National Society of Film Critics

[Big Magilla]

I don't think their objective is to start a trend. It's basically to point out films that get scant attention or are ignored by other groups. Since this group contains critics who vote in other groups, many of them vote one way at one awards gathering and another when they get here, traditionally the last print critics group to dole out awards.

What is significant is that they have endorsed Daniel Day-Lewis and Julie Christie, the only two sure bets as I have been saying since last Fall. In other categories they awarded films and people who have already been awarded but not as often as some others - There Will be Blood and P.T. Anderson over No Country for Old Men and the Coen Brothers, Casey Affleck over Javier Bardem and Cate Blanchett over Amy Adams. It all points to wide open races in every category except best actor and actress, which are closed - or should be!

[Sabin]

I really don't have much to say. With critics groups, like this one, often see a trend and purposely avoid it. That they went for other films proves that the race is still quite wide open and shouldn't be "closed up" so early. I don't take a lot of stock in the NSFC, though.

The last time I can remember that the NSFC started a "trend" was when they picked 'The Pianist' which I recall was fairly empty-handed until they announced; though I couldn't say whether or not the Golden Globes had announced their nominations yet, I'm not sure the film was taken very seriously even with it's Palme. I seem to recall it being a rather muted reception.

The NSFC picked 'Out of Sight', 'Yi Yi', and 'Babe'. They're good in my book. It seems to me that this batch of wins is more indicative of an ongoing debate: 'No Country' vs. 'There Will Be Blood'. People seem to love both films but there is a debate going on as to which one is *more* brilliant. I would love to have seen the NSFC pick something like 'The Assassination of Jesse James', 'Into the Wild', 'I'm Not There', or even (heretofore unseen by me) '4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days' just to remind people that this amazing year for movies produced more than two great films. But honestly? I've seen 'There Will Be Blood' and it's pretty amazing stuff. I can't really blame them for going for it.

I will say that I would have been floored had they the audacity to name 'Zodiac' the Best Film of the Year and maybe get it a single nomination on Oscar morning. If there's one injustice this voting season (and there are one or two) it's that 'Zodiac' has come up empty handed. This is a major piece of work from an artistic and technical standpoint, as much as any other film this year, and it deserves its due.

[The Original BJ]

I still of course haven't seen Jesse James, but I'm beginning to doubt you guys on Affleck. Howcome everyone else on the planet seems to see it the other way?

No! Do NOT go to the dark side, Mister Tee! Not yet!

[rain Bard]

It may be partly that, but I think it's more likely a case of laziness combined with groupthink. I don't know precisely how this group runs its award-giving, but I'd bet there's no time set aside before the balloting to bring up issues of placement like this one (if there were such an opportunity, it could easily turn into a "stump session", and I suspect the members of this group would prefer to maintain the "purity" of a secret ballot for numerous reasons).

In lieu of an opportunity for people to make arguments about category placement, voters are likely to mark their votes in the category that has already been established by Variety ads, messages on screeners, prior awards bodies, etc. EVEN IF THEY DON'T PERSONALLY AGREE with the placement, they will do this if they really want to award Affleck. Why? Because that's what they expect their fellow critics to do. If they don't follow suit, their vote will be wasted and Affleck might get nothing. There could be a whole room full of critics thinking, "gosh, I really think Affleck deserves the Film Heritage Award*, but since all the hack reviewers here are probably going to put him down for Supporting Actor, I'll join them so as not to throw my vote away."

Of course, this is all really just speculation, that could fall apart with a little bit of inside information about how the NSFC really works. But if it runs like I suspect it does, there's no wonder these category placements are so easily manipulated by publicists.

* sorry Magilla & BJ, I couldn't resist.

[Okri]

I'm beginning to doubt me now.

[Penelope]

I still of course haven't seen Jesse James, but I'm beginning to doubt you guys on Affleck. Howcome everyone else on the planet seems to see it the other way?

Cuz they be ign'rant.

[Mister Tee]

As Damien says, it used to be you looked to NSFC not for precursing but for envelope-pushing. But those days are mostly gone: they were the only ones of the Big Three to go for either Theron in Monster or Foxx in Ray.

