65th Annual Writers Guild Awards

The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) announced their annual awards on February 17th, with giving away the top prizes to ZERO DARK THIRTY, ARGO and SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN for Original, Adapted and Documentary Feature Screenplay categories respectively. Television winners include BREAKING BAD, LOUIE and GIRLS for Drama, Comedy and New Series categories respectively. Emmy-winning Castle TV star Nathan Fillion hosted the ceremony, which was executive produced by Cort Casady.

Here is the complete list of winners:

FILM

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Zero Dark Thirty, Written by Mark Boal; Columbia Pictures

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Argo, Screenplay by Chris Terrio; Based on a selection from The Master of Disguise by Antonio J. Mendez and the Wired Magazine article “The Great Escape” by Joshuah Bearman; Warner Bros. Pictures

DOCUMENTARY SCREENPLAY: Searching for Sugar Man, Written by Malik Bendjelloul; Sony Pictures Classics

TELEVISION

DRAMA SERIES: Breaking Bad, Written by Sam Catlin, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, George Mastras, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett; AMC

COMEDY SERIES: Louie, Written by Pamela Adlon, Vernon Chatman, Louis C.K.; FX

NEW SERIES: Girls, Written by Judd Apatow, Lesley Arfin, Lena Dunham, Sarah Heyward, Bruce Eric Kaplan, Jenni Konner, Deborah Schoeneman, Dan Sterling; HBO

EPISODIC DRAMA: “The Other Woman” (Mad Men), Written by Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner; AMC

EPISODIC COMEDY: “Virgin Territory” (Modern Family), Written by Elaine Ko; ABC

LONG FORM – ORIGINAL: Hatfields & McCoys, Nights Two and Three, Teleplay by Ted Mann and Ronald Parker, Story by Bill Kerby and Ted Mann; History Channel

LONG FORM – ADAPTED: Game Change, Written by Danny Strong, Based on the book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann; HBO

ANIMATION: “Ned ’N’ Edna’s Blend Agenda” (The Simpsons), Written by Jeff Westbrook; Fox

COMEDY/VARIETY (INCLUDING TALK) – SERIES: Portlandia, Writers: Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Karey Dornetto, Jonathan Krisel, Bill Oakley; IFC

COMEDY/VARIETY – MUSIC, AWARDS, TRIBUTES – SPECIALS: 66th Annual Tony Awards, Written by Dave Boone; Special Material by Paul Greenberg; Opening and Closing Songs by David Javerbaum, Adam Schlesinger; CBS

DAYTIME DRAMA: The Young and the Restless, Written by Amanda Beall, Jeff Beldner, Susan Dansby, Janice Ferri Esser, Jay Gibson, Scott Hamner, Marla Kanelos, Natalie Minardi Slater, Beth Milstein, Michael Montgomery, Anne Schoettle, Linda Schreiber, Sarah K. Smith, Christopher J. Whitesell, Teresa Zimmerman; CBS

CHILDREN'S – EPISODIC & SPECIALS: “The Good Sport” (Sesame Street); Written by Christine Ferraro; PBS

CHILDREN’S – LONG FORM OR SPECIAL: Girl vs. Monster, Teleplay by Annie DeYoung and Ron McGee, Story by Annie DeYoung; Disney Channel

DOCUMENTARY – CURRENT EVENTS: “Money, Power and Wall Street: Episode One” (Frontline), Written by Martin Smith and Marcela Gaviria; PBS

DOCUMENTARY – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS: “The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of Time” (Nova), Telescript by Randall MacLowry, Story by Joseph McMaster and Randall MacLowry; PBS

NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT: “Tragedy In Colorado: The Movie Theatre Massacre,” Written by Lisa Ferri, Joel Siegel; ABC News

NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY: “The Ghost of Joe McCarthy” (Moyers & Company), Written by Bill Moyers, Michael Winship; Thirteen/ WNET

RADIO

NEWS – REGULARLY SCHEDULED OR BREAKING REPORT: “World News This Year 2011,” Written by Darren Reynolds; ABC News Radio

NEWS – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY: “Dishin Digital,” Written by Robert Hawley; WCBS-AM

PROMOTIONAL WRITING AND GRAPHIC ANIMATION

ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION): “Partners,” Written by Dan A. Greenberger; CBS

TELEVISION GRAPHIC ANIMATION: “The Oscars” (Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood), Animation by Bob Pook; CBS

VIDEOGAME WRITING

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VIDEOGAME WRITING: Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation, Scriptwriting by Richard Farrese, Jill Murray; Ubisoft

NEW MEDIA WRITING

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING ORIGINAL NEW MEDIA: “The Compromises, Episode 1,” “The Pest, Episode 3,” The Snake, Episode 4,” “The Bonding, Episode 6,” “The Future, Episode 7/Series Finale” (Jack in a Box), Written by Michael Cyril Creighton; jackinaboxsite.com

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING DERIVATIVE NEW MEDIA: “Hide And Seek,” “Keys to the Kingdom,” “The Chosen Ones,” “Parting Shots” (The Walking Dead: Cold Storage), Written by John Esposito; amctv.com

