LA Film Critics' Winners

Post by **Mister Tee** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:57 pm

My "Completely agree" was of course meant for Sonic, not the Jeff Wells bleat Magilla posted in the interim.

The day I say "Completely agree" to what Wells says is the day I give you all permission to shoot me.

Post by **Sonic Youth** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:52 pm

Big Magilla wrote:Or as Jeff Wells put it:

"Thank God on bended knees that the Los Angeles Film Critics Association has resisted the wave and given its Best Picture Award to Alexander Payne's's The Descendants. A critics group finally realized what was happening, stepped up to the plate and said "enough! We have to choose something else! And incidentally better!"

All I know is that I've never before felt such contempt for the BFCS and the NYFCO. Because despite the LAFCA Descendants win, their championing of The Artist today makes it almost certain that the Zelig impulse will manifest across the nation in critics group after critics group, and then, in all ikelihood, in guild after guild and then among Academy members. The Artist -- a pleasingly thin and insubstantial entertainment, a French-made and produced That's Entertainment! for the 21st Century -- has become the soft consensus choice that will probably sweep across the land like Genghis Khan and take the Best Picture Oscar.

Unless The Descendants or Extremely Loud or War Horse gains ground among SAG and Academy voters, etc."

"I've never felt such contempt for the Online NY Film Critics." Someone please smack Histrionic-boy for me?

Anyway, Damien's favorite film "City of Life and Death" won Best Foriegn language film, with "A Separation" as runner-up. Even that category was denied an across-the-board consensus.

Post by **Mister Tee** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:51 pm

Completely agree. For those of us who wince at the recent "let's establish front-runners immediately" tendency, today's a day a long time coming.

It was a near thing: Had LA gone with The Artist, it probably would have been all over but the crying. That the film didn't even place suggests LA was coming from a whole different direction vis a vis NY (or Boston).

Curiously, the murmured-about Jean Dujardin is the only prime best actor contender with no critics' attention to date. Pitt and now Fassbender have strong critics' push, while Clooney has his film to propel him.

Best actress still seems Streep/Williams/Davis (I never envisioned Davis making a showing at these critics' groups). Can BFCA arrange a three-way tie?

What's the last mainstream American film to win best actress at LA?

Supporting actor is now strongly split between Plummer and Brooks. I'm getting the same vibe from them that I did from the Amy Ryan/Cate Blanchett '07 race -- one (Brooks) from a film I can't imagine older voters liking at all, the other (Plummer) from a film not widely seen. Granted, Plummer has a huge veteran's advantage over Amy Ryan, but still I don't think it's out of the question for a third candidate (from a more popular film) to emerge.

Supporting actress is alot of questions. Start with, for what film would Chastain get nominated? You'd think The Help, but she's got Octavia Spencer competition there. With Catherine Keener '05, it was alot more obvious a choice. Also, Oscar voters don't seem to be as impressed with body-of-work as critics are -- see, again, Keener losing to Weisz (or Clarkson to Zellweger).

Original screenplay is a spot where I think critics' attention could make a difference. Beyond the obvious The Artist and Midnight in Paris -- maybe Young Adult -- the category is wide open: Win Win, Rango, Margin Call, 50/50. It's possible a critics' push could make A Separation or Margaret happen.

Post by **Big Magilla** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:41 pm

Or as Jeff Wells put it:

"Thank God on bended knees that the Los Angeles Film Critics Association has resisted the wave and given its Best Picture Award to Alexander Payne's's The Descendants. A critics group finally realized what was happening, stepped up to the plate and said "enough! We have to choose something else! And incidentally better!"

All I know is that I've never before felt such contempt for the BFCS and the NYFCO. Because despite the LAFCA Descendants win, their championing of The Artist today makes it almost certain that the Zelig impulse will manifest across the nation in critics group after critics group, and then, in all ikelihood, in guild after guild and then among Academy members. The Artist -- a pleasingly thin and insubstantial entertainment, a French-made and produced That's Entertainment! for the 21st Century -- has become the soft consensus choice that will probably sweep across the land like Genghis Khan and take the Best Picture Oscar.

Unless The Descendants or Extremely Loud or War Horse gains ground among SAG and Academy voters, etc."

Post by **Sonic Youth** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:32 pm

Well, regardless of what we may think of the choices, all the critic's groups have at least left us with a true race in every single catagory. In this regard, we're looking at some exciting races.

Now watch the Globes and SAGs come along and ruin everything.

Post by **Sonic Youth** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 5:13 pm

The Descendants wins. And why not? It's the very, very greatest movie of the year.

bizarre · Post by **bizarre** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 4:31 pm

Yun Jeong-hie was so predictable that I didn't predict it, but it is still incredibly deserved!

This will be the third year in a row where their Best Actress winner is ineligible for the Oscar.

Post by **Mister Tee** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 4:29 pm

I was beginning to think we'd go the whole critics' season without Malick winning a thing, but finally he triumphs here (over Kenneth Turan's dead body).

If this group can just restrain itself from picking The Artist for best film, we could have a perfect day of keeping the races wide open.

Post by **Sonic Youth** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 4:12 pm

They're still not finished???

Sabin · Post by **Sabin** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:54 pm

Mister Tee wrote
Best Screenplay: A Separation (ru: The Descendants)

Awesome.

Sabin · Post by **Sabin** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 2:40 pm

The Chemical Brothers for Hanna?

dreaMaker · Post by **dreaMaker** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 2:37 pm

The Chemical Bros for Hanna? Just awful.

Post by **Sonic Youth** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 2:35 pm

It's California. They're taking a swim break.

Post by **Reza** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 2:32 pm

They seem to be taking rather long in voting for the other categories.

Post by **Mister Tee** » Sun Dec 11, 2011 1:48 pm

Best Film: The Descendants ru: The Tree of Life
Best Animated Feature: Rango ru: The Adventures of TInTin
Best Director: Terence Malick (The Tree of Life) ru: Martin Scorsese (Hugo)
Best Actor: Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method, Jane Eyre, Shame,X-Men: First Class) (ru: Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)
Best Actress: Yun Jung-hee (Poetry) (THIS IS THE SPELLING ON LA'S ANNOUNCEMENT; ARGUE AMONGST YOURSELVES) (ru: Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia)
Best Non-Fiction Film: Cave of Forgotten Dreams (ru: The Arbor)
Best Screenplay: A Separation (ru: The Descendants)
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer (Beginners) (ru: Patton Oswalt (Young Adult))
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain for every movie made last year (officially: Coriolanus, The Debt, The Help, Take Shelter, Texas Killing Fields, Tree of Life)
(ru: Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs))
Best Music: Hanna (The Chemical Brothers) (ru: Drive)
Best Production Design: Hugo (ru: Tinker Tailor Solider Spy)
Best Cinematography: The Tree of Life (ru: City of Life and Death)

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