"12 Years a Slave" Captures Southeastern Film Critics Awards

The Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) is a professional organization of more than 40 film journalists working in the print, radio and online media, representing the Southeastern section of the United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.  Since 1992, SEFCA seeks to “promote the art of film criticism, the ethics of journalism and the camaraderie of peers among professionals working in the print, radio and online media in the Southeast.”

2013 SEFCA Winners:

Top 10
1. "12 Years a Slave"
2. "Gravity"
3. "American Hustle"
4. "Her"
5. "Inside Llewyn Davis"
6. "Nebraska"
7. "Dallas Buyers Club"
8. "Philomena"
9. "Captain Phillips"
10. "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club")

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine" (Runner-up: Judi Dench, "Philomena")

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club" (Runner-up: Michael Fassbender, "12

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle")

Best Director: Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: Alfonso Cuaròn, "Gravity")

Best Ensemble: "American Hustle" (Runner-up: "12 Years a Slave")

Best Adapted Screenplay: "12 Years a Slave" (Runner-up: "Philomena")

Best Original Screenplay: "American Hustle" (Runner-up: "Her")

Best Documentary: "The Act of Killing" (Runners-up: "Blackfish," "Muscle Shoals")

Best Foreign Language Film: "The Hunt" (Runner-up: "Blue is the Warmest Color")

Best Animated Film: "Frozen" (Runner-up: "The Wind Rises")

Best Cinematography: "Gravity" (Runner-up: "12 Years a Slave")

Gene Wyatt Award: Jeff Nichols, "Mud" (Runner-up: Greg "Freddy" Cammalier, "Muscle Shoals")

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"12 Years a Slave" Dominates St. Louis Film Critics Awards

The St. Louis Film Critics is an association of professional film critics operating in metropolitan St. Louis and adjoining areas of Missouri and Illinois.  Founded in late 2004, the group’s goals (according to the website) are to serve the interests of local film critics, and to promote an appreciation for cinema both as an art form and for its societal, cultural and historical context and impact.

The eligibility requirements for a SLFC Award, according to the group’s website:  a film must have been shown in the greater St. Louis area in a theater or at a film festival or series, or made available to SLFC members by screening or screener during the past year. Films opening in limited run elsewhere for Oscar qualification but which will open in the St. Louis area early in the next year are eligible.

2013 SLFC Awards:

Best Film: "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: "American Hustle")

Best Director: Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity")

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club")

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"
(Runner-up: Meryl Streep, "August: Osage County")

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"
(Runner-up: Will Forte, "Nebraska")

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: June Squibb, "Nebraska")

Best Adapted Screenplay: "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: "Philomena")

Best Original Screenplay: "Her"
(Runner-up: "American Hustle")

Best Art Direction: "The Great Gatsby"
(Runner-up: "Her")

Best Cinematography: "12 Years a Slave"
(Runner-up: "Gravity")

Best Musical Score: "Her"
(Runners-up: "Gravity," "Nebraska")

Best Soundtrack: "Inside Llewyn Davis"
(Runner-up: "Frozen")

Best Animated Film: "Frozen"
(Runner-up: "The Wind Rises")

Best Non-English Language Film: "Blue is the Warmest Color"
(Runner-up: "Wadjda")

Best Documentary: "Blackfish"
(Runners-up: "The Act of Killing," "Stories We Tell")

Best Art House or Festival Film: "Short Term 12"
(Runners-up: "Blue is the Warmest Color," "Frances Ha")

Best Comedy: (tie) "Enough Said" and "The World's End"

Best Scene (favorite movie scene or sequence): "12 Years a Slave" — The hanging scene
(Runner-up: "Gravity" — The opening tracking shot)

www.stlfilmcritics.org

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Oklahoma Film Critics Love "Her" as Best of 2013

The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) is the statewide group of professional film critics.  OFCC members are Oklahoma-based movie critics who write for print, broadcast and online outlets that publish or post reviews of current film releases.

The OFCC announced its 8th annual awards list in early January of 2014.

The OFCC 2013 Film Awards:

Best Film: "Her"

Top 10 Films:
“Her”
“American Hustle”
“12 Years a Slave
“Gravity”
“Inside Llewyn Davis”
“Captain Philips”
“The Wolf of Wall Street”
“All Is Lost”
“Dallas Buyers Club”
“Prisoners”

Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, “Gravity”

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

Best Animated Film: “Frozen”

Best Body of Work: Matthew McConaughey (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “Mud,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”)

Best Documentary: “The Act of Killing”

Best First Feature: “Fruitvale Station," Ryan Coogler

Best Foreign Language Film: “The Hunt”

Best Guilty Pleasure: “Iron Man 3”

Not-So-Obviously Worst Movie: “August: Osage County”

Obviously Worst Movie: “Grown Ups 2”

Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze, "Her"

Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley, "12 Years a Slave”

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”

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"12 Years a Slave" Wins "Best Film" at 2014 BAFTAs - Complete List

by Leroy Douresseaux

"12 Years a Slave" Wins "Best Film"

The British equivalent of the Oscars is the EE British Academy Film Awards (also known as the BAFTAs).  The 67th British Academy Film Awards took place on Sunday, February 16, 2014 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.  The ceremony was hosted by Stephen Fry and broadcast exclusively on BBC One and BBC One HD.

Gravity was the leading winner with 6 awards, including “Best Director” (Alfonso Cuarón) and “Best British Film” (a designation that was and still is controversial in some circles).  American Hustle won three prizes, including “Best Supporting Actress” for Jennifer Lawrence.

According to what I’ve read, the night wore on, and 12 Years a Slave was not winning in categories it was expected win (adapted screenplay, supporting actress, and even supporting actor).  Some thought that the film would not win any awards, but towards the end of the show, the film picked up the big wins.  First, there was “Best Actor” for Chiwetel Ejiofor.  Then, when it seemed like Gravity and maybe American Hustle would win “Best Film,” 12 Years a Slave escaped with the trophy (going to producers Anthony Katagas, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Steve McQueen.

In the non-competitive awards, director Peter Greenaway was honored with “Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema” and Helen Mirren won “The Fellowship,” the highest honor the Academy can bestow.

