December
9
L.A. Film Critics, Time Vote Wall-E Best Film
What's great about the L.A. Film Critics and Time Magazine's Richard Corliss voting Wall-E as best film is that not only is it among the best-reviewed movies of the year (93 % on Metacritic), which means that most critics adore it, but it's an underdog. I've gotten into trouble for suggesting that critics groups ever vote with an eye on other upcoming awards votes. But perhaps the critics' desire to help Wall-E helped knock out its stiffest competitor, The Dark Knight, which doesn't need any help at this point. Wall-E was also a huge boxoffice success, but what it needs is respect. This is the first time the critics' group has awarded its top prize to an animated film.
I like the way the LA critics reveal their runner-ups. Slumdog Millionaire continues to do well, with prizes for director and score, and Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky snagged major wins for screenplay and actress Sally Hawkins. Frozen River's Melissa Leo was the runner-up in that category, which makes me wonder about Kristin Scott Thomas's chances to break into the Oscar Top Five; maybe not everyone has seen I've Loved You So Long. She needs some wins to get there.
In the best actor race, Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke solidified their front-runner status, leaving Frank Langella as an also-ran; Frost/Nixon was shut out by the critics, as was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which had to settle for runner-up for Alexandre Desplat's score. For supporting actor, Heath Ledger will be tough to beat. The critics awarded Penelope Cruz supporting actress for her perfs in two films, Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Elegy, leavng Viola Davis in the runner-up spot for Doubt. Israeli Waltz with Bashir won not only best animated film but runner-up for best documentary, a category for which it is ineligible for the Oscars.
Here's the full list:
Picture: "Wall-E" Runner-up: "The Dark Knight"Director: Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Runner-up: Christopher Nolan, "The Dark Knight"Actor: Sean Penn, "Milk"
Runner-up: Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"Actress: Sally Hawkins, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Runner-up: Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"Supporting actor: Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
Runner-up: Eddie Marsan, "Happy-Go-Lucky"Supporting actress: Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and "Elegy"
Runner-up: Viola Davis, "Doubt"Screenplay: Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Runner-up: Charlie Kaufman, "Synecdoche, New York"
Foreign-language film: "Still Life" Runner-up: "The Class"Documentary: "Man on Wire"
Runner-up: "Waltz With Bashir"Animation: "Waltz With Bashir"
Cinematography: Yu Lik Wai, "Still Life"
Runner-up: Anthony Dod Mantle, "Slumdog Millionaire"Production design: Mark Friedberg, "Synecdoche, New York"
Runner-up: Nathan Crowley, "The Dark Knight"Music/score: A.R. Rahman, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"New Generation: Steve McQueen, "Hunger"
Douglas E. Edwards independent/experimental film/video: James Benning, "RR" and "Casting a Glance"
Here are the Broadcast Film Critics nominations, which have little influence beyond building a sense of forward momentum for pics in the awards derby:
BEST PICTURE Changeling The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Dark Knight Doubt Frost/Nixon Milk The Reader Slumdog Millionaire Wall-E The Wrestler
BEST ACTOR
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
BEST ACTRESS
Kate Beckinsale - Nothing But the Truth
Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
James Franco - Milk
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Vera Farmiga - Nothing But the Truth
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant - Milk
BEST WRITER (Original or Adapted Screenplay)
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth -The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Wall-E
Waltz With Bashir
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS (Under 21)
Dakota Fanning - The Secret Life of Bees
David Kross - The Reader
Dev Petal - Slumdog Millionaire
Brandon Walters - Australia
BEST ACTION MOVIE
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace
Wanted
BEST COMEDY MOVIE
Burn After Reading
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Role Models
Tropic Thunder
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
John Adams
Recount
Coco Chanel
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
A Christmas Tale
Gomorrah
I've Loved You So Long
Let the Right One In
Mongol
Waltz With Bashir
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
I.O.U.S.A.
Man On Wire
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Standard Operating Procedure
Young At Heart
BEST SONG
"Another Way to Die" (performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys, written by Jack White) - Quantum of Solace
"Down to Earth" (performed by Peter Gabriel, written by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman) - Wall-E
"I Thought I Lost You" (performed Miley Cyrus and John Travolta, written by Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele) - Bolt
"Jaiho" (performed by Sukhwinder Singh, written by A.R. Rahman and Gulzar) - Slumdog Millionaire
"The Wrestler" (performed by Bruce Springsteen, written by Bruce Springsteen) - The Wrestler
BEST COMPOSER
Alexandre Desplat -The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood - Changeling
Danny Elfman - Milk
Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard - The Dark Knight
A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire
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