The Oscar Invasion

Oscar could be invaded this year. I'm not talking about the clutch of villains in the Best Actor category, nor am I talking about the flurry of youth in the Best Actress category. I'm talking about this...

Yes, Oscar's makeup shortlist was announced today, and unbelievably, YES, Norbit is on this list. Here it is:

“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly”

“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”

“La Vie en Rose”

“Norbit”

“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”

“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

“300”

I could take Click's nomination last year but this would be horrendous. I don't care if the makeup is decent. It's a grotesque film. What next? Uwe Boll getting nominated for Director? Jessica Alba nominated for Best Actress? Argh.

Kansas City Critics Circle {Winners}

There Will Be Blood might have made the Academy shortlist having emerged at a good time. I still can't decide. Final Oscar Predictions after the DGA, which I will predict soon...

Best Movie: There Will Be Blood
Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson-There Will Be Blood and Julian Schnabel-The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (tie)
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis-There Will Be Blood
Best Actress: Marion Cotillard-La Vie en Rose
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem-No Country for Old Men
Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton-Michael Clayton
Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody-Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay: Joel and Ethan Coen-No Country for Old Men
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Best Documentary: In the Shadow of the Moon
Best Foreign Language Film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Outstanding Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Film: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

National Society of Film Critics {Winners}

Having now won the LAFCA and NSFC, 'There Will Be Blood' looks strong, but I can't help but think that it's still too heavy for this year. Especially when the evident frontrunner is the Coen brothers' violent 'No Country For Old Men'. Argh, this Picture race is fucked up.

BEST PICTURE
1. There Will Be Blood (48) – Paul Thomas Anderson [Paramount Vantage]
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (28) – Julian Schnabel
3. No Country for Old Men (27) – Joel and Ethan Coen

BEST DIRECTOR
1, Paul Thomas Anderson (47) – There Will Be Blood [Paramount Vintage]
2. Joel and Ethan Coen (29) – No Country for Old Men
2. Julian Schnabel (29) – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST ACTOR
1.Daniel Day-Lewis (66) – There Will Be Blood [Paramount Vantage]
2. Frank Langella (34) -- Starting Out in the Evening
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (21) -- The Savages, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead

BEST ACTRESS
1. Julie Christie (53) – Away from Her [Lionsgate]
2. Marion Cotillard (50) – La Vie en Rose
3. Anamaria Marinca (28) – 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Casey Affleck (37) - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford [Warner Bros.]
2. Javier Bardem (30) – No Country for Old Men
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman (29) – Charlie Wilson’s War

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Cate Blanchett (42) – I’m Not There [The Weinstein Company]
2. Amy Ryan (29) – Gone Baby Gone and Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
3. Tilda Swinton (23) – Michael Clayton

BEST SCREENPLAY
1. Tamara Jenkins (28) – The Savages [Fox Searchlight]
2. Paul Thomas Anderson (19) – There Will Be Blood
3. Ronald Harwood (17) – The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. There Will Be Blood (51) – Robert Elswit
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (40) – Janusz Kaminski
3. No Country for Old Men (33) – Roger Deakins

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (57) – Cristian Mungiu [IFC]
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (42) – Julian Schnabel
3. Persepolis (18) – Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

BEST NONFICTION FILM
1. No End in Sight (43) – Charles Ferguson [Magnolia]
2. Sicko (20) – Michael Moore
3. Terror’s Advocate (18) – Barbet Schroeder

Supporting Actress Blogathon: Eva Mendes in We Own The Night

This is a part of StinkyLulu's Supporting Actress Blogathon. Last year I wrote about Vera Farmiga in Running Scared, which is now my favourite performance of last year. I'm not sure this post will have quite the same effect, but it's people like Eva Mendes who need to be raved about, and I'm gonna be the one to do it.

As We Own the Night opens to the iconic pounding bass of Blondie's 'Heart of Glass' the picture is clear. The swanky-surfaced party era of a thriving New York club scene, full of sex, drugs and rock n' roll. The former of these familiar taboos occurs but a scene into the film, with a sprawled Eva Mendes showing more than a little nipple -- and what lovely nipples they are too, even if I'm not inclined that way (well, they didn't intimidate me) -- in a raunchy scene with boyfriend and club owner Bobby Green (Joaquin Phoenix). Mendes' character, Amada Juarez, instantly feels dependent; not just upon sex and affection, but money and power. She looks every inch the trophy wife, if a little more reserved and unsure of herself than past trophy wives of cinema (I'm thinking Sharon Stone in Casino), though much of that derives from that she's a Puerto Rican ethnic minority, which even in the 80's must have brought with it a degree of caution.