2014 / 67th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) winners (for the year in film, 2013):

Best Film: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Supporting Actor: Barkhad Abdi, Captain Phillips

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

Best British Film: Gravity

Best Debut By a British Writer, Director or Producer: Kieran Evans

Best Original Screenplay: American Hustle

Best Adapted Screenplay: Philomena

Best Film Not In The English Language: The Great Beauty

Best Documentary: The Act of Killing

Best Original Film Score: Gravity

Best Cinematography: Gravity

Best Editing: Rush

Best Sound: Gravity

Best Animated Film: Frozen

Best Visual Effects: Gravity

Best Makeup and Hair: American Hustle

Best Production Design: The Great Gatsby

Best Costumes: The Great Gatsby

Best Short Film: Room 8

Best Animated Short: Sleeping With The Fishes

BAFTA Rising Star Award: Will Poulter

Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema in 2014: Peter Greenaway

The Fellowship:  Helen Mirren

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SAG Awards: "Breaking Bad" for "American Hustle" and "Modern Family"

by Leroy Douresseaux

At the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, director David O. Russell’s American Hustle won “Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture,” SAG’s equivalent of a “best picture” award.  After leading the nominations with four in the theatrical motion picture categories, director Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave won only one, Lupita Nyong'o as supporting actress.

I still think this is another sign that 12 Years a Slave is unlikely to win any big awards at the upcoming Oscars.  I wonder if even Nyong’o will win in her Oscar category.

In the television categories at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Breaking Bad and “Modern Family” each won two awards.  Actress Rita Moreno received the “Life Achievement Award.”

The 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards winners were announced at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® ceremony.  The ceremony was simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Saturday, January 18, 2014 from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role:
MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY / Ron Woodroof – “DALLAS BUYERS CLUB” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role:
CATE BLANCHETT / Jasmine – “BLUE JASMINE” (Sony Pictures Classics)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role:
JARED LETO / Rayon – “DALLAS BUYERS CLUB” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role:
LUPITA NYONG’O / Patsey – “12 YEARS A SLAVE” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture:

AMERICAN HUSTLE (Columbia Pictures)
AMY ADAMS / Sydney Prosser
CHRISTIAN BALE / Irving Rosenfeld
LOUIS C.K. / Stoddard Thorsen
BRADLEY COOPER / Richie DiMaso
PAUL HERMAN / Alfonse Simone
JACK HUSTON / Pete Musane
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Rosalyn Rosenfeld
ALESSANDRO NIVOLA / Federal Prosecutor
MICHAEL PEÑA / Sheik (Agent Hernandez)
JEREMY RENNER / Mayor Carmine Polito
ELISABETH RÖHM / Dolly Polito
SHEA WHIGHAM / Carl Elway

TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
MICHAEL DOUGLAS / Liberace – “BEHIND THE CANDELABRA” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries:
HELEN MIRREN / Linda Kenney Baden – “PHIL SPECTOR” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series:
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White – “BREAKING BAD” (AMC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series:
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham – “DOWNTON ABBEY” (PBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series:
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series:
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / Vice President Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series:

BREAKING BAD (AMC)
MICHAEL BOWEN / Uncle Jack
BETSY BRANDT / Marie Schrader
BRYAN CRANSTON / Walter White
LAVELL CRAWFORD / Huell
TAIT FLETCHER / Lester
LAURA FRASER / Lydia Rodarte-Quale
ANNA GUNN / Skyler White
MATTHEW T. METZLER / Matt
RJ MITTE / Walter White Jr.
DEAN NORRIS / Hank Schrader
BOB ODENKIRK / Saul Goodman
AARON PAUL / Jesse Pinkman
JESSE PLEMONS / Todd
STEVEN MICHAEL QUEZADA / Gomez
KEVIN RANKIN / Kenny
PATRICK SANE / Frankie

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series:

"MODERN FAMILY" (ABC)
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
AUBREY ANDERSON EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

SAG AWARDS® HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES:

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture:
LONE SURVIVOR (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series:
GAME OF THRONES (HBO)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:

Screen Actors Guild 50th Annual Life Achievement Award: RITA MORENO

http://www.sagawards.org/

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Toronto Film Critics Choose "Inside Llewyn Davis" and "Watermark"

by Amos Semien

The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) was established in 1997 and is comprised of Toronto based journalists and broadcasters who specialize in film criticism and commentary.  All major dailies, weeklies and a variety of other print and electronic outlets are represented.

The Toronto Film Critics Association announced the 2013 TFCA Awards back on Monday, December 16, 2013.  Inside Llewyn Davis won two top prizes in 2013 awards of the Toronto Film Critics Association.  Joel and Ethan Coen’s tale of a folk singer making his way through Greenwich Village, 1961, won “Best Picture” and “Best Actor” (Oscar Isaac).

The 2013 TFCA Awards were presented at a gala dinner at Toronto’s Carlu on Tuesday, January 7, 2014, hosted by Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of the Toronto International Film Festival.  At the dinner, the documentary, Watermark, was revealed as the winner of the Rogers Best Canadian Film Award, which carries a record-setting $100,000 cash prize, the richest arts award in the country.  The awards was presented to the Watermark’s director’s, Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky.  The runners-up will each receive $5,000.

Under the TFCA’s guidelines, contenders eligible for the 2013 awards include films released in Canada in 2013 plus films that qualify for the 2013 Oscars and have Canadian distribution scheduled by the end of February 2014.

