News - HOBBIT trailer!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, in one week, we've had the new Dark Knight Rises trailer, and now, the trailer for the other most anticipated movie of next year....THE HOBBIT.  No further intro needed. Enjoy.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Trailer on ITunes -- Watch it now!

 

Oscars - 39 final submissions for Best Original Song

The Academy has released the list of songs eligible for this year's Best Original Song category. There are 39 total songs, representing 30 films. By the rules the Academy set out a few years ago, the maximum nods any single film can score is 2, after films such as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Dreamgirls, and Enchanted all scored 3. The last film to score 2 was The Princess and the Frog back in 2009. Personally, I'm rooting hardcore for a song from The Muppets to take this one. Here are this year's finalists...

• “The World I Knew” from “African Cats”
• “Lay Your Head Down” from “Albert Nobbs”
• “Star Spangled Man” from “Captain America: The First Avenger”
• “Collision of Worlds” from “Cars 2″
• “Dakkanaga Dugu Dugu” from “DAM999″
• “DAM999 Theme Song” from “DAM999″
• “Mujhe Chod Ke” from “DAM999″
• “Rainbird” from “Dirty Girl”
• “Keep On Walking” from “The First Grader”
• “Where the River Goes” from “Footloose”
• “Hello Hello” from “Gnomeo & Juliet”
• “Love Builds a Garden” from “Gnomeo & Juliet”
• “Bridge of Light” from “Happy Feet Two”
• “The Mighty Sven” from “Happy Feet Two”
• “Never Be Daunted” from “happythankyoumoreplease”
• “Hell and Back” from “Hell and Back Again”
• “The Living Proof” from “The Help”
• “Coeur Volant” from “Hugo”
• “It’s How We Play” from “I Don’t Know How She Does It”
• “When the Heart Dies” from “In the Land of Blood and Honey”
• “Ja Nao Estar” from “José and Pilar”
• “The Keeper” from “Machine Gun Preacher”
• “Life’s a Happy Song” from “The Muppets”
• “Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets”
• “Pictures in My Head” from “The Muppets”
• “Summer Song” from “The Music Never Stopped”
• “Imaginary Friends” from “Olive”
• “Sparkling Day” from “One Day”
• “Taking You with Me” from “Our Idiot Brother”
• “The Greatest Song I Ever Heard” from “POM Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”
• “Hot Wings” from “Rio”
• “Let Me Take You to Rio” from “Rio”
• “Real in Rio” from “Rio”
• “Shelter” from “Take Shelter”
• “Gathering Stories” from “We Bought a Zoo”
• “Pop” from “White Irish Drinkers”
• “Think You Can Wait” from “Win Win”
• “The Backson Song” from “Winnie the Pooh”
• “So Long” from “Winnie the Pooh”

Awards - Southeastern Film Critics

And now, the group that represents the part of the country that I currently live in have also chosen their winners for the year. I happen to know a few of these people personally, so of course it's of great interest to me who takes home the prizes here. The SEFCA represents critics from several states, with members hailing from Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, Alabama & Louisiana. This year, there top prize has gone to...The Descendants. Here are their full winners...

TOP TEN FILMS OF THE YEAR
1. THE DESCENDANTS (Best Film of the Year)

2. The Artist

3. Hugo

4. Moneyball

5. The Tree of Life

6. Drive

7. Midnight in Paris

8. Win Win

9. War Horse

10. The Help

BEST DIRECTOR:  Martin Scorsese - "Hugo"
Runner-up:  Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"

BEST ACTOR:  George Clooney - "The Descendants"

Runner-up:  Michael Fassbender - "Shame"

BEST ACTRESS:  Meryl Streep - "The Iron Lady"

Runner-up:  Tilda Swinton - "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  Christopher Plummer - "Beginners"

Runner-up:  Albert Brooks - "Drive"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Janet McTeer - "Albert Nobbs"

Runner-up:  Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"

BEST ENSEMBLE:  The Help

Runner-up:  The Descendants

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:  Midnight in Paris

Runner-up:  The Artist

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:  The Descendants

Runner-up:  Moneyball

BEST ANIMATED FILM:  Rango

Runner-up:  The Adventures of Tintin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:  The Tree of Life
Runner-up:  Hugo

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  A Separation

Runner-up:  The Skin I Live In

BEST DOCUMENTARY:  Project Nim

Runner-up:  Tabloid

GENE WYATT AWARD:  The Help
Runner-up:  Undefeated

Chicago Film Critics Winners

For the full nominees, check out the previous Chicago post, but now they have announced their winners, with The Tree of Life showing up big. Here are the full winners.

