A Slumdog Orgy: The BFCA Winners

The BFCA awards were on last night, and I tuned in and out. They're really a boring awards show. For all the criticism the Oscars get for their overlong ceremony and unnecessary tributes and performances, at least they're exciting. The only really excitement came with the Best Actress category, where there was a tie between Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. I wish Streep had actually been there, as you know she would have given a great speach about having tied with her former Devil Wears Prada co-star. Anne Hathaway probably gave the best speach of the night. You just felt so happy for her. As for the rest of the awards, the BFCA went gaga over Slumdog Millionaire, bestowing it five of its honors. Apparently that's their prediction for the Best Picture prize at the Oscars, since predicting Oscar noms and wins appears to be their only purpose. With all the noms and wins, can people now stop refering to Slumdog as the underdog and the little film that could. It's the frontrunner; it's an awards juggernaut. The only film that has a serious chance at beating it is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Maybe The Dark Knight is an underdog for the prize, but I still doubt the Academy would go for a superhero film.

The Winners:
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn - Milk
Actress: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married & Meryl Streep - Doubt (tie)
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Song: "The Wrestler" - The Wrestler
Ensemble: Milk
Younger Actor: Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Action Film: The Dark Knight
Comedy Film: Tropic Thunder
Animated Film: WALL-E
Foregin-language Film: Waltz with Bashir
Documentary: Man on Wire

SAG Nominations and Chicago Winners

Sometimes the Screen Actors Guild provides surprises on nomination day, but this year, not so much. There's the continued clusterf*** over Slumdog Millionaire, with two nominations for the film, Best Ensemble (really?) and Best Supporting Actor, Dev Patel (isn't he the lead?). The rest of the ensemble nominations are for films aiming for Best Picture Oscar nominations. Couldn't the guild member's think outside the box? Where's the surprise nomination? Where's this year's Hustle & Flow, The Station Agent, or 3:10 to Yuma? Just because you love a film and think its amazing, doesn't mean it has the best ensemble performance. There's always talk about the Oscars adding a Best Ensemble category, but I'm kind of glad that they don't, because you know if they did, it would be the same exact linup as the Best Picture category.

The Nominations:

Ensemble:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Actor:
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actress:
Anne Hathway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet - The Reader


The Chicago Film Critics Association also handed out awards today. More Slumdog! Zzzzzzz... Their winners were:
Picture: WALL-E
Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Actress: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Original Screenplay: WALL-E
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: The Dark Knight
Score: WALL-E

Yada Yada Yada...more critic awards

There's a number of Texas critics' awards groups. I don't understand why they just don't come together to form one Texas Film Critics Association. There's also the Toronto critics, who seem to be the only group to go off in their own direction, rather than following the consensus.

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Screenplay: Milk
Cinematography: The Dark Knight

Austin Film Critics
Picture: The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Adapted Screenplay: The Dark Knight
Original Screenplay: Synecdoche, New York
Cinematography: The Fall
Score: The Dark Knight


Top Ten:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. Milk
4. Synecdoche, New York
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. The Wrestler
7. WALL-E
8. Frost/Nixon
9. Let the Right One In
10. Gran Torino

Houston Film Critics
Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Score: Miracle at St. Anna
Ensemble: Doubt

Toronto Film Critics
Picture: Wendy and Lucy
Director: Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married
Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Actress: Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Screenplay: Rachel Getting Married

And Then There Were These...

Southeastern Film Critics
Picture: Milk
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: Milk

Top 10:
1. Milk
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. The Dark Knight
5. The Wrestler
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. The Reader
8. The Visitor
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Revolutionary Road

St. Louis Film Critics
Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Screenplay: Frost/Nixon (really?)
Cinematography: Australia
Special Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

San Francisco Film Critics
Picture: Milk
Director: Gus Van Sant, Milk
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk and Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler (tie)
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Adapted Screenplay: Frost/Nixon
Original Screenplay: Milk
Cinematography: The Dark Knight

San Diego Film Critics
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: The Visitor
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Production Design: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Ensemble: Frost/Nixon

Phoenix Film Critics Society
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Meryl Streep, Doubt
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: In Bruges
Cinematography: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Production Design: The Dark Knight
Costume Design: The Duchess
Score: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Visual Effects: The Dark Knight
Ensemble: Milk

Top 10:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
In Bruges
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
The Visitor
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Even More Precursors - BSFC, NYFCO, AWFJ

It's becoming a Slumdog Millionaire orgy. Yeesh. Also, what's with the ties? Just pick one winner and list the other as the runner-up. That way they both get mentions.

Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC)
Picture: WALL-E and Slumdog Millionaire (tie)
Director: Gus Van Sant, Milk & Paranoid Park
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk and Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler (tie)
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: Milk
Cinematography: Paranoid Park
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Ensemble: Tropic Thunder

New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO)
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Ensemble: Milk

Top 10:
Che
A Christmas Tale
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ)
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky and Kate Winslet, The Reader & Revolutionary Road (tie)
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Adapted Screenplay: Frost/Nixon
Original Screenplay: WALL-E
Editing: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ensemble: Rachel Getting Married

NYFCC Winners

Announced today. So many awards are crammed into this week. Sally Hawkins wins her second critic's award in a row, and with the win for Best Director also, Happy-Go-Lucky is doing very well this season. Milk is all but locked up for a Best Picture nom at the Oscars, and Penelope Cruz seems to be the frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actress prize.

Picture: Milk
Director: Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Actor: Sean Penn - Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Supp. Actor: Josh Brolin - Milk
Supp. Actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: Rachel Getting Married
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire

BFCA Nominations

Broadcast Critics annouced their nominations yesterday. Hmm. Didn't expect the two acting nods for Nothing But the Truth. I guess their just hedging their bets. It's also not looking good for Kristin Scott Thomas who still hasn't received any mentions.

Top Ten:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
The Wrestler

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

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

Supp. Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
James Franco - Milk

Supp. 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

Ensemble:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Milk
Rachel Getting Married

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

Writer:
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt

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

LAFCA Winners

Well, I was way off with these. It's interesting that for Best Picture they went with big studio pictures. The number of mentions for Happy-Go-Lucky is good news, since it needed a boost if it hopes to get Oscar nods. Never count out a Mike Leigh film.

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 Marsen, Happy-Go-Lucky

Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Runner-up: Viola Davis, Doubt

Screenplay: Happy-Go-Lucky
Runner-up: Synecdoche New York

Washington DC Film Critics Awards...zzzzz

No genuine excitement here, aside from the wins for DeWitt and Let the Right One In.

Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Actress: Meryl Streep - Doubt
Supp. Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supp. Actress: Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: Rachel Getting Married
Ensemble: Doubt
Animated Film: WALL-E
Documentary: Man on Wire
Foreign Film: Let the Right One In
Breakthrough: Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I continue to find it interesting that the only technical award they hand out is for Art Direction.

Predictions for the BFCA, LAFCA, and NYFCC Awards

The big awards season really kicks into gear with the announcement of the Los Angeles Film Critics winners and the nominees for the Broadcast Film Critics Awards, followed by the New York Film Critics Circle winners on Wednesday. I thought I'd give a stab at predicting the nominees/winners, which should be difficult with regards to the LA and NY critics. The Broadcast critics, however, should be rather easy, since there only true purpose for giving out awards, is to predict the Oscar nominations. The fact that they almost blatently admit this astounds me.

LAFCA:
Picture: Milk
Director: David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Actor: Sean Penn - Milk
Actress: Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Supp. Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supp. Actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: The Wrestler

NYFCC:
Picture: The Wrestler
Director: Darren Aronofsky - The Wrestler
Actor: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Actress: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Supp. Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supp. Actress: Viola Davis - Doubt
Screenplay: Milk

BFCA:
Picture/Top 10:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Gran Turino
Milk
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Director:
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Clint Eastwood - Gran Turino
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk

Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Clint Eastwood - Gran Turino
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actress:
Anne Hathway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes - The Reader
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Supporting Actress:
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Screenplay:
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Slumdog Millionaire
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
The Wrestler