2nd Annual Georgia Film Critics Association Awards

The Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) announced its awards in January with giving away the Best Motion Picture prize to SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, written and directed by David O. Russell, whereas the Best Director award went to Kathryn Bigelow for ZERO DARK THIRTY.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Motion Picture: Silver Linings Playbook

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

Best Supporting Actress: Judi Dench (Skyfall)

Best Original Screenplay: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola (Moonrise Kingdom)

Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Foreign Film: Amour

Best Animated Film: Brave

Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins (Skyfall)

Best Production Design: Alex DiGerlando (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Best Original Score: Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Best Original Song: Skyfall by Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth (Skyfall)

Best Ensemble: Silver Linings Playbook

Best Documentary: The Imposter

Best Breakthrough: Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema: Ben Loeterman (John Portman: A Life of Building)

7th Annual Excellent Dynamic Activism Awards

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) announced its 7th Excellent Dynamic Activism (EDA) awards in January 2013 with giving away the Best Picture award to ZERO DARK THIRTY, directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow who also won the Best Director award.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Picture: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables)

Best Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio (Argo)

Best Non-English-Language Film: Amour

Best Documentary: Searching For Sugar Man

Best Animated Film: ParaNorman

Best Ensemble Cast: Silver Linings Playbook

Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi)

Best Editing: William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Film Music or Score: Dan Romer and Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Best Woman Director: Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Woman Screenwriter: Lucy Alibar (with Benh Zeitlin) (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Best Breakthrough Performance: Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Kick-Ass Award For Best Female Action Star: Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)

Best Animated Female: Kelly Macdonald (Brave)

Actress Defying Age and Ageism: Judi Dench (Skyfall)

AWFJ Award for Humanitarian Activism: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Outstanding Achievement By A Woman In The Film Industry: Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Detropia), Lauren Greenfield (Queen of Versailles), Alison Klayman (Ai Weiwei Never Sorry) and Sarah Burns (The Central Park Five)

AWFJ Hall Of Shame Award: Sean Anders (That’s My Boy)

Actress Most in Need Of A New Agent (TIE): Katherine Heigl (One For The Money); Reese Witherspoon (This Means War)

Movie You Wanted To Love But Just Couldn’t: Anna Karenina

Unforgettable Moment (TIE): Anne Hathaway singing “I Dreamed A Dream” in Les Miserables; Jessica Chastain saying, “I’m the mother…” in Zero Dark Thirty

Best Depiction Of Nudity, Sexuality, or Seduction: Helen Hunt and John Hawkes (The Sessions)

Sequel or Remake That Shouldn’t Have Been Made (TIE): Red Dawn; Total Recall

Most Egregious Age Difference Between The Leading Man and The Love Interest: Denzel Washington and Kelly Reilly and Nadine Velazquez (Flight)

13th Annual Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards

The Vancouver Film Critics Circle (VFCC) announced its awards on January 7th, 2013 with giving away the Best Film award to ZERO DARK THIRTY, directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow who also won the Best Director award. The surprise is that Joaquin Phoenix won the award for Best Actor for his brilliant performance in THE MASTER. The shocking thing is Amy Adams' win in the Best Supporting Actress category. No one deserves that award more than Anne Hathaway.

Here is the complete list of winners:

INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

BEST FILM: Zero Dark Thirty

BEST DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

BEST ACTOR: Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

BEST ACTRESS: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Amy Adams (The Master)

BEST SCREENPLAY: Mark Boal (Zero Dark Thirty)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Holy Motors

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Searching for Sugar Man

CANADIAN AWARDS

BEST FILM: Rebelle (a.k.a. War Witch)

BEST DIRECTOR: Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the Black Rainbow)

BEST ACTOR: Michael Rogers (Beyond the Black Rainbow)

BEST ACTRESS: Rachel Mwanza (Rebelle)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Serge Kanyinda (Rebelle)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Sarah Gadon (Cosmopolis)

BEST CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY: The World Before Her

BEST BRITISH COLUMBIA FILM: Beyond the Black Rainbow

IAN CADDELL AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT: Alan Franey, Vancouver International Film Festival

Film Review: Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

My rating: ★★★★

BEST FILM OF 2012.

A topic of discussion everyone is familiar with, the already known outcome, the dramatization of true events and mixing them altogether in a single film, Zero Dark Thirty is a good film if I look at it from the perspective of filmmaking only. However, it doesn’t offer that much, it has no characterization whatsoever. The main character of the film is Maya (played by Jessica Chastain), a young CIA officer who has done nothing but spent her entire short career on Osama bin Laden. Now, I’m totally okay with that but her life, her character should have been supported by a back-story. There should have been several flashbacks as to why she joined CIA in the first place. I’m still okay if there aren’t any flashbacks or her story, but her character seems unbelievable and uninspiring at times. She doesn’t have any theory to prove why she is right, she just says she is right. And obviously, she is. It doesn’t have to do anything with Chastain’s performance, she has done a brilliant job (especially that motherf***er dialogue which was badass and funny at the same time). All the critic wins and potential nominations in major awards are totally deserving for her.The real problem is how her character has been written by Mark Boal and how the entire screenplay of the film has been dealt with.

