The 2004 New York Film Critics Circle Awards

Well, the awards have just been announced, and the big winner this year is Alexander Payne's Sideways, taking home four awards (Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Screenplay). Filmbrain is surprised that certain films were overlooked (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, We Don't Live Here Anymore, The Aviator) and even more surprised about Clint Eastwood taking the Best Director award. (Filmbrain fears that Million Dollar Baby will be too feel-good and uplifting for his tastes. However, perhaps Eastwood has delivered something more than a gender-bending Rocky. Maybe it's just the awful trailer that makes the film seem so simple.)

The complete list of winners:

• Best Picture - Sideways
• Best Actor - Paul Giamatti (Sideways)
• Best Actress - Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake)
• Best Supporting Actor - Clive Owen (Closer)
• Best Supporting Actress - Virginia Madsen (Sideways)
• Best Director - Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby)
• Best Screenplay - Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor (Sideways)
• Best Cinematographer - Christopher Doyle (Hero)
• Best Foreign Film - Bad Education
• Best Non-Fiction Film - Fahrenheit 9/11
• Best Animated Film - The Incredibles
• Best First Film - Maria Full of Grace

For those unfamiliar with the NYFCC, it is made up of (at the moment) thirty-four film critics who are mostly based in NYC, and they have been handing out annual awards for the past sixty-five years. Current members include David Ansen, Andrew Sarris, David Denby, Peter Travers and J. Hoberman.

Thoughts, anyone?

Comments

[phyrephox]

A fundmentally timid list, though Staunton, Doyle, and Giamatti are deserved.

[Darren]

I don't know too much about their criteria (and am apparantly too lazy to dig), but do you know if they limit their selections to films that have already gotten or will get American distribution? It frustrates me to see a group of critics, many of whom I respect, voting for a "Best Foreign Film." Can't they leave the marginalizing and marketing to the Oscars, Golden Globes, People's Choice, ad nauseum?

[Filmbrain]

I believe they limit their choices to films released in the US in 2004. (Films that showed only at the NYFF, for example, are not considered.)

But that's an excellent point about marginalization.

[Steve]

Yeah, it's a timid list, but keep in mind that it's also a consensus list. When you group a bunch of lists together, the most universally liked film is likely to win, not necessarily the one that provokes the strongest reactions. DOGVILLE or I HEART HUCKABEES were doomed from the start.

I suppose that a "best foreign film" category does marginalize its winner, but they would be even more worse off without it, since there would likely be the same minimal recognition for foreign films in the rest of the awards.

The VILLAGE VOICE critics' poll includes a category for best undistributed films. It would be a good idea for critics' groups to follow suit. But then David Denby would have to get off his ass and actually see an undistributed film!

[wilson morales]

Here's a first look to the sequel to UNDERWORLD - UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION

http://www.blackfilm.com/20041203/features/fs_underworld2.shtml

[Aaron]

I'm just amazed that ALL the major critics groups seem to be voting for "Sideways." That's very rare for one film to sweep NY and LA, not to mention SF and Boston. But as Steve wrote above, it is a consensus list, and (for those who don't know) the way it works is that they keep voting over-and-over, slowly eliminating titles until some people, I'm sure, are voting for a film they consider #5, 6, 7 or lower rather than their top.

And I do believe they go by the same rules as the Oscars: had to have a US release for a minimum of one week in NY and/or LA.

[dvd]

Million Dollar Baby was surprisingly great...there's a lot more to it, unsuggested by the trailer, than just another old take on the Rocky riff.