We're coming to the last wave -- make that trickle -- of critics awards for 2008 (thank god almighty we're free at last!) but this is an important one. The National Society of Film Critics have spoken and they're practically bouncing on trampolines with "Poppy" herself, they loved Happy-Go-Lucky so much...Best Picture: Waltz With Bashir
Best Director: Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Best Supporting Actress: Hanna Schygulla, The Edge of Heaven
Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Marsan, Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Screenplay: Happy-Go-Lucky
IndieWire has more details if you're interested. I'm pleased to see all the support for Mike Leigh's film since I love it, too. The ads for Slumdog Millionaire describe it as a "buoyant hymn to life" but if that blurby phrase describes any movie this year, surely it's Happy-Go-Lucky?! Four things about this latest batch of awards spring out immediately:
- Between WALL•E taking the Los Angeles prize and Waltz With Bashir taking this one, it's been a banner year for critical support of the animated form.
- I've underestimated the possible Academy support of Happy-Go-Lucky (they've embraced three previous Mike Leigh efforts). Could Eddie Marsan actually have a shot at the fifth spot in Supporting Actor? Right now it seems like a toss-up between James Franco & Dev Patel with Michael Shannon siphoning off crucial votes but could we get an actual surprise nominee? Big surprises don't happen often but you never know.
- The season-long critical backing of Sally Hawkins (my interview with the actress here) should cement her place in the Oscar Actress line-up... and yet... and yet... that category is still very difficult to measure for a number of reasons. In any year when there's a lot of contestants in play this late in the game, you can sometimes end up with big surprises. Think 2003's Best Actress lineup which confounded every pundit and probably surprised the nominated and the snubbed, too, once the names were read.
- Since most Oscar ballots are returned to the Academy in the first week and they were mailed out 9 days ago this doesn't have much direct influencing power beyond underlining the critical mood, which is very pro-Happy...
In minor critical news the Oklahoma group announced just before Christmas so we forgot to mention it (who has time to think about what's going on in Oklahoma while wrapping presents? Unless that's where one purchased them). They went crazy for Slumdog as many critics organizations had before them. They gave it Director, Picture and Adapted Screenplay. Expect it to continue to fight it out with Benjamin Button for winning the most Best Picture momentum. Heath Ledger won his billionth posthumous supporting actor prize for The Dark Knight. Sally Hawkins (her name gets ever more familiar) took Best Actress. And, like most critics groups who chose Mickey Rourke over Sean Penn for Best Actor they threw Marisa Tomei their Best Supporting Actress prize for The Wrestler. It seems to be a two-for-one deal with those two for prizes which leads me to believe that Marisa Tomei is safer for an Oscar Supporting Actress nod than we'd previously imagined.If you think you're free from awardage, think again. The Guilds start announcing in full force on Monday. They're the best indicator we'll get of the Academy's mood this year.
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