The full list of 2013Toronto Film Critics Association Awards winners and runners-up:

BEST PICTURE: “Inside Llewyn Davis” (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up:
“Her” (Warner Bros.)
“12 Years a Slave” (Fox Searchlight)

BEST ACTOR: Oscar Isaac, “Inside Llewyn Davis”

Runners-up
Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”
Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, “Blue Jasmine”

Runners-up
Julie Delpy, “Before Midnight”
Greta Gerwig, “Frances Ha”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, “Dallas Buyers Club”

Runners-up
Michael Fassbender, “12 Years a Slave”
James Franco, “Spring Breakers”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Jennifer Lawrence, “American Hustle”

Runners-up
Lupita Nyong’o, “12 Years a Slave”
June Squibb, “Nebraska”

BEST DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón, “Gravity”

Runners-up
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, “Inside Llewyn Davis”
Steve McQueen, “12 Years a Slave”

BEST SCREENPLAY, ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL: Spike Jonze, “Her”

Runners-up
Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke & Julie Delpy, “Before Midnight”
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, “Inside Llewyn Davis”

BEST FIRST FEATURE: “Neighboring Sounds”, directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho

Runners-up
“Fruitvale Station”, directed by Ryan Coogler
“In a World …”, directed by Lake Bell

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: “The Wind Rises” (Touchstone Pictures)

Runners-up
“The Croods” (20th Century Fox)
“Frozen” (Walt Disney Pictures)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM:  “A Touch of Sin” (Films We Like)

Runners-up
“Blue Is the Warmest Color” (Mongrel Media)
 “The Hunt” (Mongrel Media)

BMO ALLAN KING DOCUMENTARY AWARD: “The Act of Killing” (Films We Like)

Runners-up
“Leviathan” (Films We Like)
“Tim’s Vermeer” (Mongrel Media)

ROGERS BEST CANADIAN FILM AWARD FINALISTS
“Watermark” (Mongrel Media) – WINNER - $100,000 przie

Runners-up ($5,000 to each):
“The Dirties” (Phase 4 Films)
“Gabrielle” (Entertainment One)

www.torontofilmcritics.com

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National Society of Film Critics Go "Inside Llewyn Davis"

by Amos Semien

The National Society of Film Critics was founded in New York City in 1966 and its membership is currently comprise of 56 of the country’s most prominent movie critics.  Known for their highbrow tastes, these critics form one of the most prestigious film groups on the United States.  Current members include some of my favorite film critics, like David Edelstein and J. Hoberman, among others.  The late Roger Ebert, my favorite critic, was also a member.  The society has produced several anthologies about movies, including the must-have for film fans, Produced and Abandoned: The Best Films You’ve Never Seen (1990).

On Saturday, January 4th, 2014, the National Society of Film Critics announced the winners and runners-up of the 48th edition of its film awards.  The group chose Inside Llewyn Davis as Best Picture of the Year 2013.  The film’s directors, brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, won “Best Director,” and the film’s lead, Oscar Isaac, won “Best Actor.”

The Society held its 48th annual awards voting meeting, using a weighted ballot system, at the Elinor Bunin Munroe Center as guests of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

In a statement on its website, the society said that 56 members are eligible to vote, though a few disqualify themselves if they haven’t seen every film.  Any film that opened in the United States during the year 2013 was eligible for consideration.  As usual, there is no nomination process.  The members met, voted, and made their announcement on January 4th.  There is no awards party, but scrolls will sent to the winners.

48th National Society of Film Critics Awards:  Here is the list of the winners and runners-up, with vote counts from the final round:

BEST PICTURE
*1. Inside Llewyn Davis – 23
2. American Hustle – 17
3. 12 Years a Slave – 16

BEST DIRECTOR
*1. Joel and Ethan Coen (Inside Llewyn Davis) – 25
2. Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) – 18
3. Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) – 15

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
*1. Blue Is the Warmest Color – 27
2. A Touch of Sin – 21
3. The Great Beauty – 15

BEST NON-FICTION FILM
*1. The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer) – 20
*1. At Berkeley (Frederick Wiseman) – 20
3. Leviathan (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel) – 18

BEST SCREENPLAY
*1. Before Midnight (Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke) – 29
2. Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel and Ethan Coen) – 26
3. American Hustle (Eric Singer and David O. Russell) – 18

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
*1. Inside Llewyn Davis (Bruno Delbonnel) -28
2.Gravity (Emmanuel Lubezki) – 26
3. Nebraska (Phedon Papamichael) – 19

BEST ACTOR
*1. Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) – 28
2. Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) – 19
3. Robert Redford (All Is Lost) – 12

BEST ACTRESS
*1. Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine) – 57
2. Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is the Warmest Color) – 36
3. Julie Delpy (Before Midnight) – 26

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
*1. James Franco (Spring Breakers) – 24
2. Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) – 20
3. Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) – 14

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
*1. Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) – 54
2. Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) – 38
3. Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine) – 18
3. Léa Seydoux (Blue Is the Warmest Color) – 18

EXPERIMENTAL FILM
Leviathan (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel)

FILM HERITAGE AWARD
• To the Museum of Modern Art, for its wide-ranging retrospective of the films of Allan Dwan.
• “Too Much Johnson”: the surviving reels from Orson Welles’s first professional film. Discovered by Cinemazero (Pordenone) and Cineteca del Friuli; funded by the National Film Preservation Foundation; and restored by the George Eastman House.
• British Film Institute for restorations of Alfred Hitchcock’s nine silent features.
• To the DVD “American Treasures from the New Zealand Film Archive.”

BEST FILM STILL AWAITING AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION
• Stray Dogs (Tsai Ming-liang)
• Hide Your Smiling Faces (Daniel Patrick Carbone)

DEDICATION: The meeting was dedicated to the memory of two distinguished members of the Society who died in 2013: Roger Ebert and Stanley Kauffmann.

http://www.nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/

END

Phoenix Film Critics Name "12 Years a Slave" Best Picture of 2013

by Amos Semien

The Phoenix Film Critics Society announced the winners for it 2013 Annual Awards on Tuesday, December 17, 2013.  Director Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave was named "Best Picture" of 2013, continuing its domination of the 2014-14 movie awards season.  Alfonso Cuaron continues his dominance winning "Best Director" awards for the film, Gravity.  Gravity also dominated the Phoenix Film Critics Society 2013 Awards with five wins; Walt Disney Picture's smash animated film, Frozen, won three awards.