BEST PICTURE:  THE TREE OF LIFE
BEST DIRECTOR:  Terrence Malick - "The Tree of Life"
BEST ACTOR:  Michael Shannon - "Take Shelter"
BEST ACTRESS:  Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  Albert Brooks - "Drive"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Jessica Chastain - "The Tree of Life"
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:  The Artist
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:  Moneyball
BEST ANIMATED FILM:  Rango
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:  The Tree of Life
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:  Drive
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  A Separation
BEST DOCUMENTARY:  The Interrupters
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER:  Elizabeth Olsen - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER:  Sean Durkin - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Golden Satellite winners

The Golden Satellite Awards were handed out by the International Press Academy, and several films made decent splashes. THE DESCENDANTS took the top prize, as well as adapted screenplay, while DRIVE was the largest winner of the day, taking awards for Director, Actor, Supporting Actor & Sound. Other winners included The Tree of Life with 2, and The Artist, War Horse, and Hugo, among others, all scooping up a win. Click on the previous link for full nominees, but here is the full list of winners...

BEST PICTURE:  The Descendants
BEST DIRECTOR:  Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"
BEST ACTOR:  Ryan Gosling - "Drive"
BEST ACTRESS:  Viola Davis - "The Help"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  Albert Brooks - "Drive"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Jessica Chastain - "The Tree of Life"
BEST ENSEMBLE:  The Help  (no nominees)
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:  The Tree of Life
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:  The Descendants
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:  The Adventures of Tintin
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:  War Horse
BEST FILM EDITING:  The Guard
BEST ART DIRECTION:  The Artist
BEST COSTUME DESIGN:  Water for Elephants
BEST SOUND (Mixing & Editing):  Drive
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:  Hugo
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:  Soul Surfer
BEST ORIGINAL SONG:  "Lay Down Your Head" - Albert Nobbs
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  Mysteries of Lisbon
BEST DOCUMENTARY:  Senna
BEST FIRST FEATURE:  Paddy Considine - "Tyrannosaur"  (no nominees)

Awards - Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics

The DFW critics are another group that I always take a little extra care with, since I've lived there as well. This year, they've gone with The Descendents. They've also ranked Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close as their #3 film of the year, which I believe in the highest it's showed up so far.

TOP 10 FILMS
1. THE DESCENDANTS (Best Film)

2. The Artist

3. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

4. Midnight in Paris

5. The Tree of Life

6. Hugo

7. 50/50

8. Drive

9. Shame

10. Moneyball

BEST DIRECTOR:  ALEXANDER PAYNE - "THE DESCENDANTS"
Runner-ups: 2. Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist", 3. Terrence Malick - "The Tree of Life", 4. Martin Scorsese - "Hugo", 5. Woody Allen - "Midnight in Paris"

BEST ACTOR:  GEORGE CLOONEY - "THE DESCENDANTS"

Runner-ups:  2. Jean Dujardin - "The Artist", 3. Michael Fassbender - "Shame", 4. Brad Pitt - "Moneyball", 5. Michael Shannon - "Take Shelter"

BEST ACTRESS:  MICHELLE WILLIAMS - "MY WEEK WITH MARILYN"

Runner-ups:  2. Tilda Swinton - "We Need to Talk About Kevin", 3. Meryl Streep - "The Iron Lady", 4. Charlize Theron - "Young Adult", 5. Kirsten Dunst - "Melancholia"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER - "BEGINNERS"

Runner-ups:  2. Albert Brooks - "Drive", 3. Max Von Sydow - "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close", 4. Armie Hammer - "J. Edgar", 5. Kenneth Branagh - "My Week with Marilyn"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  SHAILENE WOODLEY - "THE DESCENDANTS"

