Following in the footsteps of the NYFCC, the Boston Film Critics Society has handed its Best Picture award to The Artist. Shame! Once again a reputable critics group has gone for a soft compromise-consensus choice — a light silvery bauble that contains nothing thematically, narratively or stylistically of its own, and a film that is entirely about backwards reflection and reconstitution and sparkly “entertainment.”

The winners:

Best Picture: The Artist.

Best Director: Martin Scorsese, Hugo.

Best Screenplay: Steven Zallian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball.

Best Actress: Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn.

Best Actor: Brad Pitt for Moneyball. (Runners-up: George Clooney, The Descendants and Michael Fassbender, Shame.)

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids (Runner-up: Jeannie Berlin, Margaret)

Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, Drive. Wells comment: Pretty much guaranteed a Best Supporting Oscar nom at this stage, I’d say.

Best Foreign Language Film: TBA

Best Documentary: Project Nim.

Best Animated Film: Rango.

Best New Filmmaker: Sean Durkin, Martha Marcy May Marlene. (Runner-up: J.C. Chandor, Margin Call)

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezski, The Tree of Life (Runner-up: Hugo)

Best Editing: The Clock (Runner-up: Hugo). Wells comment: The what? A lotta Hugo pallies in this bunch.

Best Use of Music: (tie) The Artist and Drive (Runner-up: The Descendants)

Best Ensemble Cast: Carnage.