Phoenix Film Critics Society 2013 Awards:

BEST PICTURE:
"12 Years a Slave"

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2013 (in alphabetical order):
"12 Years a Slave"

"American Hustle"

"Captain Phillips"

"Dallas Buyers Club"

"Gravity"

"Mud"

"Nebraska"

"Philomena"

"Saving Mr. Banks"

"Short Term 12"

BEST DIRECTOR:
Alfonso Cuaron, "Gravity"

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Matthew McConaughey, "Dallas Buyers Club"

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine"

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club"

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave"

BEST ENSEMBLE ACTING:
"American Hustle"

BEST SCREENPLAY – ORIGINAL:
"Nebraska"

BEST SCREENPLAY – ADAPTATION:
"12 Years a Slave"

BEST LIVE ACTION FAMILY FILM (Rated G or PG):
"Oz, The Great and Powerful"

THE OVERLOOKED FILM OF THE YEAR
(TIE) "The Kings of Summer" and "The Spectacular Now"

BEST ANIMATED FILM:
"Frozen"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
"Blue is the Warmest Color"

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
"20 Feet from Stardom"

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:
Let It Go, "Frozen"

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
"Frozen"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
"Gravity"

BEST FILM EDITING:
"Gravity"

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:
"Gravity"

BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
"The Great Gatsby"

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
"Gravity"

BEST STUNTS:
"Fast & Furious 6"

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE ON CAMERA:
Oscar Isaac, "Inside Llewyn Davis"

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE BEHIND THE CAMERA:
Lake Bell, "In a World..."

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH IN A LEAD OR SUPPORTING ROLE – MALE:
Tye Sheridan, "Mud"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH IN A LEAD OR SUPPORTING ROLE – FEMALE:
Sophie Nelisse, "The Book Thief"

END

Florida Film Critics Choose "12 Years a Slave"

by Amos Semien

12 Years a Slave is the Florida Film Critics Circle "Best Picture" of 2013.  That honor is one of six won by the film including two notices for Lupita Nyong'o.

The Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) was founded in 1996 is comprised of writers from various state-based publications.

Complete list of 2013 FFCC Award winners:

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Runner-up: American Hustle

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 Years a Slave
Runner-up: Joaquin Phoenix – Her

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett – Blue Jasmine
Runner-up: Judi Dench – Philomena

Best Supporting Actor: Jared Leto – Dallas Buyers Club
Runner-up: Michael Fassbender – 12 Years a Slave

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence – American Hustle

Best Director: Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
Runner-up: Alfonso Cuaron – Gravity

Best Adapted Screenplay: John Ridley – 12 Years a Slave
Runner-up: Terence Winter – The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Original Screenplay: Spike Jonze – Her
Runner-up: David O. Russell & Eric Singer – American Hustle

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki – Gravity
Runner-up: Bruno Delbonnel – Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Visual Effects: Gravity
Runner-up: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Best Art Direction/Production Design: The Great Gatsby
Runner-up: American Hustle

Best Foreign Language: Blue is the Warmest Color
Runner-up: The Hunt

Best Animated Film: Frozen
Runner-up: The Wind Rises

Best Documentary: The Act of Killing
Runner-up: Blackfish

Pauline Kael Breakout Award: Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years a Slave
Runner-up: Michael B. Jordan – Fruitvale Station

Golden Orange:
Dana Keith of the Miami Beach Cinematheque for his tireless championing of foreign, independent and alternative film in South Florida for more than 20 years.

END

Dallas-Fort Worth Critics Name "12 Years a Slave" Best Film of 2013

by Amos Semien

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association named 12 Years a Slave the "Best Film" of 2013, one of three honors the film earned.  The critics group spread out the prizes with Gravity winning three honors and Dallas Buyers Club winning two for acting:  Matthew McConaughey (Best Actor) and Jared Leto (Best Supporting Actor).

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association is also known as the DFW Film Critics Association.  The group describes itself as a not-for-profit, unincorporated voluntary organization of print, broadcast and internet film critics based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area and greater North Texas who meet its membership criteria.  The DFW Film Critics Association currently consists of 29 broadcast, print, and online journalists from throughout North Texas.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association 20th Annual Critics’ Poll:

Top 10 Films of 2013:
1. 12 Years a Slave
2. Gravity
3. Nebraska
4. American Hustle
5. Dallas Buyers Club
6. Her
7. The Wolf of Wall Street
8. Inside Llewyn Davis
9. Captain Phillips
10. Mud

Best Actor 2013:
1. Matthew McConaughey for DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
2. Chiwetel Ejiofor for 12 YEARS A SLAVE
3. Bruce Dern for NEBRASKA
4. Tom Hanks for CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
5. Leonardo DiCaprio for THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Actress 2013:
1. Cate Blanchett for BLUE JASMINE
2. Sandra Bullock for GRAVITY
3. Judi Dench for PHILOMENA
4. Meryl Streep for AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
5. Emma Thompson for SAVING MR. BANKS

Best Supporting Actor 2013:
1. Jared Leto for DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
2. Michael Fassbender for 12 YEARS A SLAVE
3. Barkhad Abdi for CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
4. Daniel Bruhl for RUSH
5. Jonah Hill for THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Supporting Actress 2013:
1. Lupita Nyong’o for 12 YEARS A SLAVE
2. June Squibb for NEBRASKA
3. Jennifer Lawrence for AMERICAN HUSTLE
4. Julia Roberts for AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
5. Sally Hawkins for BLUE JASMINE

Best Director 2013:
1. Alfonso Cuaron for GRAVITY
2. Steve McQueen for 12 YEARS A SLAVE
3. Alexander Payne for NEBRASKA
4. David O. Russell for AMERICAN HUSTLE
5. Martin Scorsese for THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Foreign-Language Film 2013:
1. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
2. THE HUNT
3. THE GREAT BEAUTY
4. THE WIND RISES
5. THE GRANDMASTER

Best Documentary Film 2013:
1. TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM
2. THE ACT OF KILLING
3. STORIES WE TELL
4. BLACKFISH
5. THE GATEKEEPERS

Best Animated Film 2013:
1. FROZEN
2. DESPICABLE ME 2

Best Screenplay 2013:
1. John Ridley for 12 YEARS A SLAVE
2. TIE: Bob Nelson for NEBRASKA and Spike Jonze for HER

Best Cinematography 2013:
1. Emmanuel Lubezki for GRAVITY
2. Sean Bobbitt for 12 YEARS A SLAVE

Best Musical Score 2013:
Steven Price for GRAVITY

Russell Smith Award: FRUITVALE STATION
(The award is named for the late Dallas Morning News film critic. The honor is given annually to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.)

END

San Francisco Film Critics Choose "12 Years a Slave"

by Amos Semien

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle chose 12 Years a Slave as the "Best Picture" of 2013, one of three awards the group gave to the film.  American Hustle and Gravity were also big winners.

