I'm late posting this -- hey, I can't be at the computer 24/7 -- but if you've somehow missed the latest round of critics prizes, here's the results from the NYFCC. They've been naming "bests" since 1935. How about that?
Picture The Hurt Locker
Director Kathryn Bigelow The Hurt Locker
Screenplay In The Loop
Actress Meryl Streep Julie & Julia
Actor George Clooney Up In The Air and Fantastic Mr. Fox
- Anyone else find it a little odd that Clooney's honor is a double dip with voicework but Streep, who voice stars with him in Fox and anchors soon-to-be-big-hit It's Complicated is only cited for Julie & Julia?
Supporting Actress Mo'Nique Precious
Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz Inglourious Basterds
Cinematographer Christian Berger The White Ribbon
- I knew he'd win at least a couple. Black and white work always take at least one critics prize. I'm not knocking Berger's work. I'm just sayin'.
Animated Film Fantastic Mr. Fox
Documentary Of Time and The City
Foreign Film Summer Hours
First Film Hunger by Steve McQueen
Special Prize Andrew Sarris, Film Critic
- Some lovely choices there I think. Especially happy to see Hunger, which suffered in buzz momentum from one of those inane "it's a 2008 film for the west coast and a 2009 film for the east coast" release structures, remembered. But then NYFCC also had to wait a whole year to honor 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days so they tend to be patient. Good on them.
By now it's obvious that The Hurt Locker is the year's bonafide critics darling. Such a fine film. But in the Aughts it is a little disappointing that there always seems to be just one. Even Eternal Sunshine was cast aside in its year so that everyone could agree on Sideways. Most years contain more than one film that might stand the test of time so it'd be nice if there was a little more argument annually about which film that is.
It's also obvious that roughly 80% of planet earth is sick of waiting for Meryl's third Oscar. If I had to guess I'd say that the planet needs it more than Meryl does. Streep Addicts out there will already know that this is Meryl's fourth honor from the NYFCC. She won there in her Oscar years and also for 1988's A Cry in the Dark. She's also a four time recipient of the LAFCA though she lost this year. She won LA's top prize in her Oscar years as well as for The French Lieutenant's Woman and Out of Africa.