The running time is 2 hours and 30 minutes and it really feels that long because the first half of the movie seems ridiculously boring and irritating. I expected the content of a different nature, the real and original content that has been kept away from the public for so many years, not the moulded one. The real truth about the September 11 attacks, all the suicide bombings and finally Osama bin Laden’s killing. It felt like I was watching a documentary at times. Kathryn Bigelow still has been able to do her job pretty well, the direction of the film is somewhere in between good and excellent. And it cannot be ignored that when it comes to films like this, her vision and method of direction are way more than outstanding. Moving on to the screenplay, it is good but definitely not the best. The dialogues should have been more intense rather than simply showing the scenes incorporating torture that is a good way to escape when you know your writing isn’t brilliant enough. Editing and the pacing of the film are kind of good but they don’t feel balanced at times, there is not one way of pacing of the storyline, sometimes it gets fast and sometimes it gets so slow. The supporting cast members such as Jason Clarke (Dan), Joel Edgerton (Patrick) and Mark Strong (George) do the right amount of job that has been assigned to their roles.

The best things about this film are its last 30 minutes of operation which led to Osama bin Laden’s killing; its background score (by Alexandre Desplat) which is pretty intense and proves to be more supportive than screenplay at times; clever cinematography (by Greig Fraser); Bigelow’s direction (a little bit supported by Mark Boal’s writing) and Jessica Chastain’s performance which is downright astonishing. I can call Zero Dark Thirty a great film but it is not better than Bigelow’s previous direction The Hurt Locker, which was more intense, which had plenty of jaw-dropping scenes and which had more characterization.

Every major critic you see would be commenting that ZD30 would win the Best Picture Oscar. This fact is making it so overrated that it would fail to build up to a lot of people’s expectations who haven’t watched it yet. Same thing happened to me. I watched it with the expectation and the mindset that it is the best film of 2012 but it isn’t, it may be one of the best but not the ultimate best film.

A lot of people are associating this movie with the fact that if they are Americans then they should obviously like this movie because it depicts what took America to finally kill bin Laden. If we are going to talk about it from that perspective then I can say that this movie is nothing but a false reality, how America hides the truth and only shows what it wants its public to see. There are a lot of theories about September 11 attacks and some of which are logical and actually make sense but still, people don’t want to believe that because they are afraid of losing the so-called trust in their government. OBL’s killing is also blurry, nobody knows what really happened that day. The US government just made an announcement that they have killed bin Laden. If they actually killed him then why did they not show his face on the television? Anyway, this is not the topic of discussion here. The film should be taken as piece of entertainment rather than taking it as a piece of reality and the same goes to US Senate, ZD30 has given rise to a huge political controversy as according to the Senators, they don’t torture anyone. They should also understand that the incorporation of dramatization and fiction is necessary to build up the tension and give rise to intense moments to keep the film interesting.

The key conclusion is that this film could get all the major awards in Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and BAFTA Awards because of its genre, Bigelow’s brilliant direction and Chastain’s performance and which, to some extent, is reasonable but I don’t think it should be winning the Best Picture awards but the chances are that it will. Who knows? I’d still be happier it wins the Best Picture awards, but happiest if it goes to any other deserving film.

4th Annual Black Film Critics Circle Awards

The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) announced their awards on December 22nd, 2012 with giving away the Best Picture award to ZERO DARK THIRTY, directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow who also won the award for Best Director.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Picture: ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (LINCOLN)

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (DJANGO UNCHAINED)

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (LES MISÉRABLES)

Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino (DJANGO UNCHAINED)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio (ARGO)

Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda (LIFE OF PI)

Best Foreign Film: THE INTOUCHABLES

Best Documentary: THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Best Animated Film: RISE OF THE GAURDIANS

Best Ensemble: LINCOLN

11th Annual Utah Film Critics Association Awards

The Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) announced their awards on December 20th, 2012 with giving away the Best Picture award to ZERO DARK THIRTY, directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow. Whereas the Best Director award went to Wes Anderson for MOONRISE KINGDOM which is surprising and good! Other important things to notice are the Best Non-English Feature and Best Documentary Feature categories, both of these wins are unexpected.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Picture:

• Winner: Zero Dark Thirty


• Runner-up: Looper

Best Achievement in Directing:

• Winner: Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom)


• Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Lead Performance by an Actor:

• Winner: Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)


• Runner-ups: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln); John Hawkes (The Sessions)

Best Lead Performance by an Actress:

• Winners (TIE): Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook); Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Best Supporting Performance by an Actor:

• Winner: Dwight Henry (Beasts of the Southern Wild)


• Runner-up: Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

Best Supporting Performance by an Actress:

• Winner: Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables)


• Runner-up: Ann Dowd (Compliance)

Best Original Screenplay:

• Winner: Rian Johnson (Looper)


• Runner-up: Joss Whedon & Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods)

Best Adapted Screenplay:

• Winner: Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)


• Rrunner-up: David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Cinematography:

• Winner: Roger Deakins (Skyfall)


• Runner-up: Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi)

Best Documentary Feature:

• Winner: Indie Game: The Movie


• Runner-up: The Invisible War

Best Non-English Language Feature:

• Winner: Headhunters


• Runner-up: Amour

Best Animated Feature:

• Winner: ParaNorman


• Runner-ups: Frankenweenie;  Wreck-It Ralph

9th Annual Women Film Critics Circle Awards

The Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) announced its awards in December 2012 with giving away the top prize to A ROYAL AFFAIR.