The San Francisco Film Critics Circle (SFFCC) was founded in 2002 and is comprised of critics from Bay Area publications.  Its membership includes film journalists from the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News, the Oakland Tribune, the Contra Costa Times, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, the East Bay Express, KRON-TV, Variety, and RottenTomatoes.com, among others.

2013 SAN FRANCISCO FILM CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS:

Best Picture
AMERICAN HUSTLE
GRAVITY
NEBRASKA
WINNER – 12 YEARS A SLAVE
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Director
WINNER – Alfonso Cuaron, GRAVITY
Spike Jonze, HER
Steve McQueen, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
David O. Russell, AMERICAN HUSTLE
Martin Scorsese, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Best Actor
Bruce Dern, NEBRASKA
Leonardo DiCaprio, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
WINNER – Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Matthew McConaughey, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
Robert Redford, ALL IS LOST

Best Actress
WINNER – Cate Blanchett, BLUE JASMINE
Sandra Bullock, GRAVITY
Judi Dench, PHILOMENA
Adele Exarchopolous, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
Brie Larson, SHORT TERM 12
Meryl Streep, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

Best Supporting Actor
Barkhad Abdi, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
Michael Fassbender, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Harrison Ford, 42
Will Forte, NEBRASKA
WINNER – James Franco, SPRING BREAKERS
Jared Leto, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

Best Supporting Actress
WINNER – Jennifer Lawrence, AMERICAN HUSTLE
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Lea Seydoux, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
Octavia Spencer, FRUITVALE STATION
June Squibb, NEBRASKA

Best Screenplay, Original
WINNER – AMERICAN HUSTLE, Eric Singer and David O. Russell
GRAVITY, Alfonso and Jonas Cuaron
HER, Spike Jonze
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Joel and Ethan Coen
NEBRASKA, Bob Nelson

Best Screenplay, Adapted
BEFORE MIDNIGHT, Richard Linklater; Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke
PHILOMENA, Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope
THE SPECTACULAR NOW, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
WINNER – 12 YEARS A SLAVE, John Ridley
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, Terence Winter

Best Cinematography
WINNER – GRAVITY, Emmanuel Lubezki
HER, Hoyte Van Hoytema
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Bruno Delbonnel
NEBRASKA, Phedon Papamichael
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Sean Bobbitt

Best Production Design
AMERICAN HUSTLE, Judy Becker
WINNER – GRAVITY, Andy Nicholson
HER, K. K. Barrett
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, Jess Gonchor
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Adam Stockhausen

Best Editing
ALL IS LOST, Pete Beaudreau
AMERICAN HUSTLE, Alan Baumgarten; Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, Christopher Rouse
WINNER – GRAVITY, Alfonso Cuaron and Mark Sanger
12 YEARS A SLAVE, Joe Walker
THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, Thelma Schoonmaker

Best Animated Feature
THE CROODS
DESPICABLE ME
WINNER – FROZEN
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
THE WIND RISES

Best Foreign Language Picture
WINNER – BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
A HIJACKING
THE HUNT
THE PAST
WADJDA

Best Documentary
WINNER – THE ACT OF KILLING
THE ARMSTRONG LIE
BLACKFISH
STORIES WE TELL
TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM

(6 nominations in a category indicates a tie)

Marlon Riggs Award for courage & vision in the Bay Area film community:
Ryan Coogler for putting a human face to murder victim Oscar Grant in FRUITVALE STATION and to former Roxie Theater executive director Christopher Statton for putting the Roxie onto more solid ground by transforming it into a nonprofit enterprise.

Special Citation for under-appreciated independent cinema:
COMPUTER CHESS, Andrew Bujalski’s comedy merges documentary techniques and old video technologies to make light of the ’80s race to build a winning computer-chess program.

END

"12 Years a Slave" Best Film of 2013 Sez Chicago Film Critics

by Amos Semien

The film, 12 Years a Slave, owned the 2013 Chicago Film Critics Awards, winning the “Best Picture” award.  This film is based on a true story:  Solomon Northup’s 1853 memoir of being a once-free black man from the North, kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Deep South in the years leading up to Civil War.

The Chicago Film Critics Association gave the film five awards:  Best Director to Steve McQueen, Best Actor to Chiwetel Ejiofor, Best Supporting Actress to newcomer Luptia Nyong'o, Adapted Screenplay to John Ridley, as well as Best Picture.

Director Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity was the runner-up with three awards:  Best Cinematography to Emmanuel Lubezki, Best Art Direction/Production Design to Mark Scruton and Andy Nicholson and Best Editing to Cuaron and Mark Sanger.

The CFCA awards were announced at a ceremony held on Monday, December 16, 2013.

2013 Chicago Film Critics Awards winners:

BEST PICTURE
12 Years A Slave

BEST DIRECTOR
Steve McQueen--12 Years A Slave

BEST ACTOR
Chiwetel Ejiofor--12 Years A Slave

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett--Blue Jasmine

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Jared Leto--Dallas Buyers Club

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Lupita Nyong'o--12 Years A Slave

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Spike Jonze--Her

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
John Ridley--12 Years A Slave

BEST DOCUMENTARY
The Act of Killing

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
The Act of Killing

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
The Wind Rises

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Her--Arcade Fire

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Gravity--Emmanuel Lubezki

BEST EDITING
Gravity--Alfonso Cuaron & Mark Sanger

BEST ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN
Gravity--Mark Scruton/Andy Nicolson

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER
Adele Exarchopoulos--Blue is the Warmest Color

MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER
Destin Cretton--Short Term 12

http://www.chicagofilmcritics.org/

END

Boston Online Film Critics Declare "12 Years a Slave" Best Pic of 2013

by Amos Semien

The Boston Online Film Critics Association named 12 Years a Slave "Best Picture" of 2013.  That was one of six awards the critics group bestowed upon director Steve McQueen's film; that included notices for McQueen as "Best Director" and Chiwetel Ejiofor ("Best Actor") and Lupita Nyong' o ("Best Supporting Actress").

The Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) was founded in May 2012.  According to the group, BOFCA fosters a community of web-based film critics and provides them with a supportive group of colleagues and a professional platform for their voices to be heard. They collect and link to their reviews every week at a website that also features original content by members, including filmmaker interviews and spotlights on Boston’s vital repertory film scene.