Runner-ups:  2. Berenice Bejo - "The Artist", 3. Octavia Spencer - "The Help", 4. Melissa McCarthy - "Bridesmaids", 5. Carey Mulligan - "Shame"

BEST SCREENPLAY:  THE DESCENDANTS

Runner-up:  Midnight in Paris

BEST ANIMATED FILM:  RANGO

Runner-up:  The Adventures of Tintin

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:  THE TREE OF LIFE
Runner-up:  War Horse

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  A SEPARATION

Runner-ups:  2. The Skin I Live In, 3. Incendies, 4. 13 Assassins, 5. Of Gods and Men & Certified Copy (tie)

BEST DOCUMENTARY:  CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS

Runner-ups:  2. Project Nim, 3. The Interrupters, 4. Page One: Inside the New York Times, 5. Buck

RUSSELL SMITH AWARD:  WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN

Awards - Chicago Film Critics

After L.A. and N.Y., possibly the most influential critics group (maybe DFW?) has announced their nominees and winners. Leading the way with 7 total nods, and taking 4 total awards, including Supporting Actress, Director and Picture of the year, is The Tree of Life. Several other films showed up, including Drive, Moneyball, Take Shelter, Rango, and My Week with Marilyn.

BEST PICTURE

The Artist

The Descendants

Drive

Hugo

The Tree of Life

BEST DIRECTOR

Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"

Terrence Malick - "The Tree of Life"

Alexander Payne - "The Descendents"

Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"

Martin Scorsese - "Hugo"

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney - "The Descendants"

Jean Dujardin - "The Artist"

Michael Fassbender - Shame"

Gary Oldman - "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

Michael Shannon - "Take Shelter"

BEST ACTRESS

Kirsten Dunst - "Melancholia"

Elizabeth Olsen - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Anna Paquin - "Margaret"

Meryl Streep - "The Iron Lady"

Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Albert Brooks - "Drive"

Nick Nolte - "Warrior"

Patton Oswalt - "Young Adult"

Brad Pitt - "The Tree of Life"

Christopher Plummer - "Beginners"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain - "The Tree of Life"

Melissa McCarthy - "Bridesmaids"

Carey Mulligan - "Shame"

Octavia Spencer - "The Help"

Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Artist

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Midnight in Paris

A Separation

The Tree of Life

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants

Drive

Hugo

Moneyball

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The Adventures of Tintin

Arthur Christmas

Puss in Boots

Rango

Winnie the Pooh

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Drive

Hugo

Melancholia

The Tree of Life

War Horse

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Artist

Drive

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Hanna

Hugo

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

In a Better World

Incendies

A Separation

The Skin I Live In

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Cave of Forgotten Dreams

The Interrupters

Into the Abyss

Pina

Project Nim

Tabloid

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER

Liana Liberato - "Trust"

Brit Marling - "Another Earth"

Hunter McCracken - "The Tree of Life"

Elizabeth Olsen - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER

J.C. Chandor - "Margin Call"

Simon Curtis - "My Week with Marilyn"

Drake Doremus - "Like Crazy"

Sean Durkin - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Tate Taylor - "The Help"

Detroit Film Critics Winners

The Detroit critics have announced their winners, a few days after they chose their nominees. Another win for The Artist (steamrolling!). Here are the full winners. Click on the older Detroit critics link for the full nominees.

BEST PICTURE:  The Artist
BEST DIRECTOR:  Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"
BEST ACTOR:  Michael Fassbender - "Shame"
BEST ACTRESS:  Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  Christopher Plummer - "Beginners"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Carey Mulligan - "Shame"
BEST ENSEMBLE:  Carnage
BEST SCREENPLAY:  Moneyball
BEST DOCUMENTARY:  Tabloid
BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE:  Jessica Chastain - "The Tree of Life / The Help / The Debt / Take Shelter"

2011: Cinematic joy - another montage

And here's another wonderful end-of-year montage, this one from MrBenZuk off of YouTube. Make sure to check out his other great videos. Between this and the cinescape video, damn it makes this year in film look memorable!!!

2011: The Cinescape ... edited by Matt Shapiro

Once again, Matt Shapiro has completely blown me away with his year-end film montage. I seriously wait for these to come out every single year. WELL DONE MATT!