Here is the complete list of winners:

BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN: A Royal Affair

BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN: Zero Dark Thirty

BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER [Screenwriting Award]: Julie Delpy (Two Days In NY)

BEST ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

BEST YOUNG ACTRESS: Quvenzhanee Wallis (Beast Of The Southern Wild)

BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS: Maggie Smith (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)

BEST FOREIGN FILM BY OR ABOUT WOMEN: Where Do We Go Now

BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE: Zero Dark Thirty

WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE (TIE): Killer Joe;  Think Like A Man

BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE: Lincoln

WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE: Killer Joe

BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE BY OR ABOUT WOMEN: Hemingway And Gellhorn

BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES: Zero Dark Thirty

BEST ANIMATED FEMALES: Brave

BEST FAMILY FILM (TIE): Life Of Pi; Rise Of The Guardians

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Barbra Streisand

ACTING AND ACTIVISM.AWARD: Sally Field

ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD - For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women (TIE): Compliance; The Invisible War

JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD - For best expressing the woman of color experience in America: Middle Of Nowhere

KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity: A Royal Affair

COURAGE IN ACTING - Taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on-screen: Helen Hunt (The Sessions)

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AWARD - Performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored: Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)

BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT A WOMAN: Queen Of Versailles

WOMEN’S WORK: BEST ENSEMBLE: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

BEST SCREEN COUPLE: Bill Murray and Frances McDormand (Moonrise Kingdom)

WFCC HALL OF SHAME

Bachelorette with Kirsten Dunst, had all sorts of ditzy former high school classmates getting together for the wedding of a girl they used to make fun of. Just stupid on so many levels: male strippers, drinking, general girly silliness.

Ici-Bas [Down Below]. Rape romance: A raped nun (Celine Sallette) falls in love with her rapist.

Skyfall: 'Bond Girl' is only on screen long enough to sell trailers and products like OPI's 'Skyfall Collection' of nail polishes, and gets bumped off at the end of Act II; M turns into a cowering incompetent and gets bumped off at the end of Act III; and the female sharp-shooter in Act I loses her nerve and leaves 'Field Operations' to become an office assistant in Act III. I loved the Sean Connery/James Bond films as a kid. Women got to be part of the action; the Bond Girl was always there to celebrate success at the end. But as a 50th anniversary tribute to the Bond series made in 2012, Skyfall truly broke my heart!

MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MOM OF THE YEAR AWARD: Helena Bonham Carter (Les Miserables)

BEST LINE IN A MOVIE: "...You can't kill the animals in a movie, only the women." — Christopher Walken (Seven Psychopaths)

JUST KIDDING AWARD - Best Male Images In A Movie: Magic Mike

19th Annual Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards

The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) announced their awards on December 18th, 2012 with giving away the Best Film award to LINCOLN, directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg. Whereas the Best Diretor award went to Kathryn Bigelow for ZERO DARK THIRTY.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Film: Lincoln

Top Ten Films:

1. Lincoln


2. Argo


3. Zero Dark Thirty


4. Life of Pi


5. Les Misérables


6. Moonrise Kingdom


7. Silver Linings Playbook


8. Skyfall


9. The Master


10. Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty)

Runner-ups:

• Steven Spielberg (Lincoln)


• Ben Affleck (Argo)


• Ang Lee (Life of Pi)


• Wes Anderson (Moonrise Kingdom)

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Runner-ups:

• Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)


• John Hawkes (The Sessions)


• Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables)


• Denzel Washington (Flight)

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Runner-ups:

• Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)


• Helen Mirren (Hitchcock)


• Emmanuelle Riva (Amour)


• Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)


• Naomi Watts (The Impossible)

Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones (Lincoln)

Runner-ups:

• Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)


• Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)


• Alan Arkin (Argo)


• Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Supporting Actress: Sally Field (Lincoln)

Runner-ups:

• Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables)


• Amy Adams (The Master)


• Helen Hunt (The Sessions)


• Ann Dowd (Compliance)

Best Foreign Film: Amour

Runner-ups:

• A Royal Affair


• The Intouchables


• Holy Motors


• The Kid With a Bike

17th Annual Florida Film Critics Circle Awards

The Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) announced their awards on December 18th, 2012 with giving away the Best Picture award to ARGO, directed by Ben Affleck who also won the award for Best Director.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Picture: Argo

Director: Ben Affleck (Argo)

Leading Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

Leading Actress: Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty)

Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master)

Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables)

Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio (Argo)

Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson (Looper)

Cinematography: Roger Deakins (Skyfall)

Visual Effects: Life of Pi

Art Direction/Production Design: Thomas Brown, et. Al, and Sarah Greenwood (Anna Karenina)

Foreign Language Film: The Intouchables

Animated Film: Frankenweenie

Documentary Film: The Queen Of Versailles

Breakout Performance: Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

8th Annual Austin Film Critics Association Awards

The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) announced their awards on December 18th, 2012 with giving away the Best Film award to Kathryn Bigelow’s direction and co-production ZERO DARK THIRTY. Whereas the Best Director award went to Paul Thomas Anderson for THE MASTER.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Film: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master)

Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix (The Master)

Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained)

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (Les Misérables)

Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson (Looper)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio (Argo)

Best Cinematography: Mihai Malaimare, Jr. (The Master)

Best Score: Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek, and Tom Tykwer (Cloud Atlas)

Best Foreign Language Film: Holy Motors

Best Documentary: The Imposter

Best Animated Film: Wreck-It Ralph

Best First Film: Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Austin Film: Bernie

Robert R. “Bobby” McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Artist Award: Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Special Honorary Award: Matthew McConaughey, for his exceptional work in four films this year (Bernie, Killer Joe, Magic Mike, and The Paperboy)

AFCA 2012 Top Ten Films:

1. Zero Dark Thirty


2. Argo


3. Moonrise Kingdom


4. Django Unchained


5. Cloud Atlas


6. Holy Motors


7. Beasts of the Southern Wild


8. The Master


9. Silver Linings Playbook


10. Looper

4th Annual Indiana Film Journalists Association Awards

The Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) announced their awards on December 17th, 2012 with giving away the Best Film award to SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED, directed by Colin Trevorrow. This is a surprising news, as it is a first critic win for this film. I WAS NOT EXPECTING IT AT ALL!

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Film:

• Winner: SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED


• Runner-up: BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Best Director:

• Winner: Quentin Tarantino (DJANGO UNCHAINED)


• Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Actor:

• Winner (tie): Bradley Cooper (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK); Daniel Day-Lewis (LINCOLN)

Best Actress:

• Winner: Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY)


• Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK)

Best Supporting Actor:

• Winner: Tommy Lee Jones (LINCOLN)


• Runner-up: Christoph Waltz (DJANGO UNCHAINED)

Best Supporting Actress:

• Winner: Anne Hathaway (LES MISÉRABLES)


• Runner-up: Helen Hunt (THE SESSIONS)

Best Adapted Screenplay:

• Winner: Stephen Chbosky (THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER)


• Runner-up: David O. Russell (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK)

Best Original Screenplay:

• Winner: Derek Connolly (SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED)


• Runner-up: Quentin Tarantino (DJANGO UNCHAINED)

Best Musical Score:

• Winner: Thomas Newman (SKYFALL)


• Runner-up: Mychael Danna (LIFE OF PI)

Best Animated Feature:

• Winner: RISE OF THE GUARDIANS


• Runner-up: PARANORMAN

Best Foreign Language Film:

• Winner: THE RAID: REDEMPTION


• Runner-up: AMOUR

Best Documentary:

• Winner: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN


• Runner-up: ROOM 237

Original Vision Award: 

• Winner: BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD


• Runner-up: DJANGO UNCHAINED

The Hoosier Award: Jon Vickers (FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY CINEMA)

25th Annual Chicago Film Critics Association Awards

The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) announced their awards on December 17th, 2012 with giving away the Best Film award to ZERO DARK THIRTY, directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow, who also won the Best Director award making her film the bigget winner of the night with FIVE awards including Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Film: ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (LINCOLN)

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (THE MASTER)

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams (THE MASTER)

Best Foreign Language Film: AMOUR

Best Animated Film: PARANORMAN

Best Documnetary: THE INVISIBLE WAR

Best Adapted Screenplay: Tony Kushner (LINCOLN)

Best Original Screenplay: Mark Boal (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Art Direction: Adam Stockhausen (MOONRISE KINGDOM)

Best Original Score: Jonny Greenwood (THE MASTER)

Best Cinematography: Mihai Malăimare Jr. (THE MASTER)

Best Editing: William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Most Promising Filmmaker: Benh Zeitlin (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)

Most Promising Performer: Quvenzhané Wallis (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)

10th Annual African-American Film Critics Association Awards

The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced their awards on December 16th, 2012 with giving away the Best Picture award to ZERO DARK THIRTY, directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow whereas the Best Director award went to Ben Affleck for ARGO.

