Dublin Film Critics Circle

 PICTURE: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Michael Haneke, Amour
ACTOR: Joaquin Phoenix, The Master
ACTRESS: Emmanuelle Riva, Amour
BREAKTHROUGH: Gareth Evans, The Raid: Redemption
BEST IRISH FILM: What Richard Did
DOCUMENTARY: Maria Abramovic: The Artist is Present

84th Annual Academy Awards: It's a Wrap!!!

PICTURE: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
ACTOR: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
ACTRESS: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Octavia Spencer, The Help
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Midnight in Paris- Woody Allen
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Descendants- Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
ANIMATED FEATURE: Rango
DOCUMENTARY: Undefeated
FOREIGN FILM: A Separation
ART DIRECTION: Hugo- Dante Ferretti & Francesca Lo Schiavo
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Hugo- Robert Richardson
COSTUME DESIGN: The Artist- Mark Bridges
FILM EDITING: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo- Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall
ORIGINAL SCORE: The Artist- Ludovic Bource
ORIGINAL SONG: "Man or Muppet," The Muppets
DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Saving Face
ANIMATED SHORT: The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore
LIVE ACTION SHORT: The Shore
SOUND MIXING: Hugo
SOUND EDITING: Hugo
MAKE-UP: The Iron Lady
VISUAL EFFECTS: Hugo

Independent Spirit Awards

FILM: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
FIRST FEATURE: Margin Call
JOHN CASSAVETTES AWARD: Pariah
ACTOR: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
ACTRESS: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
SCREENPLAY: The Descendants
FIRST SCREENPLAY: 50/50
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Artist
DOCUMENTARY: The Interrupters
FOREIGN FILM: A Separation
PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD: Sophia Linn, Take Shelter
SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD: Mark Jackson, Without
TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD: Heather Courtney, Where Soldiers Come From
ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD: to the cast, director and casting director of Margin Call

Cesar Awards

FILM: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
ACTOR: Omar Sy, Intouchables
ACTRESS: Berenice Bejo, The Artist
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Michel Blanc, The Minister
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Carmen Maura, The Women on the 6th Floor
WRITING (ORIGINAL): The Minister
WRITING (ADAPTED): Carnage
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Artist
SCORE: The Artist
PRODUCTION DESIGN: The Artist

ACE "Eddies" Awards

The American Cinema Editors Guild has spoken and the "Eddies" go to:

BEST FILM EDITING (Drama)
The Descendants

BEST FILM EDITING (Musical or Comedy)
The Artist

What does this tell us?  Absolutely nothing, except confirm The Artist as frontrunner status, and give The Descendants a small sting of potential spoiler status.

British Academy of Film & Television Awards

FILM: The Artist
BRITISH FILM: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
ACTOR: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
ACTRESS: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Octavia Spencer, The Help
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Artist- Michel Hazanavicius
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy- Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan
BRITISH DEBUT: Tyrannosaur- Paddy Considine
ANIMATED FEATURE: Rango
DOCUMENTARY: Senna
FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: The Skin I Live In
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Hugo- Dante Ferretti & Francesca Lo Schiavo
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Artist- Guillaume Schiffman
FILM EDITING: Senna- Gregers Sall & Chris King
ORIGINAL MUSIC: The Artist- Ludovic Bource
COSTUME DESIGN: The Artist- Mark Bridges
MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING: The Iron Lady
SOUND: Hugo
VISUAL EFFECTS: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part 2
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH CINEMA: John Hurt

The Artist leads with 7 BAFTAs, while a too-little\too-late last minute bone is given to the homegrown Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Directors Guild of America Winners

DIRECTOR (Feature): Michael Hazanavicius, The Artist
DIRECTOR (Documentary): James Marsh, Project Nim

It's worth noting that the top top critical and guild prizes for Documentary Feature film were given to titles either not shortlisted by the Academy (Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Into the Abyss, Senna, Beats, Rhymes & Life) or ones shortlisted, but snubbed (Project Nim.)

Anyhow, the DGA is best historical record there is that will predict the eventual Best Picture Oscar winner..which should make Hazanavicius and The Weinstein Company very happy Oscar night.

Only 12 times times since the DGA's inception has it not corresponded with the eventual Best Picture winner.

*Driving Miss Daisy is the real fluke as it's the only Best Picture winner that wasn't even nominated for a DGA directing award.