Review - Young Adult (2011)

My quick thoughts on YOUNG ADULT... Definitely not a "feel-good" movie by any means. Very mature filmmaking from one of our most talented young American directors. A strong performance by Charlize Theron, and wonderful supporting work from Patton Oswalt in what could have been a cliche character part very easily. He is the story's conscience and somewhat catalyst at the same time. A film worth checking out, but certainly not Reitman's best. Last time he and Diablo Cody teamed up, we got "Juno", where everyone is always looking on the bright side. Here, pretty much the total opposite. Theron's character is depressed, a constant drinker, and has receded into her longing for youth so badly that her job is to perpetually write a now-failing series of young adult novels, and she travels back to her home town to try to steal her high school sweetheart away from his wife and newborn baby. "Young Adult" in this case could almost literally be translated as "Prolonged Adolescence", cause that's exactly what Theron's character is stuck in. No need to rush out to the theaters, especially with everything else playing this holiday season. Did I enjoy it, yes. It it worth the ticket price? It's a toss-up. To me, a rental would be just fine.     

Rating = B

Possible Nominations
Best Actress (Charlize Theron)
Best Supporting Actor (Patton Oswalt)
Best Original Screenplay

Awards - Golden Globes (HFPA)

The Golden Globes, the annual awards of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, have announced their nominees. Always one of the biggest parties in Hollywood, and this year Ricky Gervais will be hosting again. Should be entertaining as hell! Leading the way is the darling of the year to date, The Artist, landing 6 nominations. The Descendents close behind with 5, while The Help, Moneyball, The Ides of March, and Moneyball all received 4. On a more personal note, I think the Globes have actually lost a lot of their luster and "importance" as of late, and they seem to be going the way of more of a 2nd-rate show. Maybe just me. If you need proof, watch the opening speech from Gervais last year. "The Tourist? Really?" Although I must also say that I do think this year's nominees are much more a solid and deserving group.

BEST PICTURE (DRAMA)

The Descendants

The Help

Hugo

The Ides of March

Moneyball

War Horse

BEST PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)

50/50

The Artist

Bridesmaids

Midnight in Paris

My Week with Marilyn

BEST DIRECTOR

Woody Allen - "Midnight in Paris"

George Clooney - "The Ides of March"

Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"

Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"

Martin Scorsese - "Hugo"

BEST ACTOR (DRAMA)

George Clooney - "The Descendants"

Leonardo DiCaprio - "J. Edgar"

Michael Fassbender - "Shame"

Ryan Gosling - "The Ides of March"

Brad Pitt - "Moneyball"

BEST ACTOR (COMEDY/MUSICAL)

Jean Dujardin - "The Artist"

Brendan Gleeson - "The Guard"

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - "50/50"

Ryan Gosling - "Crazy Stupid Love"

Owen Wilson - "Midnight in Paris"

BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA)

Glenn Close - "Albert Nobbs"

Viola Davis - "The Help"

Rooney Mara - "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Meryl Streep - "The Iron Lady"

Tilda Swinton - "We Need to Talk About Kevin"

BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY/MUSICAL)

Jodie Foster - "Carnage"

Charlize Theron - "Young Adult"

Kristen Wiig - "Bridesmaids"

Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn"

Kate Winslet - "Carnage"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh - "My Week with Marilyn"

Albert Brooks - "Drive"

Jonah Hill - "Moneyball"

Viggo Mortensen - "A Dangerous Method"

Christopher Plummer - "Beginners"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Berenice Bejo - "The Artist"

Jessica Chastain - "The Help"

Janet McTeer - "Albert Nobbs"

Octavia Spencer - "The Help"

Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"

BEST SCREENPLAY

The Artist - Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants - Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

The Ides of March - George Clooney, Grant Heslov & Beau Willimon

Midnight in Paris - Woody Allen

Moneyball - Steven Zaillian & Aaron Sorkin

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

The Adventures of Tintin

Arthur Christmas

Cars 2

Puss in Boots

Rango

BEST SCORE

The Artist - Ludovic Bource

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross

Hugo - Howard Shore

W.E. - Abel Korzeniowski

War Horse - John Williams

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"Hello Hello" - Gnomeo & Juliet