Key points: Denzel Washington wins his first critic award for his role as William Whitaker in 2012 film Flight; Emayatzy Corinealdi wins her first critic Best Actress award for her role as in Middle of Nowhere; Ava DuVernay wins her first critic Best Screenplay award for Middle of Nowhere.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Picture: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director: Ben Affleck (Argo)

Best Actor: Denzel Washington (Flight)

Best Actress: Emayatzy Corinealdi (Middle of Nowhere)

Best Supporting Actress: Sally Field (Lincoln)

Best Supporting Actor: Nate Parker (Arbitrage)

Best Foreign Film: The Intouchables

Breakout Performance: Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)

Best Screenplay: Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere)

Best Music: Kathryn Bostic & Morgan Rhodes (Middle of Nowhere)

Best Independent Film: Middle of Nowhere

Best Animation: Rise of the Guardians

Best Documentary (tied): The House I Live In; Versailles ’73

Top Ten Films 0f 2012:

1. Zero Dark Thirty


2. Argo


3. Lincoln


4. Middle of Nowhere


5. Life of Pi


6. Les Misérables


7. Django Unchained


8. Beasts of the Southern Wild


9. Moonrise Kingdom


10. Think Like a Man

11th Annual Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards

The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) announced their awards on December 10th, 2012 with giving away the Best Film award to the strongest contender so far, Kathryn Bigelow’s direction and co-production ZERO DARK THIRTY, which also won her the Best Director award as well as Best Actress for Jessica Chastain.

Best Original Screenplay went to Rian Johnson’s Looper, which also won the same award at 84th National Board of Review Awards. Same is the case with the Best Adapted Screenplay which went to David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook who also won the same award at the 84th National Board of Review Awards.

Best Foreign Language Film went to none other than the French drama film AMOUR, making it one of the strongest contenders or THE strongest contender for Foreign Language Films awards.

Best Cinematography went to Claudio Miranda, making it his second win, the other one being in the 10th New York Film Critics Online Awards.

Best Actor went to rather obvious, Daniel Day-Lewis who have won every single award so far except at 84th National Board of Review Awards where the winner was Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook) and 38th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards where the winner was Joaquin Phoenix (The Master).

Here is the complete list of the winners:

Best Film: ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (LINCOLN)

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Supporting Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman (THE MASTER)

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (LES MISÉRABLES)

Best Acting Ensemble: LES MISÉRABLES

Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK)

Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson (LOOPER)

Best Animated Feature: PARANORMAN

Best Documentary: BULLY

Best Foreign Language Film: AMOUR

Best Art Direction: Uli Hanisch, Hugh Bateup - Production Designers; Peter Walpole, Rebecca Alleway - Set Decorators (CLOUD ATLAS)

Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda (LIFE OF PI)

Best Score: Jonny Greenwood (THE MASTER)

The Joe Barber Award for Best Youth Performance: Quvenzhané Wallis (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)

38th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) announced their awards on December, 9th, 2012 with giving away the Best Picture award to French drama film, AMOUR, written and directed by Michael Haneke which really comes as a genuine surprise because everyone was thinking that Kathryn Bigelow’s ZERO DARK THIRTY would win it as well but I was secretly hoping that they’d give us a surprise which they really did by giving the Best Picture award to Amour.

Another unusual and important thing to notice is that the Kathryn Bigelow didn’t win the Best Director award as well, instead it went to Paul Thomas Anderson for The Master making it the biggest winner with four wins i.e. Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Production Design.

This is Emmanuelle Riva’s third win today, the other ones being in 10th New York Film Critics Online Awards and 33rd Boston Society of Film Critics Awards which is equally surprising and awesome and it just makes me want to watch Amour so bad.

BEST PICTURE:

• Winner: AMOUR


• Runner-up: THE MASTER

BEST DIRECTOR:

• Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson (THE MASTER)


• Runner-up: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

BEST ACTOR:

• Winner: Joaquin Phoenix (THE MASTER)


• Runner-up: Denis Lavant (HOLY MOTORS)

BEST ACTRESS:

• Winner (tied): Jennifer Lawrence (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK); Emmanuelle Riva (AMOUR)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

• Winner: Dwight Henry (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)


• Runner-up: Christoph Waltz (DJANGO UNCHAINED)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

• Winner: Amy Adams (THE MASTER)


• Runner-up: Anne Hathaway (THE DARK KNIGHT RISES; LES MISÉRABLES)

BEST SCREENPLAY:

• Winner: Chris Terrio (ARGO)


• Runner-up: David O. Russell (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:

• Winner: Roger Deakins (SKYFALL)


• Runner-up: Mihai Malaimare, Jr. (THE MASTER)

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN:

• Winner: THE MASTER


• Runner-up: MOONRISE KINGDOM

BEST EDITING:

• Winner: Dylan Tichenor and William Goldenberg (ZERO DARK THIRTY)


• Runner-up: William Goldenberg (ARGO)

BEST MUSIC/SCORE:

• Winner: Dan Romer & Benh Zeitlin (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)


• Runner-up: Johnny Greenwood (THE MASTER)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

• Winner: FRANKENWEENIE


• Runner-up: IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY

BEST FOREIGN LANGAUGE FILM:

• Winner: HOLY MOTORS


• Runner-up: FOOTNOTE

BEST DOCUMENTARY/NON-FICTION FILM:

• Winner: THE GATEKEEPERS


• Runner-up: SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN

NEW GENERATION AWARD:

• Winner: Benh Zeitlin (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)

DOUGLAS E. EDWARDS INDEPENDENT/EXPERIMENTAL FILM: 

• Winner: LEVIATHAN

12th Annual New York Film Critics Online Awards

The New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) announced their awards on December, 9th, 2012 with giving away the Best Picture award to obviously, ZERO DARK THIRTY, directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow, who has also won the Best Director award.

