NYFCC awards so far...
12:51 pm update: No Country for Old Men has won the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Picture. It seemed to take a little while, indicating that perhaps a second ballot was needed for Coen Bros. advocates to win over a tough challenger. I'd sure love to know the backstory, if there's one to tell.
Tom O'Neil and I may have called it last night. By choosing There Will be Blood for Best Picture yesterday, the L.A. Film Critics enabled the NYFCC -- gave them the freedom of will, unbothered and unencumbered by that pesky National Board of Review precedent or any concerns about being seen as rubber-stamping another critic group's choice -- to select No Country for Old Men without any nagging whatevers.
12:37 pm, Boston time: The New York Film Critics Circle has been voting for a while now, and...oh Christ, Amy Ryan has won a Best Supporting Actress award again? What is that, five so far? This is turning into a bit of a pack mentality thing. What has I'm Not There's Cate Blanchett done to offend? Cheers for the year's greatest drugged-out, child-destroying deadbeat mom, whom Ryan has been expert in bringing to life.
Joel and Ethan Coen have been named Best Directors for No Country for Old Men. Daniel Day Lewis has won Best Actor for his work in There Will Be Blood, and Away From Her's Julie Christie has taken the Best Actress award . No Country for Old Men's Javier Bardem has taken the Best Supporting Actor honor..
4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days has been blown off because the NYFCC, strangely, has decided to give their Best Foreign Film award to Florian Henckel von Donnnersmarck's The Lives of Others, an exquisite film that everyone regarded as an '06 release (regardless of the New York-area distribution particulars) and which won, of course, the Best Foreign Language Feature Oscar last February.
The NYFC's Best Animated Film is Persepolis. The Best First Film award went to Away From Her director Sarah Polley. No End in Sight has won the Best Documentary award, and There Will Be Blood's Robert Elswit has been named Best Cinematographer.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 10, 2007 at 9:24 AM
comment #1
BNick
says ...
Giving the award to The Lives of Others is no sin, because that film is a masterpiece and deserving of whatever it gets. When you consider that last year they gave Best Foreign Film to Army of Shadows, which I think was made in 1962, it's not really a stretch.
Posted by BNick
at December 10, 2007 9:49 AM
comment #2
ZacharyTF
says ...
No Country for Old Men has won Best Film.
That means NYFCC and LAFC diverge once again.
Posted by ZacharyTF
at December 10, 2007 9:50 AM
comment #3
Ethan
says ...
I am with you on Cate not picking up these major critics awards. She did a far better job than Amy (in fact she could play Amy's role easily but not vice versa). Cate's performance is easily the best five performance this year period. Maybe it's not the traditional supporting role, or that people are simply tired of her playing other celebs. Either way I feel like she is being penalized for her talent, and that is not right.
Anyway, congrats for Amy. Looks like she has secured a nomination. But nothing is set in stone until after the oscar is handed out, and I still have faith in Cate.
Posted by Ethan
at December 10, 2007 9:52 AM
comment #4
BNick
says ...
Very "conventional" picks from the NYFCC. They basically picked the favorites in almost every category, judging by the buzz and the groups that came before them.
Posted by BNick
at December 10, 2007 9:53 AM
comment #5
Unison
says ...
4,3,2 didn't open in NYC in 2007, so they couldn't pick it. Maybe it will win Best Foreign Film next year.
Posted by Unison
at December 10, 2007 9:54 AM
comment #6
VedaPierce
says ...
Is Julie Christie now a shoo-in for Best Actress? Beloved veteran movie star in possibly her last great role with a weak list of rivals (there's no chance in hell the Academy is going to give it to the French girl).
Posted by VedaPierce
at December 10, 2007 10:02 AM
comment #7
Unison
says ...
Yeah, I think the award is officially Christie's to lose. It will only help her that this year's Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical category at the Globes is far more competitive than the Drama category.
Christie will pick up the Globe for Drama almost certainly, ensuring that she stays on the mind of voters.
Posted by Unison
at December 10, 2007 10:07 AM
comment #8
VedaPierce
says ...
Yes, especially since Cotillard's performance will probably be considered a 'musical' one given the Globe's warped logic.
Posted by VedaPierce
at December 10, 2007 10:13 AM
comment #9
Unison
says ...
The Globes have officially put Kidman / Cotillard / Page / Linney / Bonham Carter all into the muscial/comedy category.
Posted by Unison
at December 10, 2007 10:16 AM
comment #10
PerfectTommy
says ...