Producers Guild Winners

FEATURE: The Artist
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Adventures of Tintin
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest

London Film Critics Circle

PICTURE: The Artist
BRITISH PICTURE: We Need to Talk About Kevin
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
ACTOR: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
ACTRESS: (tie) Anna Paquin, Margaret; Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Sareh Bayat, A Separation
BRITISH ACTOR: Michael Fassbender, Shame
BRITISH ACTRESS: Olivia Coleman, Tyrannosaur
SCREENPLAY: A Separation
YOUNG BRITISH ACTOR: Craig Roberts, Submarine
FOREIGN FILM: A Separation
DOCUMENTARY: Senna
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: Maria Djurkovic, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (production design)
BRITISH BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER: Andrew Haigh, Weekend

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards

PICTURE (Drama)- The Descendants
PICTURE (Musical or Comedy)- The Artist
DIRECTOR- Martin Scorsese, Hugo
ACTRESS (Drama)- Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
ACTOR (Drama)- George Clooney, The Descendants
ACTRESS (Musical or Comedy)- Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
ACTOR (Musical or Comedy)- Jean Dujardin, The Artist
SUPPORTING ACTRESS- Octavia Spencer, The Help
SUPPORTING ACTOR- Christopher Plummer, Beginners
SCREENPLAY- Midnight in Paris- Woody Allen
ANIMATED FEATURE- The Adventures of Tintin
FOREIGN FILM- A Separation
SCORE- The Artist- Ludovic Bource
SONG- "Masterpiece," W.E.

The naval gazing of the Hollywood Foreign Press is done with, and usual suspects like George Clooney and Meryl Streep added shiny new statues to go with their several old dusty ones, and The Artist lead the field with 3 wins and The Descendants followed with 2 awards.  I'm curious if this share the good-will act will continue with the Academy Awards, as this year has but a few consensus titles, but of which (The Artist, The Descendants, Hugo, The Help, Moneyball) could all find themselves in small spots of recognition.

One question that I've been hovering on lately is if the race is in fact between The Artist and The Descendants, might the Clooney-ness of it all be enough for a Best Picture win.  The Artist is the clear winner of the critical derby, and has the Weinstein loyalty for it, but it's also a low-grossing black and white silent film made by and starring a French guy.  In truth, inside Hollywood types of films, even glowing homages to old-Hollywood have never been awarded Best Picture in the past.  Some crystal ball gazing tells me the next month may not be as kind to The Artist.  I fear of backlash-- though am glad that that silly Kim Novak-raping-of-Vertigo fuss wasn't enough to start one.

The Descendants, one the other hand (despite not being the best film of 2011) is an all-American drama-comedy, one with an exotic-enough Hawaiian location that is distinctive, but not off-putting.  It seems reminiscent of past Best Picture winners like Kramer vs. Kramer, Terms of Endearment and Ordinary People.  Then again, movies like that haven't been honored in twenty-eight years.  I assume that some questions might be solved come SAG Award evening...

For the record, Meryl Streep's victory for The Iron Lady marked her 25th Golden Globe nomination and eighth award.  Her Golden Globe collection:

• Kramer vs. Kramer (1979, Best Supporting Actress)
• The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981, Best Actress-Drama)
• Sophie's Choice (1982, Best Actress- Drama)
• Adaptation. (2002, Best Supporting Actress)
• Angels in America (2003, Best Actress- TV Mini-Series)
• The Devil Wears Prada (2006, Best Actress- Musical or Comedy)
• Julie & Julia (2009, Best Actress- Musical or Comedy)

Critics Choice Awards

PICTURE: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
ACTOR: George Clooney, The Descendants
ACTRESS: Viola Davis, The Help
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Octavia Spencer, The Help
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Midnight in Paris- Woody Allen
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Moneyball- Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin
ANIMATED FEATURE: Rango
DOCUMENTARY: George Harrison: Living in a Material World
FOREIGN FILM: A Separation
ART DIRECTION: Hugo
CINEMATOGRAPHY: (tie) The Tree of Life; War Horse
FILM EDITING: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
COSTUME DESIGN: The Artist
SCORE: The Artist
SONG: "Life's a Happy Song," The Muppets
SOUND: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
MAKE-UP: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
VISUAL EFFECTS: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
ENSEMBLE: The Help
YOUNG ACTOR: Thomas Horn, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
ACTION MOVIE: Drive
COMEDY: Bridesmaids
HONORARY AWARD: Martin Scorsese
JOEL SIEGEL AWARD: Sean Penn