This is Emmanuelle Riva’s second win today, the other one being in 33rd Boston Society of Film Critics Awards. In addition, this is Daniel Day-Lewis’ second win today as well. Another most important win is the Best Cinematography to Claudio Miranda for his great camera work in Life of Pi.

Best Animated Feature goes to Chico and Rita, instead of ParaNorman or Frankenweenie. Best Ensemble Cast goes to Argo which is quite unexpected with so many great ensembles in town.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Picture: ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Debut Director: Benh Zeitlin (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)

Best Actress: Emmanuelle Riva (AMOUR)

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis (LINCOLN)

Best Ensemble Cast: ARGO

Best Supporting Actor: Tommy Lee Jones (LINCOLN)

Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway (LES MISÉRABLES)

Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda (LIFE OF PI)

Best Screenplay: Mark Boal (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Use of Music: Mary Ramos (DJANGO UNCHAINED)

Breakthrough Performance: Quvenzhane Wallis (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)

Best Animated Feature: CHICO AND RITA

Best Documentary: THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Best Foreign Language Film: AMOUR

33rd Annual Boston Society of Film Critics Awards

The Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) announced their awards on December 9th, 2012 with giving away the Best Picture award to none other than ZERO DARK THIRTY, directed and co-produced by Kathryn Bigelow who has also won the Best Director award.

Best Animated Film goes to Frankenweenie, making it one of the strongest contenders which it deserves because it is an outstanding piece of animation. Best Cinematography goes to Mihai Malaimare, Jr. for The Master who is also a runner-up in 38th Los Angeles Film Critics Awards whereas the winner is Roger Deakins for Skyfall.

The most surprising win is Emmanuelle Riva for Best Actress, this is really great to see some competition building up in this season. Ezra Miller won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as Patrick in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and quite frankly, this is such a great initiative as well as motivating for younger actors.

Best Ensemble Cast award goes to Seven Psychopaths which is quite shocking because I was thinking that it would go to Les Misérables.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Picture:

• Winner: ZERO DARK THIRTY


• 2nd place (tied): MOONRISE KINGDOM; AMOUR

Best Director:

• Winner: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)


• 2nd place: Paul Thomas Anderson (THE MASTER)

Best Actor:

• Winner: Daniel Day-Lewis (LINCOLN)


• 2nd place: Denis Lavant (HOLY MOTORS)

Best Actress:

• Winner: Emmanuelle Riva (AMOUR)


• 2nd place: Deanie Yip (A SIMPLE LIFE)

Best Supporting Actor:

• Winner: Ezra Miller (THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER)


• 2nd place: Christoph Waltz (DJANGO UNCHAINED)

Best Supporting Actress:

• Winner: Sally Field (LINCOLN)


• 2nd place: Emma Watson (THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER)

Best Screenplay:

• Winner: Tony Kushner (LINCOLN)


• 2nd place: Wes Anderson (MOONRISE KINGDOM)

Best Cinematography:

• Winner: Mihai Malaimare, Jr. (THE MASTER)


• 2nd place (tied): Robert Yeoman (MOONRISE KINGDOM); Claudio Miranda (LIFE OF PI)

Best Documentary:

• Winner: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE


• 2nd place: QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

Best Foreign-Language Film: 

• Winner: AMOUR


• 2nd place: HOLY MOTORS

Best Animated Film:

• Winner: FRANKENWEENIE


• 2nd place: PARANORMAN

Best Film Editing (awarded in memory of Karen Schmeer):

• Winner: William Goldenberg and Dylan Tichenor (ZERO DARK THIRTY)


• 2nd place: William Goldenberg (ARGO)

Best New Filmmaker (awarded in memory of David Brudnoy): 

• Winner: David France (HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE)


• 2nd place: Benh Zeitlin (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)

Best Ensemble Cast:

• Winner: SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS


• 2nd place: MOONRISE KINGDOM

Best Use of Music in a Film:

• Winner: MOONRISE KINGDOM


• 2nd place: DJANGO UNCHAINED

LIFE OF PI still haven’t won anything, I don’t know why are the critics not appreciating this great movie yet. I hope for the best films to get the awards.

1st Annual Boston Online Film Critics Association Awards

The Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) announced their awards today, on December 8th, 2012, with giving away the Best Picture award to rather obvious Kathryn Bigelow’s direction and co-production, ZERO DARK THIRTY.

Interesting thing to notice here is that the Best Foreign Language Film award went to Norwegian drama film Oslo, August 31st instead of French drama film and winner of 84th National Board of Review Awards and 78th New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Amour. Amour has found itself in competition with other movies now. Another interesting thing and quite great one is that Roger Deakins won the award for Best Cinematography for his amazing camera work in 23rd James Bond film Skyfall. Deakins really deserves a nomination as well as a real win in the Academy Awards. Jonny Greenwood won the award for Best Original Score for the film The Master. Let’s see how far he goes in this season.