Much has been said about the familiar, baity wronged wife role, complete with teary scenes and admirable values, usually regarding loyalty and family. Amada is loyal, no doubt, but you can see her inner struggle between trophy wife and homegirl. Although Phoenix is more the pretender than the showman she finds herself lodged in circles and situations that feel visibly alien to her. Most notably when she attends a gathering with Bobby's brother and father -- an awkward exchange. Most films are keen to integrate their 'wronged woman' in a way of getting at their precious leading man, and his moral arc. Mendes has more than one opportunity to play her character this way, and, though she can vent her wrath with the best of them, never shies away from her own fragmented mess.

At one point in the film she defies her boyfriends' wishes, leaving her safe retreat to pay a precious visit to her mother. In some ways she is blessed, because the film seems keen to give her some individuality, but amidst an airstrike of family politics and exhilarating detective chase she still embeds herself in your mind as the true dilemna of the film. The outsider looking into a world she knows little about. Considering how much she feels like a limpet on Phoenix's stolid shell in the first part of the film her motivation and independence in the second half feels like a revelation. It's a tall ask to match such players as Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix, but for what this performance is, it may just be the film's truest.

35 Films In 49 Days?

These are the 35 films I would really like to see before I make my final 2007 Awards in roughly seven weeks:

**Updated: Films in red are the ones I successfully managed to see**

3:10 To Yuma
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Across The Universe
Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Bridge To Terabithia
The Bucket List
Bug
Charlie Wilson's War
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Flight of the Red Balloon
Hairspray
Hallam Foe
I Don't Want To Sleep Alone
In The Valley Of Elah
Interview
Juno
The Kite Runner
La Vie En Rose
Lady Chatterley (2006)
Lust, Caution
My Blueberry Nights
No Country For Old Men
Once
Paranoid Park
The Savages
Sicko
The Singer
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood
Things We Lost In The Fire
Transformers
Two Days In Paris
Yella
Youth Without Youth

Online Film Critics Society {Nominations}

PICTURE

Atonement
Juno
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

DIRECTOR

Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood
Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
David Cronenberg - Eastern Promises
David Fincher - Zodiac
Julian Schnabel - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

ACTOR

George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
Frank Langella - Starting Out in the Evening
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

ACTRESS

Julie Christie - Away From Her
Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Laura Linney - The Savages
Ellen Page - Juno

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson’s War
Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson–Michael Clayton

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett - I’m Not There
Jennifer Garner - Juno
Kelly MacDonald - No Country for Old Men
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead
Eastern Promises
Juno
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

EDITING

Atonement
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country For Old Men
There Will Be Blood
Zodiac

SCORE

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
Into the Wild
Once
There Will Be Blood

DOCUMENTARY

In the Shadow of the Moon
Into Great Silence
King of Kong, The
No End in Sight
Sicko

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM (NON-ENGLISH)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
The Host
La Vie En Rose
Lives of Others
The Orphanage

ANIMATED FEATURE

Beowulf
Paprika
Persepolis
Ratatouille
The Simpsons Movie

BREAKTHROUGH FILMMAKER

Ben Affleck - Gone Baby Gone
Juan Antonio Bayona - The Orphanage
John Carney - Once
Tony Gilroy - Michael Clayton
Sarah Polley - Away From Her

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMER

Nikki Blonsky - Hairspray
Glen Hansard - Once
Sam Riley - Control
Carice Van Houten - Black Book
Tang Wei - Lust, Caution

Hottest Track: Madonna - 4 Minutes To Save The World

Even though all that's been released so far is an instrumental version, people (including ME) are aching for Madonna's new song, Four Minutes to Save the World, featuring Justin Timberlake and produced by none other than Timbaland. Here it is

1967: The Year of the Victim

I love love love love love StinkyLulu and his monthly Supporting Actress Smackdown. When he asked for participants to the '67 extravaganza I jumped at the chance. It's an overlooked category, and my obsession with the Oscars reaches no limits, so writing about the women that are deemed 'secondary' is a true joy.

The Supporting Actress category isn't always my favourite when it comes to Oscar. Their recent winnners (Renee Zelwegger, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Hudson) haven't exactly been the greatest. But give them their due, the supporting women of 1967 are interesting characters -- if not always backed up by solid performances. Let's be honest, you do the best with what you have, but some characters are used merely to hammer home a point, and thus written shallowly. Estelle Parsons is blessed with a memorable and showy character, and crucially a victimised character. Katharine Ross is given a similarly baity role as the plain Jane who's wronged for simply being overlooked. Yet she's considerably more powerful than Parsons' loud-mouthed housewife. Beah Richards gives a lovely performance, but it's coated in the prejudice and importance of social history that Oscar desperately needs to reward. Natwick, and particularly Channing, are 'victimised' less, but are often used as figures of ridicule in their respective films. My C+ for Barefoot In the Park may appear harsh -- and it's an incredibly entertaining film -- but I feel it doesn't understand its main character (played by Jane Fonda) and in the end exhausts her. Millie is better because despite its dated, sexist ways it at least understands its own tone, and never feels overlong given its theatrical 140-minute showcase.

