvale Station.  Stars like Kristen Stewart, Anne Hathaway and Kristen Wiig are among the many famous faces appearing in competition at next years Park City festival.

Kristen Stewart stars in Camp X-Ray

Camp X-Ray- directed by Peter Sattler
Cold in July- directed by Jim Mickle
Dead White People- directed by Justin Simien
Fishing Without Nets- directed by Cutter Hodierne
God's Pocket- directed by John Slattery
Happy Christmas- directed by Joe Swanberg
Hellion- directed by Kat Candler
Infinitely Polar Bear- directed by Maya Forbes
Jamie Marks is Dead- directed by Carter Smith
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter- directed by David Zellner
Life After Beth- directed by Jeff Baena
Low Down- directed by Jeff Preiss
The Skeleton Twins- directed by Craig Johnson
The Sleepwalker- directed by Mona Fastvold
Song One- directed by Kate Baker-Froyland
Whiplash- directed by Damien Chazelle

National Board of Review


PICTURE: Her

Top Ten of 2013:
(in alphabetical order)
  • 12 Years a Slave
  • Fruitvale Station
  • Gravity
  • Inside Llewyn Davis
  • Lone Survivor
  • Nebraska
  • Prisoners
  • Saving Mr. Banks
  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
  • The Wolf of Wall Street 
DIRECTOR: Spike Jonze, Her
ACTOR: Bruce Dern, Nebraska
ACTRESS: Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Will Forte, Nebraska
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Octavia Spencer, Fruitvale Station
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Inside Llewyn Davis- Ethan Coen & Joel Coen
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Wolf of Wall Street- Terence Winter
ENSEMBLE CAST: Prisoners
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE (male): Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE (female): Adéle Exarchopoulos, Blue is the Warmest Color
DIRECTORIAL DEBUT: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Wind Rises
FOREIGN FILM: The Past

Top Five Foreign Films of 2013:
  • Beyond the Hills
  • Gloria
  • The Grandmaster
  • A Hijacking
  • The Hunt

DOCUMENTARY: Stories We Tell

Top Five Documentaries of 2013:
  • 20 Feet From Stardom
  • The Act of Killing
  • After Tiller
  • Casting By
  • The Square

Top Ten Independent Films of 2013:
  • Ain't Them Bodies Saints
  • Dallas Buyers Club
  • In a World...
  • Mother of George
  • Much Ado About Nothing
  • Mud
  • The Place Beyond the Pines
  • Short Term 12
  • Sightseers
  • The Spectacular Now 

SPOTLIGHT AWARD: Career collaboration of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio
CREATIVE INNOVATION IN FILMMAKING AWARD: Gravity
NBR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AWARD: Wadjda
WILLIAM K. EVERSON FILM HISTORY AWARD: George Stevens, Jr.  
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