Yesterday the Los Angeles Film Critics Association weighed in on 2008, naming "WALL-E" the best picture of the year and "The Dark Knight" the runner-up. Today the other coast had its say, as the New York Film Critics Circle lauded "Milk" and gave Sean Penn and Josh Brolin best actor and supporting actor awards respectively. New York also showed a lot of love to "Happy-Go-Lucky," giving star Sally Hawkins a best actress award and naming Mike Leigh best director. (The LA critics also awarded Hawkins best actress and gave a screenplay nod to Leigh -- somewhat strange given the improvisatory nature of his projects.)
"Man on Wire" won best documentary from both groups and is looking like the odds-on favorite in the non-fiction field. It's worth noting, though, that with three major critics' groups having had their say, there are three best picture awards out there: "Milk," "WALL-E," and "Slumdog Millionaire" (National Board of Review). And "Milk" is the only one that could be called a classic Oscar-bait release. Interesting. (Also interesting, if not just plain silly, is that with "WALL-E" getting best picture, the LA critics decided to give "Waltz with Bashir" the best animation prize.)
The LA Times' Patrick Goldstein gives some behind-the-scenes flavor to the Los Angeles voting; "Slumdog," predictably, split the critics down the middle. But Goldstein pooh-poohs "WALL-E"'s chances at an eventual best picture Oscar nomination, and I think he's dead wrong. The New York Post's Lou Lumenick blogged the NY voting, noting that Leigh beat out "Slumdog"'s Danny Boyle by one point on the fourth ballot. Verily, it's going to be a weird year at the Oscar podium.
Just to muddy the waters, the Golden Globes nominations come in tomorrow morning; the Boston Society of Film Critics votes on Sunday.
The details:
Los Angeles Film Critics Association:
Best picture: "WALL-E" (Runner-up: "The Dark Knight")
Best director: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire" (Runner-up: Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight?)
Best actress: Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Runner-up: Melissa Leo, ?Frozen River?)
Best actor: Sean Penn, ?Milk? (Runner-up: Mickey Rourke, ?The Wrestler?)
Best screenplay: Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Runner-up: Charlie Kaufman, "Synecdoche, New York")
Best supporting actress: Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and "Elegy" (Runner-up: Viola Davis, "Doubt")
Best supporting actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight" (Runner-up: Eddie Marsan, "Happy-Go-Lucky")
Best foreign language film: "Still Life? directed by Jia Zhangke (Runner-up: "The Class" directed by Laurent Cantet)
Best documentary: "Man on Wire" directed by James Marsh (Runner-up: "Waltz with Bashir" directed by Ari Folman)
Best production design: Mark Friedberg, "Synecdoche, New York" (Runner-up: Nathan Crowley, "The Dark Knight")
Best animation: ?Waltz with Bashir"
Best music/score: A.R. Rahman, "Slumdog Millionaire" (Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button")
Best cinematography: Yu Lik Wai, "Still Life" (Runner-up: Anthony Dod Mantle, "Slumdog Millionaire")
New Generation Award: Steve McQueen, ?Hunger?
Career Achievement Award: John Calley (previously announced)
Douglas E. Edwards Independent/Experimental Film/Video Award: James Benning, ?RR? and ?Casting a Glance?
The New York Film Critics Circle:
Best Actor: Sean Penn, "Milk"
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Best Director: Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Best Screenplay: Jenny Lumet, "Rachel Getting Married"
Best Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Best Animated Film: "WALL-E"
Best First Film: Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Best Foreign Film: "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days"
Best Documentary: "Man on Wire"