Vancouver Film Critics Awards

FILM: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
ACTOR: Michael Fassbender, Shame
ACTRESS: Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, The Help
SCREENPLAY: The Artist- Michel Hazanavicius
DOCUMENTARY: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
FOREIGN FILM: A Separation

BEST CANADIAN FILM: Cafe de Flore
DIRECTOR OF A CANADIAN FILM: David Croenberg, A Dangerous Method
ACTOR IN A CANADIAN FILM: Peter Stormare, Small Town Murder Songs
ACTRESS IN A CANADIAN FILM: Michelle Williams, Take This Waltz
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A CANADIAN FILM: Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A CANADIAN FILM: Helene Florent, Cafe de Flore

St. Louis Film Critics Awards

PICTURE: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
ACTOR: George Clooney, The Descendants
ACTRESS: Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Albert Brooks, Drive
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Berenice Bejo, The Artist
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: The Artist- Michel Hazanavicius
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Descendants- Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Adventures of Tintin
DOCUMENTARY: Being Elmo
FOREIGN FILM: 13 Assassins
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Tree of Life- Emmanuel Lubezki
MUSIC: The Artist
VISUAL EFFECTS: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
COMEDY: Bridesmaids

San Diego Film Critics Society

PICTURE: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Nicholas Winding Refn, The Artist
ACTOR: Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
ACTRESS: Brit Marling, Another Earth
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Nick Nolte, Warrior
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Midnight in Paris- Woody Allen
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Moneyball- Steven Zailian & Aaron Sorkin
ANIMATED FEATURE: Arthur Christmas
FOREIGN FILM: La Quattro Volte
DOCUMENTARY: Project Nim
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Tree of Life- Emmanuel Lubezki
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Hugo
FILM EDITING: Beginners
SCORE: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
ENSEMBLE: Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
BODY OF WORK: Jessica Chastain

The fine film folks in San Diego have made a vivid impression in both going against the grain and adhering to group think with their selection of the best of 2011.  A top nod to The Artist is no but old news, but welcome, since the film is nearly irresistible.  However, the oddest choice made by an governing body this season must be the inclusion of Brit Marling as Best Actress for Another Earth, an ambitious if ultimately unsatisfying arty fun house.

Detroit Film Critics Awards

PICTURE: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
ACTOR: Michael Fassbender, Shame
ACTRESS: Michelle Williams, My Week My Marilyn
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Carey Mulligan, Shame
SCREENPLAY: Moneyball- Steven Zailian & Aaron Sorkin
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE: Jessica Chastain, The Tree of Life, The Help, The Debt, Take Shelter
ENSEMBLE: Carnage
DOCUMENTARY: Tabloid


Finally some love for Carey Mulligan for Shame, and a nicely formidable line-up from the folks at Detroit.

Las Vegas Film Critics Society

PICTURE: The Artist

Top Ten of 2011:

• Hugo
• Moneyball
• The Descendants
• Drive
• The Help
• 50/50
• Midnight in Paris
• Shame
• Warrior

DIRECTOR: Nicholas Winding Refn, Drive
ACTOR: Jean Dujardin, The Artist
ACTRESS: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Albert Brooks, Drive
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
SCREENPLAY: Moneyball- Steven Zailian & Aaron Sorkin
ANIMATED FEATURE: Rango
DOCUMENTARY: Project Nim
FOREIGN FILM: 13 Assassins
ART DIRECTION: The Artist- George S. Hooper
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Tree of Life- Emmanuel Lubezki
COSTUME DESIGN: The Artist- Mark Bridges
FILM EDITING: Hugo- Thelma Schoonmaker
SCORE: The Artist- Ludovic Bource
SONG: "Man or Muppet," The Muppets
VISUAL EFFECTS: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
FAMILY FILM: Hugo
YOUTH IN FILM: Asa Butterfield, Hugo

Indiana Film Critics Awards

PICTURE: The Artist

Top Ten of 2011:

• The Descendants
• Coriolanus
• Drive
• Hugo
• Martha Marcy May Marlene
• The Muppets
• The Skin I Live In
• Super 8
• The Tree of Life

DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
runner-up: Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life
ACTOR: Paul Giamatti, Win Win
runner-up: Ralph Fiennes, Coriolanus
ACTRESS: Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
runner-up: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christopher Plummer, Beginners
runner-up: Albert Brooks, Drive
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Viola Davis, The Help
runner-up: Amy Ryan, Win Win
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Win Win- Tom McCarthy
runner-up: Margin Call- J.C. Chandor
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Descendants- Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
runner-up: Moneyball- Steven Zailian & Aaron Sorkin
ANIMATED FEATURE: Rango
runner-up: Winnie the Pooh
FOREIGN FILM: The Skin I Live In
runner-up: 13 Assassins
DOCUMENTARY: Project Nim
runner-up: Into the Abyss
SCORE: The Artist
runner-up: Hugo
ORIGINAL VISION AWARD: The Tree of Life
runner-up: The Artist

New York Film Critics Online

PICTURE: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
ACTOR: Michael Shannon, Take Shelter
runners-up: Michael Fassbender, Shame; Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Solder Spy
ACTRESS: Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Albert Brooks, Drive
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
SCREENPLAY: The Descendants- Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
FOREIGN FILM: A Separation
DOCUMENTARY: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
ANIMATED FEATURE: The Adventures of Tintin
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Tree of Life- Emmanuel Lubezki
MUSIC: The Artist- Ludovic Bource
DEBUT DIRECTOR: Joe Cornish, Attack the Block
ENSEMBLE: Bridesmaids
BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER: Jessica Chastain (everything)

Boston Film Critics Society

PICTURE: The Artist
runners-up: Hugo; Margaret
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
runner-up: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
ACTOR: Brad Pitt, Moneyball
runners-up: George Clooney, The Descendants; Michael Fassbender, Shame
ACTRESS: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Albert Brooks, Drive
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
runner-up: Jeannie Berlin, Margaret
SCREENPLAY: Moneyball- Steven Zailian & Aaron Sorkin
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Tree of Life- Emmanuel Lubezki
runner-up: Hugo- Ralph Richardson
EDITING: The Clock
runner-up: Hugo
DOCUMENTARY: Project Nim
runner-up: Bill Cunningham New York
FOREIGN FILM: Incendies
runners-up: Poetry; A Separation
BEST USE OF MUSIC: (tie) Drive; The Artist
runner-up: The Descendants
BEST NEW FILMMAKER: Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene
runner-up: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
ENSEMBLE: Carnage
runner-up: Margaret

Another win for The Artist, and some usual suspects-- however some personality must be paid to the win for Melissa McCarthy's performance in Bridesmaids, and the overall affection for the Kenneth Lonergan long-delayed (and dumped) opus Margaret which snared three runner-up prizes, as well as a deftly worded summation from the Beantown film critics:

"The Boston Society of Film Critics expresses its regret that Fox Searchlight refused to distribute screeners of the film "Margaret" and scheduling only a last-minute screening after numerous requests. The film, which received an extremely limited release, was a favorite of many BSFC members and could have won several awards had it been made available for viewing within a reasonable timeframe.  Despite this disadvantage, "Margaret" was a runner up in three of the BSFC’s award categories. We encourage Fox Searchlight not compound this oversight and to make screeners available to the voting body of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and so give the film a fair chance in the upcoming awards competition."

Washington D.C. Film Critics Awards

PICTURE: The Artist
DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese, Hugo
ACTOR: George Clooney, The Descendants
ACTRESS: Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
SUPPORTING ACTOR: Albert Brooks, Drive
SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Octavia Spencer, The Help
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: 50/50- Will Reiser
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: The Descendants- Alexander Payne, Nate Faxon & Jim Rash
ENSEMBLE: Bridesmaids
ANIMATED FEATURE: Rango
DOCUMENTARY: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
FOREIGN FILM: The Skin I Live In
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Hugo
CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Tree of Life
ORIGINAL SCORE: The Artist

Remember the glee when the NY Film Critics and the National Board of Review made their choices and neither of them matched...well the smoke has cleared and now I fear (the third critics group mention at that) that the age of monotony might settle in, as The Artist tops Washington (just as it did NY), Scorsese wins direction (just as he did at the NBR), Clooney for leading actor (NBR again), and Brooks wins supporting actor (NY), however at least there appears some personality on the part of the ladies as the first end of the year props are given to Michelle Williams and Octavia Spencer, respectively.