By widening professional membership to writers working in new media, BOFCA aims to encourage more diverse opinions in the field. The Boston Online Film Critics Association has gathered together critics writing for publications that collectively receive over 15 million impressions/page views per month. BOFCA is present on social media year-round with members’ film articles and essays.

Full list of 2013 BOFCA winners:

BEST PICTURE: 12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen, 12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST ACTOR: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, BLUE JASMINE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Jared Leto, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST SCREENPLAY: BEFORE MIDNIGHT

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR

BEST DOCUMENTARY: THE ACT OF KILLING

BEST ANIMATED FILM: THE WIND RISES and FROZEN (tie)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS

BEST EDITING: 12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: 12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST ENSEMBLE: 12 YEARS A SLAVE

THE TEN BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR:

1. 12 YEARS A SLAVE
2. INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
3. THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
4. GRAVITY
5. BEFORE MIDNIGHT
6. THE SPECTACULAR NOW
7. BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
8. SPRING BREAKERS
9. THE WORLD’S END
10. FRUITVALE STATION

http://bofca.com/

END

Washington DC Film Critics Choose "12 Years a Slave"

by Amos Semien

The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association named director 12 Years a Slave the "Best Film" of 2013.  Steve McQueen's acclaimed film led all films with 11 nominations and ultimately won six, including "Best Actor" for Chiwetel Ejiofor and "Best Supporting Actress" for Lupita Nyong'o.

Founded in 2002, The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) is comprised of professional DC-based film critics with affiliations in television, radio, print and the internet. As of 2013, WAFCA has grown to include 58 dedicated members from the District, Maryland and Virginia.

THE 2013 WAFCA AWARD WINNERS:

Best Film:
12 Years a Slave

Best Director:
Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity)

Best Actor:
Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave)

Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine)

Best Supporting Actor:
Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club)

Best Supporting Actress:
Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave)

Best Acting Ensemble:
12 Years a Slave

Best Youth Performance:
Tye Sheridan (Mud)

Best Adapted Screenplay:
John Ridley (12 Years a Slave)

Best Original Screenplay:
Spike Jonze (Her)

Best Animated Feature:
Frozen

Best Documentary:
Blackfish

Best Foreign Language Film:
The Broken Circle Breakdown

Best Art Direction:
Production Designer: Catherine Martin, Set Decorator: Beverley Dunn (The Great Gatsby)

Best Cinematography:
Emmanuel Lubezki, ASC, A.M.C. (Gravity)

Best Editing:
Alfonso Cuarón, Mark Sanger (Gravity)

Best Original Score:
Hans Zimmer (12 Years a Slave)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Portrayal of Washington, DC:
Lee Daniels' The Butler

http://www.wafca.com/index.htm

END

San Diego Film Critics Choose "Her"

by Amos Semien

After announcing their nominations yesterday (Tuesday, December 10, 2013), the San Diego Film Critics Society announced the winners in their round up of the "Top Films of 2013."  Spike Jonze's Her was named "Best Film" of 2013, one of three awards for the film.

The members of the San Diego Film Critics Society write and/or broadcast for a San Diego County based outlet.  The society’s mission statement is “to provide diverse critical opinion about movies, advance film education and awareness, and recognize excellence in cinema.”

San Diego Film Critics Society Top Films of 2013 Winners and nominees:

BEST FILM:
12 YEARS A SLAVE
GRAVITY
HER - WINNER
INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
SHORT TERM 12

BEST DIRECTOR 
Alfonso Cuarón, GRAVITY - WINNER
Destin Cretton, SHORT TERM 12
Joel and Ethan Coen, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
Spike Jonze, HER
Steve McQueen, 12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST ACTRESS 
Adèle Exarchopoulos, BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
Brie Larson, SHORT TERM 12
Cate Blanchett, BLUE JASMINE - WINNER
Emma Thompson, SAVING MR. BANKS
Sandra Bullock, GRAVITY

BEST ACTOR 
Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Joaquin Phoenix, HER
Matthew McConaughey, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
Oscar Isaac, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS - WINNER
Tom Hanks, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS 
Elizabeth Banks, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
Jennifer Lawrence, AMERICAN HUSTLE
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Sally Hawkins, BLUE JASMINE
Shailene Woodley, THE SPECTACTULAR NOW - WINNER

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR 
Daniel Bruhl, RUSH
James Gandolfini, ENOUGH SAID
Jared Leto, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB - WINNER
Michael Fassbender, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Sam Rockwell, THE WAY, WAY BACK

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY 
Aaron Guzikowski, PRISONERS
Joel and Ethan Coen, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
Nicole Holofcener, ENOUGH SAID
Spike Jonze, HER - WINNER
Woody Allen, BLUE JASMINE

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY 
Billy Ray, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
Destin Cretton, SHORT TERM 12
John Ridley, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, BEFORE MIDNIGHT - WINNER
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, THE SPECTACULAR NOW

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM 
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR
DRUG WAR - WINNER
NO
THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN
THE HUNT

BEST DOCUMENTARY 
20 FEET FROM STARDOM
BLACKFISH
LET THE FIRE BURN
STORIES WE TELL
THE ACT OF KILLING - WINNER

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 
Bruno Delbonnel, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS
Emmanuel Lubezki, GRAVITY
Emmanuel Lubezki, TO THE WONDER - WINNER
Roger Deakins, PRISONERS
Simon Duggan, THE GREAT GATSBY

BEST ANIMATED FILM 
DESPICABLE ME 2
FROZEN
GET A HORSE
THE CROODS
THE WIND RISES - WINNER

BEST EDITING 
Alan Edward Ball, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger, GRAVITY
Christopher Rouse, CAPTAIN PHILLIPS - WINNER
Eric Zumbrunnen, Jeff Buchanan, HER
Joe Walker, 12 YEARS A SLAVE

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN 
Adam Stockhausen, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Andy Nicholson, GRAVITY
Catherine Martin and Karen Murphy, THE GREAT GATSBY - WINNER
K.K. Barrett, HER
Michael Corenblith, SAVING MR. BANKS

BEST SCORE 
Arcade Fire, HER - WINNER
Bjorn Eriksson, BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN
Hans Zimmer, 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Hans Zimmer, RUSH
Steven Price, GRAVITY

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
12 YEARS A SLAVE
AMERICAN HUSTLE - WINNER
PRISONERS
SHORT TERM 12
THE WAY, WAY BACK

KYLE COUNTS AWARD: Destin Cretton


http://www.sdfcs.org/

END

New York Critics Online Name "12 Years a Slave" Best Picture of 2013

by Amos Semien

Over the past weekend, The New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) was the second film critics organization to award 12 Years a Slave "Best Picture" of 2013.  It was one of three NYFCO awards for the film, including "Best Actor" (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and "Best Supporting Actress" (Lupita Nyong’o).

