National Society of Film Critics

[Okri]

Yeah, I'm not surprised at the success of Happy-Go-Lucky. It's a film that despite it's lightness really lingers in my mind. I don't know if I'd go for Hawkins or Hathaway (who simply stunned me with how good she was) in lead, but I'd be immensely satisfied if either won.

[Big Magilla]

Yes, la, not ma, thanks for the catch.

And, no, I'm not like Eddie Marsan's character, if anything more like Sally's new boyfriend, Tim in temperament, most of the time.

Both Hawkins and Marsan's characters are extremes. Marsan is wound too tightly and Hawkins is too loosey goosey. Marsan's is obviously unhappy, but I have to wonder if Hawkins' garish wardrobe and constant rib-poking jokes aren't symptons of deep-seeded mental problems as well.



Edited By Big Magilla on 1231040165

[flipp525]

Happy-Go-Lucky is this year's Ma Vie en Rose, an over-rated non-Hollywood film that the critics will shove down our throats like medicine they feel is good for us. Is it too late in the season to say bah-humbug?

I have a feeling you're more like Eddie Marsan's character, than Poppy's :p. Happy-Go-Lucky is such a wonderful film anchored by truly fabulous performances by Hawkins and Marsan, I'm actually surprised it hasn't been cited for more Best Picture awards. It's Mike Leigh at his best and people would've discovered that even without the critical attention.

Also, I think you're referring to La Vie en Rose, the film in which Marion Cotillard won last year's Best Actress trophy. Ma Vie en Rose (1997) is a totally different film albeit non-Hollywood as well.



Edited By flipp525 on 1231039745

[Big Magilla]

I suspected at the start of the awards season that Slumdog Millionaire was winning all those critics' awards because of the topicality of India, or more specifically, Mumbai, in the news.

I haven't seen Waltz With Bashir, but this animated film about the Israeli invasion of Lebanon has to have won the NSFC because of its topicality.

Happy-Go-Lucky is this year's La Vie en Rose, an over-rated non-Hollywood film that the critics will shove down our throats like medicine they feel is good for us. Is it too late in the season to say bah-humbug?



Edited By Big Magilla on 1231039765

[Okri]

Shygulla's recognition makes me so happy. She was very strong in the film. The point totals have Happy-Go-Lucky and WALL.E in second and third.

[The Original BJ]

I've been waiting to post a list of current Oscar predictions until after the PGA/DGA/WGA nods, but in my current list of acting thoughts, I have Eddie Marsan down for a nomination. I still think Supporting Actor will spring a total shock somewhere, and I can't imagine anyone seeing Happy-Go-Lucky (which the actors definitely will for Hawkins) and not finding him totally wonderful. Here's at least a major precursor to make that possibility not a COMPLETELY out of the blue occurrence, should it happen (which I hope it does).

I love Sean Penn and Sally Hawkins and would be perfectly happy to see both of them win Oscars...but did ALL three critics groups have to go for them? There have been a number of strong performances in both leading actor and actress categories this year, and I wish the last group to weigh in had spread the wealth a little bit. (Man on Wire also continued its baffling Helen Mirren-like awards run.)

I haven't seen Edge of Heaven, but it's always nice to see Maria Braun herself recognized with American accolades.

This award obviously has to help Waltz With Bashir's chances in the Animated Film category (and I guess the Foreign Film category, though you can NEVER know what the voters in that nominating group are thinking.) Having seen Bashir, I'd have thought, given the animators' lack of fondness for adult material, both Kung Fu Panda and Bolt stood a better shot, given that both are beautifully animated and mostly well-liked. I still think Bashir has an uphill battle, but maybe hope's not lost.

(This might be the place to chime in and say that I wasn't totally blown away by Waltz With Bashir. Certainly it deserves an animated feature spot alongside WALL-E, and there's some powerful and beautifully animated sequences...but especially in the film's last act, I started to feel like the visual beauty of the animation wasn't the most appropriate way to tell this story. It seems to me that it's guilty of over-aestheticizing an event that might have been better depicted in simpler, more raw terms -- which the film finally does in its last images, too late. Definitely an interesting work, though.)

Is it time to start considering Mike Leigh as a serious lone-director nominee yet again?

[Mike Kelly]

From Indiewire/Awards Daily
National Society of Film Critics Awards

(OG: Full List: http://www.oscarguy.com/Oscars/Annual/81st/Precursors.html#NSFC)

BEST PICTURE:
1. "Waltz with Bashir," directed by Ari Folman (26)
2. "Happy Go Lucky" (20)
3. "Wall-E" (20)

BEST DIRECTOR:
1. Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky" (36)
2. Gus Van Sant, "Milk" & "Paranoid Park" (20)
3. Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire" (16)

BEST NON-FICTION FILM
1. "Man on Wire," directed by James Marsh (55)
2. "Trouble The Water" (34)
3. "Encounters at the End of the World" (26)

BEST ACTOR:
1. Sean Penn, "Milk" (87)
2. Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler" (40)
3. Clint Eastwood, "Gran Torino" (38)

BEST ACTRESS:
1. Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky" (65)
2. Melissa Leo, "Frozen River" (33)
3. Michelle Williams, "Wendy and Lucy" (31)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
1. Eddie Marsan, "Happy-Go-Lucky" (41)
2. Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight" (35)
3. Josh Brolin, "Milk" (29)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
1. Hanna Schygulla, "The Edge of Heaven" (29)
2. Viola Davis, "Doubt" (29, on fewer ballots)
3. Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (24)

BEST SCREENPLAY:
1. "Happy-Go-Lucky," written by Mike Leigh (29)
2. "A Christmas Tale (24)
3. "Synecdoche, New York" (17)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. "Slumdog Millionaire," Anthony Dod Mantle (29)
2. "Flight of the Red Balloon" (22)
3. "The Dark Knight" (18)
4. "Still Life"

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM:
“Razzle Dazzle,” directed by Ken Jacobs



Edited By OscarGuy on 1231080393