Sunday, January 07, 2007

National Society of Film Critics

Tom O'Neill has the full dishy scoop but the short news is this: Pic: Pan's Labyrinth. Dir: Paul Greengrass United 93, Actor: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland Actress: Helen Mirren, The Queen Supporting Actor: Mark Wahlberg, The Departed and Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep The Devil Wears Prada and A Prairie Home Companion who I just barely wrote about. Fancy that.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Marky Mark! YAY.

Anonymous said...

It's disappointing to me that Mirren and Whitaker have hogged the lion's share of awards. Though it's been a less-than-stellar year for film itself, I feel like it's been a tremendous one for acting. This is the first year in a long time that I've really had trouble narrowing my own nominee pool down to five in all four categories.

Javier Aldabalde said...

As usual, the best critics group around. "Pan's Labyrinth" joins a really extraordinary group of Best Pictures since "Persona". And though I don't think it's a masterpiece (it lacks some spontaneity; the lead performance is dull), it's more exciting and progressive than anything I've seen in the last 2 years. I love the NSFC.

Neel Mehta said...

Kudos to the NSFC for doing something that all critical organizations have the power to do but have failed to try this year: awarding an actor for multiple performances in a year.

I haven't seen either, but I'm surprised that Forest Whitaker hasn't had his thunder stolen by that "Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed and Blood Diamond" double-dip.

Anonymous said...

THE BIG 5!...

National Board of Review
Los Angeles Film Critics Ass.
New York Film Critics Circle
National Soceity of Film Critics
Broadcast Film Critics Ass.

With only one left to go (and the most mainstream- go figure) it seems Mirren will become the first actor in years to sweep the big five.

What will the BFCA pick???
Currently, I'm crossing my fingures for "The Departed"!

Lucas Dantas said...

Ohh... Meryl as supporting for Prada! Makes sense, but it's new. And I'm still scared about the whole Clint love... it's about time he loses the buzz, please G-d, pretty please!

Anonymous said...

GROUPS WHO'S PUT MERYL IN SUPPORTING (SO FAR)...

Boston Film Critics
National Society of Film Critics
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics


Any others? Nat, where are you currently leaning????????!!!!

Steve Middleton said...

Love the Queen

Paxton Hernandez said...

Are you serious?! There's no way in hell Meryl is supporting. I mean she IS the devil. There wouldn't be a The Devil Wears Prada without her! Come on now!

Anonymous said...

If "Working Girl" had been called "The Devil Wears Ellen Tracy", would Sigourney Weaver have been lead? Hmmmmmmm???????

It's VERY tough, but Meryl as supporting isn't out of the question.

Nat, where are you on this??????

NATHANIEL R said...

well i would agree that being the title character does NOT automatically make you a lead (though it can) see: The Black Dahlia or Being John Malkovich for recent examples.

but honestly i don't know where i'm at with Streep. I was initially totally lead but i've seen it 3 times now and it is a judgement call... and the way i see the subject of "category fraud" is that it's only fraudulent if there's no way it isn't one or the other. so it's OK where anybody puts her.

but Anne Hathaway or James McAvoy as "supporting" this year and Jake Gyllenhaal "supporting" last year and Jamie Foxx as "supporting" in 04. These are just horrendously fraudulent, however good most of those performances are.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to see Meryl as a surprise double nominee this year - lead for Prada and Supp for Prairie. They're such great contrasting perfs.

adam k. said...

I don't think Jake Gyllenhaal was quite as fraudulent as the others. You could sort of read it as Heath's story with Jake as the catalyst. Heath has the more complex role, and Jake does of course disappear before the end of the film. It's hard not to call it lead, but I don't think it's outright fraud in the way Foxx, Hathaway, and McAvoy are.

And it really would be easier to put Streep in supporting (at least for me), cause she'd be such a great choice for the win there, and it'd free up one of the lead spots. But then again, if she's lead, you can nominate her twice. And I really think she's lead.

Glenn Dunks said...

If they hadn't of given Jake's character that scene at the dinner table with his family then I would have gone as supporting because every other scene is with Ennis, but they put it in and so I put him as lead.

NATHANIEL R said...

it's not his only scene without ennis. there's also the rodeo scenes. the date with lurene. it's like the gay gone with the wind. Just cuz Scarlett has more screen time it doesn't make Rhett supporting.

Anonymous said...

Please please pleaaaaaaase put her in lead Nat - she dominated the movie.
Pleeeeeeeeease

adam k. said...

I just don't think it's AS fraudulent cause at least if you had to choose one of them to be supporting, it'd be Jake. His role is slightly smaller, and Ennis undergoes the most change. It's not like Jamie Foxx in Collateral (THE lead), or Anne Hathaway in Prada (THE lead), or Judi Dench in Notes, for that matter.

I just take more issue with blatant disregard of all common sense than I do with strategic divvying up of categories.

adam k. said...

Also, Nat, Forest Whitaker could be read as supporting just as easily as Streep (even more easily, actually... Streep at least is at the beginning and end of her movie, which gives her a more solid claim on lead status), but you seem to have no problem keeping him as lead.

Keep Streep in lead.

NATHANIEL R said...

forest whitaker supporting? no way.

adam k. said...

Exactly, and neither is Streep.