 The New York Film Critics Online is a group of Internet film critics based in New York City that meets once a year, in December, for voting on its annual NYFCO Awards.

A complete list of 2013 honorees follows:

Best Picture: 12 Years a Slave

Best Director: Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity

Best Debut Director: Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station

Best Ensemble Cast: American Hustle

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Best Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years A Slave

Best Supporting Actress: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years A Slave

Best Supporting Actor:  Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club

Best Foreign Language Film: Blue Is The Warmest Color

Best Documentary: The Act Of Killing

Best Animated Feature: The Wind Rises

Best Use Of Music: Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Screenplay: Spike Jonze, Her

Best Cinematography:  Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity

Best Breakthrough Performance: Adele Exarchopoulos, Blue Is The Warmest Color

nyfco.proboards.com

END

L.A. Film Critics Tie on "Gravity" and "Her" as 2013's Best Picture

by Amos Semien

In a year of ties, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association named the films, Gravity and Her, as "Best Picture" of 2013.  However, when it came to "Best Director," Gravity's Alfonso Curon did not have to share with runner-up Spike Jonze of Her.  Other ties include "Best Actress," Cate Blanchett and Adèle Exarchopoulos; and "Best Supporting Actor," James Franco and Jared Leto.

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is a professional organization of Los Angeles-based, professional film critics working in the Los Angeles print and electronic media.  Since 1975, LAFCA members vote on the year's Achievement Awards each December, honoring screen excellence on both sides of the camera.

39th Annual (2013) Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards:

BEST PICTURE: "Gravity" and "Her" (TIE)

BEST DIRECTOR:  Alfonso Cuarón, "Gravity"
Runner-up: Spike Jonze ("Her")

BEST ACTOR: Bruce Dern "Nebraska"
Runner-up: Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave")

BEST ACTRESS: Cate Blanchett, "Blue Jasmine" and Adèle Exarchopoulos, "Blue Is the Warmest Color" (TIE)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: James Franco, "Spring Breakers," and Jared Leto, "Dallas Buyers Club" (TIE)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Lupita Nyong'o, "12 Years a Slave"
Runner-up: June Squibb ("Nebraska")

BEST SCREENPLAY: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, and Ethan Hawke, “Before Midnight"
Runner-up: Spike Jonze ("Her")

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emmanuel Lubezki, "Gravity"
Runner-up: Bruno Delbonnel ("Inside Llewyn Davis")

BEST PRODCUTION DESIGN: K.K. Barrett, "Her"
Runner-up: Jess Gonchor ("Inside Llewyn Davis")

BEST EDITING: Alfonso Cuarón and Mark Sanger, "Gravity"
Runner-up: Shane Carruth and David Lowery ("upstream color")

BEST MUSIC SCORE: T Bone Burnett, "Inside Llewyn Davis"
Runner-up: Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett ("HER")

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM: "Blue Is the Warmest Color" - Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche
Runner-up: "The Great Beauty" directed by Paolo Sorrentino

BEST DOCUMENTARY/NON-FICTION FILM: "Stories We Tell" - Directed by Sarah Polley
Runner-up: "The Act of Killing" by Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, and Christine Cynn

BEST ANIMATION: "Ernest & Celestine" – Directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner
Runner-up: "The Wind Rises" directed by Hayao Miyazaki

New Generation: Megan Ellison

Legacy of Cinema: Criterion Collection

The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: "Cabinets Of Wonder: Films and a Performance by Charlotte Pryce"

Special Citation: The creative team of "12 Years a Slave"

http://www.lafca.net/

END

"American Hustle" Tops 2013 New York Film Critics Circle Awards

by Amos Semien

American Hustle, the new film from director David O. Russell, is "Best Picture" of 2013, according to the New York Film Critics Circle.  The film won three awards, including honors for the screenplay (written by Russell and Eric Singer) and supporting actress for Jennifer Lawrence.  Lawrence won the best actress Oscar earlier this year for her performance in Russell's Silver Linings Playbook.  Steve McQueen won directing honors for 12 Years a Slave.  Robert Redford won "Best Actor" for his much talked about performance in the film, All is Lost.  Cate Blanchett continues the tradition of actress honored for their work in Woody Allen film, winning "Best Actress" for Blue Jasmine.

Founded in 1935, the New York Film Critics Circle is, according to their website, “an organization of film reviewers from New York-based publications that exists to honor excellence in U.S. and world cinema.”  Members are critics from daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines, and online general-interest publications (that meet certain qualifications). Every year in December, Circle members meet in New York to vote on awards for the year's films.  The Circle also puts on an awards presentation, which will be held in January 2014 to honor 2013 winners.

The Circle was the first film critics organization that I encountered as a budding, young movie lover.  The Circle's awards have been predictors of the Oscar nominations. However, The Circle sees it awards “as a principled alternative to the Oscars, honoring esthetic merit in a forum that is immune to commercial and political pressures,” according to their website.