"The Keeper" - Machine Gun Preacher

"Lay Your Head Down" - Albert Nobbs

"The Living Proof" - The Help

"Masterpiece" - W.E.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

The Flowers of War (China)

In the Land of Blood and Honey (USA)

The Kid with the Bike (Belgium)

A Separation (Iran)

The Skin I Live In (Spain)

News - Great Gatsby first look

The first pictures from the set of Baz Luhrmann's next film, a remake of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, The Great Gatsby, have been found. Releasing next year, it will be his first movie since 2008's "Australia", and only his second film since his epic musical "Moulin Rouge", way back in 2001. Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan are set as Jay & Daisy, respectively. Also appearing in the film will be Joel Edgerton as Tom, Isla Fisher as Myrtle, and Tobey Maguire as Nick. Put this one on your must-see list now!

San Diego Film Critics Winners

Here is the list of winners from the 2011 San Diego Film Critics. Like I mentioned before, this particular group likes to make a lot of off-the-beaten-path choices, and that stayed true this year. They announced their nominees a few days. See the previous San Diego post for full nominees, but the winners are...

BEST FILM:  The Artist
BEST DIRECTOR:  Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"
BEST ACTOR:  Michael Shannon - "Take Shelter"
BEST ACTRESS:  Brit Marling - "Another Earth"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  Nick Nolte - "Warrior"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST:  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:  Midnight in Paris
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:  Moneyball
BEST ANIMATED FILM:  Arthur Christmas
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:  The Tree of Life
BEST FILM EDITING:  Beginners
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:  Hugo
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:  Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  Le Quattro Volte
BEST DOCUMENTARY:  Project Nim
BEST BODY OF WORK FOR 2011:  Jessica Chastain
KYLE COUNTS AWARD:  Lee Ann Kim, San Diego Asian Film Foundation

Oscars - 10 Finalists for Live-Action Short Film

The Academy has announced the list of the finalists for the Live-Action Short Film nomination race. Good luck to all the finalists! They are...

• “Je Pourrais Être Votre Grand-Mère (I Could Be Your Grandmother),” Bernard Tanguy, director-producer (Rézina Productions)

• “Love at First Sight,” Michael Davies, director and Sandra Gorel, producer (Spellbound Films)

• “Pentecost,” Peter McDonald, director (EMU Productions)

• “Raju,” Max Zähle, director and Stefan Gieren, producer (Hamburg Media School/Filmwerkstatt)

• “The Road Home,” Rahul Gandotra, director-producer and Ameenah Ayub, producer (London Film School)

• “The Roar of the Sea,” Ana Rocha Fernandes and Torsten Truscheit, directors (Niama Filmproduktion GmbH)

• “Sailcloth,” Elfar Adalsteins, director-producer (Berserk Films)

• “The Shore,” Terry George, director-producer (All Ashore Productions Limited)

• “Time Freak,” Andrew Bowler, director and Gigi Causey, producer (Team Toad)

• “Tuba Atlantic,” Hallvar Witzø, director (The Norwegian Film School/Den Norske Filmskolen 

Awards - Screen Actors Guild (SAG)

The largest branch of the Academy is made up of the actors, which is why the SAG awards are always such a big part of the prediction race. Last year, The King's Speech cemented it's place as the front-runner at the SAGs, taking the ensemble award as well as Actor for Colin Firth. This year, The Help leads all films with 4 nods, but we have a few surprises as well. Bichir &  DiCaprio are both well-deserved nods, but had been mostly absent from the awards race so far. It seems the SAG liked "J. Edgar" much more than the critics did, also giving a nod to Armie Hammer. Also a surprising, but very deserved, nod for Nick Nolte from the woefully overlooked "Warrior." Even though she's been strangely absent from the precursors to date, Glenn Close got into the Actress race here.

