2012 New York Film Critics Awards

[Okri]

I have nothing concrete to go by, but I suspect the Les Miz musical (rather than the film) isn't all that revered by New York critics.

I think it's viewed by them much the way Phantom is: a big, eternal-running Brit musical that audiences like far in excess of its merits.

Eww. I'd argue that Les Miserables is considerably better than POTO (and I thought it's critical reception would say the same.)

[Mister Tee]

The full goods, from J. Hoberman:

http://blogs.artinfo.com/moviejournal/2 ... y-lincoln/

[Big Magilla]

A few thoughts:

I don't know why the tourists and the surbanites love Phantom of the Opera so much. Yet they keep going back to stare in awe at the chandelier. Les Miserables depends on the production, but the film was unlikely to win any of the three major critics groups - N.Y., L.A. or N.S.F.C. Its Oscar chances are hardly diminished but a three way race between Les Miz; Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty would suit me just fine.

Silver Linings Playbook (there's no the in the title) and The Master never struck me as strong Best Picture awards magnets and I'd be surprised if they won top three awards from the other two big groups either.

Daniel Day-Lewis' fifth NYFC award is not surprsing, but I hope we see a little sharing of the wealth.

Rachel Weisz is very good in The Deep Blue Sea but the film's structure works against her. I really don't see her winning a second Oscar for this, but a nomination would not be out of the question thanks to her win here.

I had mixed feelings about Magic Mike. It's well-made but extremely light weight with a godawful leading lady perfrormance by Cody Horn that is almost unbearable. McConnaughey is good at what he does in both this and Bernie but an Oscar nomination is still a bit of a stretch in my estimation.

Sally Field is an American instituion. She'll easily get another Oscar nomination for Lincoln, but a third Oscar is probably not going to happen.

Best Director seems now to be a hot three way race between Hooper, Spielberg and Bigelow and the winner doesn't necessarily need to be the director of Oscar's Best Picture anymore than he/she had to be the director of the NYFC's Best Picture.

[The Original BJ]

Big picture-wise, let me respond to rolo's comment that how Les Mis fares in the critics' voting is inconsequential to its Oscar chances. In a vacuum, I don't disagree -- a lack of critics' prizes didn't stop Chicago from becoming the frontrunner once the TV awards kicked in. But I do think that today's big winners (Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln) fit far more in Oscar's wheelhouse than say, something like Far From Heaven ever did. Which is to say, I think critics' prizes to Zero Dark Thirty and Lincoln (especially if they repeat at other orgs) will at least put a damper on the Les Mis steamroller some people seem to be predicting.

I think if Day-Lewis becomes Philip Seymour Hoffman/Capote (precursor-wise), it'll be hard for the "third Oscar" problem to trip him up. But, if someone else can make the race competitive, that would definitely be a factor that could hurt him.

WHOA, on Best Actress! Weisz's film is available on Netflix Instant, for those wanting to check it out. (I haven't seen it myself.) I will also disagree that Weisz has no shot at an Oscar nod. I honestly think that in a Best Actress race that's so amorphous, why couldn't a past winner with a major critics' prize make some kind of dent?

Mister Tee, I certainly don't expect a movie about male strippers to be your favorite film of the year, but I was pleasantly surprised by what Magic Mike turned out to be. The film had been marketed as a silly romp, but it's a Steven Soderbergh movie through and through -- with interesting & detailed visual framing, a relaxed sense of pace, and sense of sadness and grit that permeates this story of guys who essentially sell their bodies for a living. (The part that appealed to me -- the Soderbergh-iness of it -- is exactly what turned off a lot of people I know expecting some kind of cheese-tastic camp-fest.) And Matthew McConaughey totally sells his part, in the kind of dramatic change-of-pace role that maybe didn't alter my view of him as an actor, but which definitely utilized his persona to exciting ends. I hope this award will cause more people to consider the strength of his performance, despite the movie's subject matter.

I can't believe anyone would be shocked at Sally Field winning a prize like this. The only reason she isn't more in the Oscar conversation is because she already has two Oscars, and no one's clamoring to give her a third. But it makes total sense to me that this performance in this movie would win some prizes, and only Oscar tunnel vision is what's leading some people to think that Anne Hathaway is unstoppable EVERYWHERE.

[Sonic Youth]

I have nothing concrete to go by, but I suspect the Les Miz musical (rather than the film) isn't all that revered by New York critics.

I think it's viewed by them much the way Phantom is: a big, eternal-running Brit musical that audiences like far in excess of its merits.

I saw it on Broadway, and I hated it. To be fair, it was seven or eight years ago, many years after the initial bloom on the rose wore off. Maybe I'd have liked it better with the original cast during its first year of production. Regardless, I cannot stand the music. The film itself may be great, but the music is not for me.

I remember Greg wondering if Damien would have liked the Les Miz movie since he enjoyed The King's Speech. I don't know how he'd feel about the movie, but knowing Damien's tastes in musicals I don't think he liked it either. He had no patience for Andrew Lloyd Weber and his ilk, and neither do I.

[Precious Doll]

Well so much for our 'Best Actress' predictions. We all did what the Academy does all the time - forgot a worthy performance in a film released earlier by in the year by a minor distributor and pretty much ignored by audiences.

[nightwingnova]

Now onto Lumenick's blog!

I'm guessing the Bin Laden thing touches NYers a certain way.

[Mister Tee]

I have nothing concrete to go by, but I suspect the Les Miz musical (rather than the film) isn't all that revered by New York critics.

I think it's viewed by them much the way Phantom is: a big, eternal-running Brit musical that audiences like far in excess of its merits.

[Sonic Youth]

How much of an impact do you think was made by Les Miserables not yet being theatrically released and only recently having sent out screeners?

Zero Dark Thirty hasn't been released yet, although I don't know when screeners were sent out.

I have nothing concrete to go by, but I suspect the Les Miz musical (rather than the film) isn't all that revered by New York critics.

[Mister Tee]

And, Bigelow's late entry takes the top prize.

[FilmFan720]

Except for Daniel Day Lewis, I don't think there are any clear frontrunners this year. Can't wait to see Lumenick's breakdown!

Spoke to soon.

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

I'm still not quite sold on this ida of Day Lewis as frontrunner. If he wins, he will be the first person to win three LEAD actor awards (and only the second person to win three lead awards), and will be the youngest person to win three acting Oscars except for Walter Brennan (who was 46 when he won his third!). Is he really that beloved around the Hollywood community. I know that there are plenty of fanboys and cinegeeks to worship him, but he isn't a Hollywood insider (the way that Hepburn/Nicholson/Streep) were when they won, and he just won his second award 5 years ago (whereas both Nicholson and Streep had to wait 15 and 30 years, respectively).

[jack]

It would seem my safe assumption re Lincoln was unsafe.

[Sabin]

@Sonic Youth
I think you meant to write "Sez"

[Sonic Youth]

NYFCC says ZDT for BF

[Sabin]

@Greg
Zero.