Here is the complete list of winners:

BEST PICTURE: ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day-Lewis (LINCOLN)

BEST ACTRESS: Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Tommy Lee Jones (LINCOLN)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway (LES MISÉRABLES)

BEST SCREENPLAY: Tony Kushner (LINCOLN)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: OSLO, AUGUST 31ST

BEST DOCUMENTARY: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE

BEST ANIMATED FILM: PARANORMAN

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins (SKYFALL)

BEST EDITING: William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Jonny Greenwood (THE MASTER)

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: MOONRISE KINGDOM

THE TEN BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR:

1. ZERO DARK THIRTY


2. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD


3. LINCOLN


4. MOONRISE KINGDOM


5. DJANGO UNCHAINED


6. OSLO, AUGUST 31ST


7. HOLY MOTORS


8. THE MASTER


9. ARGO


10. CLOUD ATLAS

CLOUD ATLAS was announced as the TOP WORST MOVIE of 2012 by TIME Magazine, considering that it is a pretty bold move by BOFCA to include it in their top 10 films of the year.

LIFE OF PI still haven’t won anything but as we know that the best is yet to come, so let’s hope for the best!

84th Annual National Board of Review Awards

84th National Board of Review (NBR) Awards took place yesterday, December 5th, 2012 with giving away the BEST FILM prize to Kathryn Bigelow’s ZERO DARK THIRTY, obviously. My predictions were that either Ben Affleck’s ARGO, Tom Hooper’s LES MISÉRABLES or Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN would win the BEST FILM award but NBR gave it away to Zero Dark Thirty. I’m still not disappointed by their decision because I’m pretty sure Kathryn Bigelow has done a wonderful job just like she did with THE HURT LOCKER.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Best Film:  ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK)

Now, this is a bit surprising. I wasn’t hoping to see that Cooper would win this award with so many strong contenders with their strong and powerful performances. But I’m quite happy that Cooper won the award, he is a talent actor and can perform really well, either it is comedy or drama.

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY)

Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio (DJANGO UNCHAINED)

If it means something then it means that DiCaprio is getting a nomination in the 85th Academy Awards, for sure. And maybe, he’d win it as well.

Best Supporting Actress: Ann Dowd (COMPLIANCE)

Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson (LOOPER)

I cannot explain how happy I am to see Looper winning an award for Original Screenplay. Would it be too much if I hope to see Looper in Academy Awards and Golden Globes nomination for the Original Screenplay? I don’t think so.

Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK)

Best Animated Feature: WRECK-IT RALPH

Special Achievement in Filmmaking: Ben Affleck (ARGO)

My wish has come true, I wanted Affleck to win a Special Achievement award in NBR and he finally won!

Breakthrough Actor: Tom Holland (THE IMPOSSIBLE)

Breakthrough Actress: Quvenzhané Wallis (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)

Best Directorial Debut: Benh Zeitlin (BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD)

Mr. Zeitlin deserves all the appreciation for directing such a beautiful film.

Best Foreign Language Film: AMOUR

Best Documentary: SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN

William K. Everson Film History Award: 50 YEARS OF BOND FILMS

Best Ensemble: LES MISÉRABLES (very obvious)

Spotlight Award: John Goodman (ARGO, FLIGHT, PARANORMAN, TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE)

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: PROMISED LAND

These two Freedom of Expression awards are given to the deserving films. Promised Land discusses the topic of fracking while The Central Park Five is an outstanding documentary about a girl who was raped by five black and Latino teenagers in 1989.

Following are the lists of TOP films selected by the National Board of Review:

Top Films (In Alphabetical Order):
ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISÉRABLES
LINCOLN
LOOPER
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
PROMISED LAND
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

(TOTALLY SATISFIED WITH THEIR TOP FILMS SELECTION FOR 2012)

Top 5 Foreign Language Films (In Alphabetical Order):
BARBARA
THE INTOUCHABLES
THE KID WITH A BIKE
NO
WAR WITCH

Top 5 Documentaries (In Alphabetical Order):
AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY
DETROPIA
THE GATEKEEPERS
THE INVISIBLE WAR
ONLY THE YOUNG

Top 10 Independent Films (In Alphabetical Order):
ARBITRAGE
BERNIE
COMPLIANCE
END OF WATCH
HELLO I MUST BE GOING
LITTLE BIRDS
MOONRISE KINGDOM
ON THE ROAD
QUARTET
SLEEPWALK WITH ME

(REALLY HAPPY TO SEE ARBITRAGE, END OF WATCH, BERNIE AND MOONRISE KINGDOM IN TOP 10 INDEPENDENT FILMS)

As it is now clear that Zero Dark Thirty is the strongest contender this year, followed by Lincoln and maybe Les Misérables. Another interesting point is that LIFE OF PI haven’t won anything yet, either they are saving the film for the BIG win or they’re just not impressed with the work of Ang Lee. Well, let’s see what happens in upcoming awards.