BEST ACTOR

• Demian Bichir - "A Better Life"
• George Clooney - "The Descendants"
• Leonardo DiCaprio - "J. Edgar"
• Jean Dujardin - "The Artist"
• Brad Pitt - "Moneyball"

BEST ACTRESS

• Glenn Close - "Albert Nobbs"
• Viola Davis - "The Help"
• Meryl Streep - "The Iron Lady"
• Tilda Swinton - "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
• Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Kenneth Branagh - "My Week with Marilyn"
• Armie Hammer - "J. Edgar"
• Jonah Hill - "Moneyball"
• Nick Nolte - "Warrior"
• Christopher Plummer - "Beginners"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Berenice Bejo - "The Artist"
• Jessica Chastain - "The Help"
• Melissa McCarthy - "Bridesmaids"
• Janet McTeer - "Albert Nobbs"
• Octavia Spencer - "The Help"

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

• The Artist
• Bridesmaids
• The Descendants
• The Help
• Midnight in Paris

BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE

• The Adjustment Bureau
• Cowboys & Aliens
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon
• X-Men: First Class

Awards - Phoenix Film Critics

And now we have the nominees from the Phoenix critics as well. Very similar to the general consensus that we've been seeing, with a few other choices thrown in, as well as several new categories. I'm loving the love for Super 8, and the lineup for Animated Film is one of my favorites.

BEST PICTURE

The Artist

The Descendants

Drive

The Help

Hugo

Midnight in Paris

Moneyball

My Week with Marilyn

Super 8

The Tree of Life

BEST DIRECTOR

Woody Allen - "Midnight in Paris"

Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist"

Alexander Payne - "The Descendants"

Martin Scorsese - "Hugo"

Tate Taylor - "The Help"

BEST ACTOR

George Clooney - "The Descendants"

Jean Dujardin - "The Artist"

Michael Fassbender - "Shame"

Gary Oldman - "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"

Brad Pitt - "Moneyball"

BEST ACTRESS

Glenn Close - "Albert Nobbs"

Viola Davis - "The Help"

Elizabeth Olsen - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Meryl Streep - "The Iron Lady"

Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Kenneth Branagh - "My Week with Marilyn"

Albert Brooks - "Drive"

John Hawkes - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Jonah Hill - "Moneyball"

Christopher Plummer - "Beginners"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Berenice Bejo - "The Artist"

Bryce Dallas Howard - "The Help"

Jessica Chastain - "The Help"

Octavia Spencer - "The Help"

Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST

Bridesmaids

Contagion

Margin Call

Midnight in Paris

Super 8

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

The Artist

Beginners

Midnight in Paris

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Descendants

The Help

Hugo

BEST ANIMATED FILM

The Adventures of Tintin

Rango

Winnie the Pooh

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Artist

Hugo

The Tree of Life

BEST FILM EDITING

The Artist

Super 8

The Tree of Life

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Artist

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Hugo

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

The Artist

Hugo

Jane Eyre

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Hugo

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

The Artist

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Moneyball

Super 8

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

"I Believe in You" - Johnny English Reborn

"Life's a Happy Song" - The Muppets

"The Living Proof" - The Help

"Star Spangled Man" - Captain America: The First Avenger

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Incendies

Point Blank

The Skin I Live In

BEST DOCUMENTARY

African Cats

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

Page One: Inside the New York Times

Project Nim

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE ON CAMERA

Elle Fanning - "Super 8"

Thomas Horn - "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Elizabeth Olsen - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE BEHIND THE CAMERA

Sean Durkin - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

Michael Hazanavicius - "The Artist"

Tate Taylor - "The Help"

BEST MALE YOUTH PERFORMANCE

Asa Butterfield - "Hugo"

Joel Courtney - "Super 8"

Thomas Horn - "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

BEST FEMALE YOUTH PERFORMANCE

Elle Fanning - "Super 8"

Amara Miller - "The Descendants"

Chloe Grace Moretz - "Hugo"

Saoirse Ronan - "Hanna"

BEST LIVE-ACTION FAMILY FILM

Dolphin Tale

Hugo

The Muppets

We Bought a Zoo

BEST OVERLOOKED FILM OF THE YEAR

A Better Life

The Conspirator

Texas Killing Fields

BEST STUNTS

Drive

Fast Five

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Awards - Toronto Film Critics

And now we have the Toronto critics announcing. The biggest critic group in Canada, and they went big for The Tree of Life. Here are their winners and runner-ups...

