Sunday, December 13, 2009

Boston Enters The Hurt Locker

The Boston Film Critics Society boarded the Slumdog bandwagon last year though they didn't quite commit wholeheartedly. It tied for best picture with WALL•E and yet it was Milk which took home the most prizes in total: actor, director and screenplay. This year their favorite is easier to spot, The Hurt Locker easily dominated taking five prizes.


Picture The Hurt Locker
Director Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
Actress Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia
Actor Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
  • Odd duet in the lead awards but fun: the old pro (!) and the rising great (?). Critical attention won't do anything for Renner's Oscar chances unless it happens in mass though. Cross your fingers.
Supporting Actress Mo'Nique in Precious
Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
  • These two monstrous supporting players seem very far ahead of the rest of their category packs, no? At least both performances are wondrous because potential sweepers aren't often this deserving.
Screenplay Joel and Ethan Coen for A Serious Man
Editing Bob Murawski and Chris Innis for The Hurt Locker
Cinematography Barry Ackroyd for The Hurt Locker
Documentary The Cove
Animated Film Pixar's Up
Foreign Film
TBA
Ensemble Cast (tie) Precious and Star Trek
  • I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy this bizarre double feature win. But Star Trek ...seriously? I enjoyed it, I did, but best ensemble performance? Don't they just mean "characters we've loved our whole lives reborn!"
New Filmmaker Neil Blomkamp, District 9
Use of Music in a Film
Crazy Heart

23 comments:

Alex Constantin said...

seeing Precious yesterday, I'm thrilled about all the love Mo'Nique is getting. How spectacular was she... Not just in the big flashy Oscar scenes, throwing something or giving the devastating confession.

I keep going back to she short scene where she tells Precious that the father had died. Does anyone else remember it? Great capacity in underlining Mary's ignorance.

Jim T said...

Nathaniel, are you a member of NYFCO?

kent said...

i really was not expecting meryl streep to nab a critic's prize. i always thought she'll only get the award show trophies. that said, she's completely deserving of critics' prizes. her performance is a delight and it's nice that critics are realizing how spectacular a 'light' performance can be -even though it is meryl streep.

Michael B. said...

Mo'Nique and Waltz won at LAFCA...

Dean said...

I anticipate your illustrations for the cities' awards groups almost as much as the awards themselves.

NicksFlickPicks said...

I was kind of hoping that if Meryl got one she'd get it for both of her perfs, since I actually prefer her in It's Complicated. Still, good for her, and I'm totally stoked about the strong showing for Hurt Locker. I love the BSFC.

NATHANIEL R said...

Nick... you didn't break up with them after that SLUMDOG slip last year?

brandz said...

Sometimes the film critics actually get it right. YAY Boston! Not at all surprised by the Hurt Locker wins, especially cinematography. The Meryl Streep win is huge, but also well deserved. Not only was she flawless but she carried the entire film. I'm just happy Boston didn't follow conventional wisdom (as we've seen in the past) and go with Mulligan.

McGuire said...

Yay! I get a tinge of pride when my hometown critics group makes good choices (Although I was disappointed when they jumped on the tacky Slumdog Millionare bandwagon...God, I hate that movie).

kent said...

is meryl streep better in IT'S COMPLICATED than in JULIE & JULIA?

Michael B. said...

Avatar and Bigelow win top prizes at NYFCO.

NATHANIEL R said...

@Jim T -- i am not.

@Kent -- Streep'll grab more of them, too. critics prizes I mean. I think she's about equal in the films personally -- funny and sweet in both though i think she's a little broader in It's Complicated. Subtlety not being her strong point these days ;)

RC said...

What if the Precious ensemble performed Star Trek & the Star Trek team did Precious.

Now that would truly be incredible!

Michael B. said...

LAFCA:
PICTURE: “The Hurt Locker”
Runner-up: “Up in the Air”

DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker”
Runner-up: Michael Haneke, “The White Ribbon”

ACTRESS: Yolande Moreau, “Séraphine”
Runner-up: Carey Mulligan, “An Education”

ACTOR: Jeff Bridges, “Crazy Heart”
Runner-up: Colin Firth, “A Single Man”

adelutza said...

My favorite performance of the year was Tilda Swinton in Julia. Having said that, and seeing that for some reason nobody really cares to make any buzz around her - and it's very weird why, knowing that internet it is a very democratic medium - I cheer now for Meryl Sreep. She definitely cares about it and for the last few years is blessing us with performance after performance ; and still we all talk about he Sandra Bullocks of the world. Are we insane?

Rick said...

I totally hear what both Kent and Brandz are saying about Streep... well deserved wins. Hope there will be many more critics awards and finally the Oscar!

Johnny said...

Big day and wins for Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz with the LAFCA wins!!!! On to the Oscars for them! YAY!

Jorge Rodrigues said...

I've just seen ÁGORA from Alejandro Amenabar today and I have to say... I loved it.


Nat, Ágora FYC in all categories. Especially Rachel Weisz as Best Actress. She's amazing.

NATHANIEL R said...

Jorge... i don't think Agora ever opened here. So it won't be eligible. At least not for my awards. Maybe it opened in LA? But i never heard a peep.

Jorge Rodrigues said...

I checked... it opens there in the US in early 2010.

«Good news for Alejandro Amenábar fans! The acclaimed filmmaker's latest movie "Agora" has finally found a buyer that will distribute the war epic in the United States. Thank you, Newmarket Films.

Newmarket will release the film in early 2010.»



It's a shame it's not up for awards season 'cause it's good. I think it has played in TIFF though.

adam k. said...

I would nominate the Star Trek team for an ensemble prize. Not just for recreating the iconic characters, but for that whole "acting TOGETHER" thing that you like so much, Nathaniel. They really felt like a cohesive whole, each one totally "getting" the spirit of the piece, with plenty of rich group scenes.

Precious is also deserving, but I think of it as a handful of great performances rather than a great ensemble. The best acting is in the two-handers, unless I guess if you count that last scene with Mo'Nique, Mariah and Gabby.

Iggy said...

Regarding the Supp. Actor category, this might be the third year in a row (Bardem, Ledger, Waltz now?)that one of the contenders is clearly winning everything. Why is that? I mean it hasn't happened in the Supp. Actress category. Is it related to the fact that the characters were iconic villains? Or has more to do with that thin line between supporting and lead characters?

Probably I'm just over-analysing it.

Anonymous said...

What I wouldn't do for Renner to win the Oscar (I would do anything).