BNick - I agree, whenever "The Lives of Others" is praised, I'm OK with it. That was a time Oscar got it right. I was pulling for "Pan" last year, hadn't seen "Lives", but the right film was picked.
Every once in a while, Oscar even gets Best Picture right. They did with Casablanca, The Apartment, Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather and Schinler's List.
And it looks like there is a chance they'll get it right this year with No Country for Old Men.
Posted by PerfectTommy
at December 10, 2007 10:35 AM
comment #11
JChasse
says ...
I'm starting to think that Amy Ryan might be this year's Eddie Murphy for Jeff...
Posted by JChasse
at December 10, 2007 10:38 AM
comment #12
corey3rd
says ...
No lifetime award to Chuck Norris? NYFCC is full of themselves.
Posted by corey3rd
at December 10, 2007 10:39 AM
comment #13
VedaPierce
says ...
Does the NYFCC normally disclose the runner-ups?
Posted by VedaPierce
at December 10, 2007 10:47 AM
comment #14
Howlingman
says ...
With all due respect, how many more awards does Cate need anyway? Good for Amy, and I hope the nods keep coming in. She's this year's Jackie Earle Haley.
Posted by Howlingman
at December 10, 2007 10:52 AM
comment #15
JaySmire
says ...
Has anyone ever met someone, or has family, from Southie in Boston? Let me tell you, everything about Amy Ryan's performance was spot on. There isn't a false note there. When I first saw the film I actually thought Ben had cast a local native actor to play that role it was so convincing. While not everyone in Boston has an accent like that, the working class of Southie does and she nailed it. Cate was good, but I think we are seeing the backlash of the hype. She wasn't that good. Samantha Morton in control was better than Cate. And for my money, the best supporting performance by a female this year was the girl from Once. Maybe she's a lead? I don't know, but I liked her the best.
Posted by JaySmire
at December 10, 2007 11:55 AM
comment #16
Arran
says ...
I don't quite get why every time you mention Amy Ryan winning you go on about what a filthy, disgusting character she plays as if that's a bad thing, while when praising There Will Be Blood, and Daniel Day-Lewis in particular, to the high heavens for embodying the same traits.
Posted by Arran
at December 10, 2007 11:56 AM
comment #17
Arran
says ...
Sorry, that "when" shouldn't be there. Urgh.
Posted by Arran
at December 10, 2007 11:57 AM
comment #18
jeffmcm
says ...
I would agree that Ryan is this year's Jackie Earle Haley: his character was an underwritten stereotype too.
Posted by jeffmcm
at December 10, 2007 12:28 PM
comment #19
Reedyb
says ...
So now it's up to the Golden Globes to move Sweeney Todd into frontrunner status.
Posted by Reedyb
at December 10, 2007 1:50 PM
comment #20
BurmaShave
says ...
"Cheers for the year's greatest"...
Wife-beating asshole boxer
Face-eating cannibal
underage girl lusting stoner
Mass-murdering African dictator
Do you see the silliness of your issues with Amy Ryan? Sure it's a loathsome character, but it's a great perforamance. She's a stellar character actress getting her due. I have issues with the lock-step sweep, but it's great that it's happening for a newcomer. This is not the depressing march of Mirren.
Posted by BurmaShave
at December 10, 2007 2:15 PM
comment #21
PerfectTommy
says ...
Nothing depressing about the "march of Mirren". She gave a great performance among a career of great performances. It's depressing when the best work isn't recognized because some group want to express quirky but unmerited independence.
Posted by PerfectTommy
at December 10, 2007 2:59 PM
comment #22
actionman
says ...
"Cheers for the year's greatest drugged-out, child-destroying deadbeat mom, whom Ryan has been expert in bringing to life."
Cheers is right!
Posted by actionman
at December 10, 2007 5:04 PM
comment #23
Discman
says ...
Hey, Jeffrey: Did the NYFCC give out a Special Critics Award? You didn't mention it.
You know where I'm going with this, don't you? C'mon, mention it. Just once. You don't have to admit you didn't see it. Just ... mention it, ya know?
Posted by Discman
at December 10, 2007 6:30 PM
comment #24
christian
says ...
Finally saw NCFOM at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz -- ya have to see it in Texas eating pizza and drinking pinot noir, yee-haw!
Late to the party, but NCFOM was the best Coen Bros film for me since RAISING ARIZONA/FARGO. I even like the ending which still shoulda been played out visually as in the script.
One thing none of you big brain HE folk seems to have noticed tho -- how could Woody Harrelson offer Chigurrh cash from an ATM -- when the film takes place in the late 70's?
Bueller?
Posted by christian
at December 11, 2007 6:17 PM