Here's the complete list of the 2013 Awards:

Best Picture - American Hustle

Best Director - Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave

Best Screenplay - Eric Singer & David O. Russell for American Hustle

Best Actress - Cate Blanchett for Blue Jasmine

Best Actor - Robert Redford for All Is Lost

Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Lawrence for American Hustle

Best Supporting Actor - Jared Leto for Dallas Buyers Club

Best Cinematographer - Bruno Delbonnel for Inside Llewyn Davis

Best Animated Film - The Wind Rises

Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary) - Stories We Tell

Best Foreign Film - Blue is the Warmest Color

Best First Film - Ryan Coogler for Fruitvale Station

Special Award: Frederick Wiseman

http://www.nyfcc.com/

Review: "The Good German" Recalls a Certain Kind of 1940s (Happy B'day, Steven Soderbergh)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 86 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Good German (2006) – B&W
Running time: 120 minutes (2 hours)
MPAA – R for language, violence, and some sexual content
DIRECTOR: Steven Soderbergh
WRITER: Paul Attanasio (based upon the novel by Joseph Kanon)
PRODUCERS: Ben Cosgrove, Gregory Jacobs, and Steven Soderbergh
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Andrews (Soderbergh)
EDITOR: Mary Ann Bernard (Soderbergh)
2007 Academy Awards nominee

DRAMA/MYSTERY with elements of a thriller

Starring: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire, Beau Bridges, Leland Orser, Robin Weigert, Tony Curran, Ravil Isyanov, Dave Power, and Christian Oliver

For The Good German, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh shot this film the old Hollywood way. For instance, he used the fixed-focal length lenses available to cinematographers in the 1940’s instead of the modern sophisticated zoom lenses. He also directed the actors to perform in the presentational, stage style (which was the acting style used in most Hollywood films before method acting). And it’s in black and white.

In The Good German, U.S. war correspondent Capt. Jacob “Jake” Geismar (George Clooney) gets caught in a web of intrigue involving his former girlfriend, Lena Brandt (Cate Blanchett) in post-World War II Berlin. Before the war, Jake managed a news bureau in Berlin, and Lena worked for him. Jake is in the city to cover the upcoming Potsdam Peace Conference where the Allied leaders will determine the fate of the defeated Germans and the newly liberated Europe and split whatever is of any value between the U.S. Russia, and Great Britain. That means people as well as nations.

After Lena’s boyfriend, Patrick Tully (Tobey Maguire), is found dead, Jake learns that Tully, a motor pool driver, was planning on selling information on the whereabouts of Lena’s supposedly deceased husband, Emil Brandt (Christian Oliver), an SS officer who worked in the Nazi’s V2 rocket program. As both the U.S. and Russian militaries hunt for Emil, Jake, still in love with Lena, tries to help her get the papers necessary to get both her and Emil out of Berlin. Tensions arise between Jake and Lena when he learns that she’s been keeping lots of dark secrets of her own.

The acting is pitch perfect for this film. Cate Blanchett, who made 2006 a career year with this film, as well as Babel and Notes on a Scandal, does period pieces so well. She can make a character seem as if she certainly fits in that time period. Clooney keeps his charm and usual film persona intact, but gives a nice turn that has the flavor of a Humphrey Bogart character.

Paul Attanasio’s screenplay (based upon Joseph Kanon’s novel) has the specter of the Holocaust hanging over the story, but Attanasio acknowledges the Cold War looming over the horizon. While Soderbergh visually references Casablanca (1942) for this movie, Attanasio’s script both in mood and plot are similar to Roman Polanski’s 1974 film Chinatown, which was screenwriter Robert Towne’s recreation of 1930’s detective films.

Soderbergh successfully reproduces the kind of story Hollywood told in the 1940’s, and he does it using the technical production methods of that time. The Good German, however, is more than just a smooth slab of meta fiction. It’s a period romance and political thriller like Casablanca. It reminds movie viewers that fine cinema comes first from a great storyteller who makes great storytelling. Sometimes, a director has to make do with what he has – even if it’s not the cutting edge of movie science and technology.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 1 nomination for “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Thomas Newman)

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Review: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is An Unexpected Pleasure and Treasure

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 98 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Running time: 169 minutes (2 hours, 49 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening
DIRECTOR: Peter Jackson
WRITERS: Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro (from the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien)
PRODUCERS: Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Carolynne Cunningham, and Zane Weiner
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrew Lesnie (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Jabez Olssen
COMPOSER: Howard Shore

FANTASY/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Manu Bennett, and Andy Serkis

The subject of this movie review is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a 2012 fantasy film from director Peter Jackson. The film is the first of three movies which are based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (better known by its abbreviated title, The Hobbit). Set sixty years before The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit is the story of a curious Hobbit who joins a band of Dwarves on a mission to reclaim their homeland from a powerful dragon.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens on the 111th birthday of the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm). He has decided to write down the full story of an adventure he took 60 years earlier as a memoir for his cousin and heir, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). Sixty years earlier, the younger Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) was a homebody Hobbit. He gets an unexpected visit from the wizard, Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan), who promptly tricks the Hobbit into hosting a party for a band of dwarves.

Still, Bilbo is shocked when the dwarves show up and eat every scrap of food in his home, and almost tear down the place. When Gandalf returns, he informs Bilbo that these dwarves are on a quest to return to their ancestral home, Lonely Mountain, and to reclaim it and the treasure there from the great dragon, Smaug. The Company of Dwarves numbers 13, including the leader, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). Gandalf’s biggest surprise is that Bilbo has been recruited as the dwarves’ “burglar,” who will help them steal back their treasure. Now, this curious Hobbit is on an unexpected journey that will find him facing killer Orcs, a legion of mountain trolls, and a little fellow named Gollum (Andy Serkis), who is in possession of a mysterious ring.

I am giving The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey a “9” out of 10 on my rating scale, which may be surprising because of my complaints about this movie, especially the big one. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is too long; in fact, the first hour meanders like a drunk narrative looking for a bottle of plot. I dosed off three times, and, at one point, thought about leaving and just waiting to see the rest of the movie on DVD.

However, the movie eventually came alive, but I’m still not sure when it turned for me. I think it may be the moment when the Orcs attack Bilbo and the Company of Dwarves on a rocky plain. At a point, the movie just explodes with surprise appearances, breathtaking vistas, blood-chilling confrontations, and heart-pounding action. Things were happening so fast, yet my mind couldn’t wait for the next thing to happen.

In many ways, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is like the return of an old friend, specifically The Lord of the Rings movies, although LOTR is a sequel to The Hobbit. I didn’t know what to expect before I saw the movie. I had waited so long for The Hobbit to reach the silver screen as a live-action film, yet, in a way, my expectations were so high because of I loved LOTR so much. When Gollum shows up in this movie, my expectations were satisfied. Andy Serkis and the CGI artists behind the character actually improve on their great work from the Ring trilogy films.

There are things about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey that I did not expect, some of them disappointing. But by the end of this movie, I so did not want the adventure end. I wanted that enough to give an imperfect movie a near-perfect score.

9 of 10
A+

Saturday, December 15, 2012

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