BEST PICTURE:  The Tree of Life

Runner-ups:  The Artist & The Descendants

BEST DIRECTOR:  Terrence Malick - "The Tree of Life"

Runner-ups:  Michel Hazanavicius - "The Artist" & Nicolas Winding Refn - "Drive"

BEST ACTOR:  Michael Shannon - "Take Shelter"

Runner-ups:  George Clooney - "The Descendants" & Michael Fassbender - "Shame"

BEST ACTRESS:  Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn"

Runner-ups:  Elizabeth Olsen - "Martha Marcy May Marlene" & Meryl Streep "The Iron Lady"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  Christopher Plummer - "Beginners"

Runner-ups:  Albert Brooks - "Drive" & Patton Oswalt - "Young Adult"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Jessica Chastain - "Take Shelter"

Runner-ups:  Jessica Chastain - "The Tree of Life" & Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"

BEST SCREENPLAY:  Moneyball

Runner-ups:  The Descendants & The Tree of Life

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:  The Adventures of Tintin

Runner-ups:  Puss in Boots & Rango

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:  Mysteries of Lisbon

Runner-ups:  Attenberg & Le Havre & A Separation

BEST DOCUMENTARY:  Nostalgia for the Light

Runner-ups:  Into the Abyss & Project Nim

BEST FIRST FEATURE:  Joe Cornish - "Attack the Block"

Runner-ups:  J.C. Chandor - "Margin Call" & Sean Durkin - "Martha Marcy May Marlene"

BEST CANADIAN FILM FINALISTS

Cafe de Flore

A Dangerous Method

Monsieur Lazhar

Houston Film Critics Winners

Last Saturday, the Houston Film Critics announced their nominees. And now, we have their winners. Check the previous Houston post for full nominee list.

Best Picture:  The Descendants
Best Director:  Nicholas Winding Refn - "Drive"
Best Actor:  Michael Fassbender - "Shame"
Best Actress:  Tilda Swinton - "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
Best Supporting Actor:  Albert Brooks - "Drive"
Best Supporting Actress:  Shailene Woodley - "The Descendants"
Best Screenplay:  The Descendants - Alexander Payne, Nat Foxon & Jim Rash
Best Animated Film:  Rango
Best Cinematography:  The Tree of Life - Emmanuel Lubezki
Best Score:  The Artist - Ludovic Bource
Best Song:  "Life's a Happy Song" - The Muppets
Best Foreign Film:  I Saw the Devil
Best Documentary:  Project Nim
Worst Film of the Year:  Your Highness

Awards - Las Vegas Film Critics

The Las Vegas Critics are one of the few groups that actually has a name for their annual awards...The Sierra Awards. Kinda cool. I met several of the critics in this group when I used to live in Vegas myself, and therefore, this is always one of the groups I pay just a little more attention to myself. Here are their winners, topping off with another win for The Artist!

 TOP TEN FILMS
1. The Artist  (BEST FILM OF THE YEAR)

2. Hugo

3. Moneyball

4. The Descendants

5. Drive

6. The Help

7. 50/50

8. Midnight in Paris

9. Shame

10. Warrior

BEST DIRECTOR:  Nicholas Winding Refn - "Drive"
BEST ACTOR:  Jean Dujardin - "The Artist"
BEST ACTRESS:  Michelle Williams - "My Week with Marilyn"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  Albert Brooks - "Drive"
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Melissa McCarthy - "Bridesmaids"
BEST SCREENPLAY:  Moneyball
BEST ANIMATED FILM:  Rango
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:  The Tree of Life
BEST FILM EDITING:  Hugo
BEST ART DIRECTION:  The Artist
BEST COSTUME DESIGN:  The Artist
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:  Rise of the Planet of the Apes
BEST SCORE:  The Artist
BEST SONG:  "Man or Muppet" - The Muppets
BEST FOREIGN FILM:  13 Assassins
BEST DOCUMENTARY:  Project Nim
BEST FAMILY FILM:  Hugo
BEST YOUTH IN FILM:  Asa Butterfield - "Hugo"
BEST DVD:  Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy [Blu-Ray]
WILLIAM HOLDEN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:  Albert Brooks