So, Day-Lewis becomes the only one to sweep the big three, though NBR's Clooney pick prevents him from taking The Old Four. Blood ends up doing better with the Big Three (2-out-of-) than No Country. Blanchett wins something major after all.

I still of course haven't seen Jesse James, but I'm beginning to doubt you guys on Affleck. Howcome everyone else on the planet seems to see it the other way?

[OscarGuy]

I really don't have much to say. With critics groups, like this one, often see a trend and purposely avoid it. That they went for other films proves that the race is still quite wide open and shouldn't be "closed up" so early. I don't take a lot of stock in the NSFC, though. When the Globes pick American Gangster and Juno, then I'll have something more to say.

And really, this group has only picked one BP winner in quite some time and that was MDB, but was a late-breaking film unlike many of their other choices, so who knows. It could be a sign, it might not.



Edited By OscarGuy on 1199590847

[cam]

Best picture wasn't that predictable two days ago. I was championing There Will Be Blood. This is the first...

[The Original BJ]

To me, this is an astonishingly predictable list for this group.

In fact, I don't think I have anything to even say about this.

Except that they should have known better about one thing...but apparently no one except for us got the memo on that one...

[Eric]

I can't wait to see OG's reaction.

To that and to No Country's complete shut-out.

[Penelope]

I'm just glad they saw through the falseness of Ellen Page.

[Damien]

BEST ACTRESS
*1. Julie Christie (53) - Away from Her [Lionsgate]
2. Marion Cotillard (50) - La Vie en Rose

These critics are supposedly a bit more savyy and hipper than the other groups. so I'm shocked that La Jambon came so close to the great Julie Christie.

[Akash]

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
*1. Cate Blanchett (42) - I'm Not There [The Weinstein Company]
2. Amy Ryan (29) - Gone Baby Gone and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Amy Ryan's first major loss! I can't wait to see OG's reaction.

[Eric]

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF FILM CRITICS AWARDS VOTING FOR 2007 FILMS

BEST PICTURE
*1. There Will Be Blood (48 ) - Paul Thomas Anderson [Paramount Vantage]
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (28 ) - Julian Schnabel
3. No Country for Old Men (27) - Joel and Ethan Coen

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
*1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (57) - Cristian Mungiu [IFC]
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (42) - Julian Schnabel
3. Persepolis (18 ) - Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

BEST DIRECTOR
*1, Paul Thomas Anderson (47) - There Will Be Blood [Paramount Vintage]
2. Joel and Ethan Coen (29) - No Country for Old Men
2. Julian Schnabel (29) - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST NONFICTION FILM
*1. No End in Sight (43) - Charles Ferguson [Magnolia]
2. Sicko (20) - Michael Moore
3. Terror's Advocate (18 ) - Barbet Schroeder

BEST ACTOR
*1.Daniel Day-Lewis (66) - There Will Be Blood [Paramount Vantage]
2. Frank Langella (34) -- Starting Out in the Evening
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (21) -- The Savages, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
*1. Casey Affleck (37) - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford [Warner Bros.]
2. Javier Bardem (30) - No Country for Old Men
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (29) - Charlie Wilson's War

BEST ACTRESS
*1. Julie Christie (53) - Away from Her [Lionsgate]
2. Marion Cotillard (50) - La Vie en Rose
3. Anamaria Marinca (28 ) - 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
*1. Cate Blanchett (42) - I'm Not There [The Weinstein Company]
2. Amy Ryan (29) - Gone Baby Gone and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
3. Tilda Swinton (23) - Michael Clayton

BEST SCREENPLAY
*1. Tamara Jenkins (28 ) - The Savages [Fox Searchlight]
2. Paul Thomas Anderson (19) - There Will Be Blood
3. Ronald Harwood (17) - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
*1. There Will Be Blood (51) - Robert Elswit
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (40) - Janusz Kaminski
3. No Country for Old Men (33) - Roger Deakins

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM to "Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind" by John Gianvito

FILM HERITAGE AWARD "to Ford at Fox, a 21-disc box set from Fox Home Video."

FILM HERITAGE AWARD "to Ross Lipman of the UCLA Film and Television Archive for the restoration of Charles Burnett's Killer of Sheep and other independent films."