I would undoubtedly award the win to Katharine Ross, whose performance reminds me of Mariel Hemingway, Betsy Blair etc. They're all performances that feel natural and powerful in their honesty and cuteness. Channing is a close second because she doesn't have as much pressure in terms of characterisation, and Richards doesn't have that much to do. But overall I love this year. I really mean that ;-)

Hottest Track: Electrovamp - I Don't Like the Vibe in the V.I.P.

Detroit Critics {Awards}

1. BEST FILM
-- THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
-- INTO THE WILD
-- JUNO
-- NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN*
-- THERE WILL BE BLOOD

2. BEST DIRECTOR
-- PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
-- TIM BURTON - SWEENEY TODD
-- JOEL & ETHAN COEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN*
-- SEAN PENN - INTO THE WILD
-- JASON REITMAN - JUNO
-- JULIAN SCHNABEL - THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY

3. BEST ACTOR
-- MATHIEU AMALRIC - THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
-- GEORGE CLOONEY - MICHAEL CLAYTON*
-- DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
-- EMILE HIRSCH - INTO THE WILD
-- TOMMY LEE JONES - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

4. BEST ACTRESS
-- AMY ADAMS - ENCHANTED
-- JULIE CHRISTIE - AWAY FROM HER
-- MARION COTILLARD - LA VIE EN ROSE
-- LAURA LINNEY - THE SAVAGES
-- ELLEN PAGE - JUNO*

5. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
-- CASEY AFFLECK - THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES
-- JAVIER BARDEM - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN*
-- PAUL DANO - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
-- HAL HOLBROOK - INTO THE WILD
-- TOM WILKINSON - MICHAEL CLAYTON

6. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
-- CATE BLANCHETT - I'M NOT THERE
-- CATHERINE KEENER - INTO THE WILD
-- EMILY MORTIMER - LARS & THE REAL GIRL
-- AMY RYAN - GONE, BABY GONE
-- TILDA SWINTON - MICHAEL CLAYTON*

7. BEST ENSEMBLE
-- BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
-- JUNO*
-- LARS & THE REAL GIRL
-- WAITRESS
-- ZODIAC

8. BEST NEWCOMER
-- NIKKI BLONSKY - ACTOR, HAIRSPRAY
-- MICHAEL CERA - ACTOR, JUNO & SUPERBAD
-- DIABLO CODY - SCREENWRITER, JUNO*
-- SARAH POLLEY- DIRECTOR, AWAY FROM HER
-- ADRIENNE SHELLEY- DIRECTOR, WRITER, ACTOR, WAITRESS

St. Louis Critics {Winners}

Ellen Page wins again. Can she make history and become the youngest ever recipient of a Leading Actress oscar??!! [excited giggle/squeak]

BEST PICTURE:
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Runners Up (tied)
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Juno

BEST ACTRESS:
ELLEN PAGE - JUNO
Runner Up - Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose

BEST ACTOR:
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Runner Up - Don Cheadle --Talk to Me

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
AMY RYAN - GONE BABY GONE
Runner Up - Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:
CASEY AFFLECK - THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
Runner Up - Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War

BEST DIRECTOR:
ETHAN AND JOEL COEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Runner Up - Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD - ROGER DEAKINS
Runner Up - Atonement - Seamus McGarvey

BEST SCREENPLAY (original or adapted):
JUNO - DIABLO CODY
Runner Up - No Country For Old Men - Ethan and Joel Coen, Cormac McCarthy

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
Runner Up - The Kite Runner

BEST DOCUMENTARY:
SICKO
Runner Up - King of Kong - A Fist Full of Quarters

BEST COMEDY:
JUNO
Runner Up - Superbad

BEST ANIMATED OR CHILDREN'S FILM:
RATATOUILLE
Runner Up - The Simpsons Movie

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS (CGI/Special Effects)
300
Runners Up (tied) -
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix
Sweeney Todd

BEST SCORE:
SWEENEY TODD
Runners Up (tied) -
La Vie En Rose
Once

MOST ORIGINAL OR INNOVATIVE FILM:
I'M NOT THERE
Runner Up - Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Screen Actors Guild Nominations 2007

General Reaction: Oh. My. God. Atonement seriously shafted. Into the Wild needed this love. And I should have anticipated Cate Blanchett, but if we're going on the Crowe-Howard battle in '05, Oscar will probably let Cate have the one nomination. God, let's hope so. I don't know why I'm surprised. SAG always choose badly. A plea to AMPAS: Please do not let American Gangster be nominated for Best Picture. Here are the nominations...

Actress in a Leading Role

Cate Blanchett -Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie -Away From Her
Marion Cotillard -La Vie En Rose
Angelina Jolie -A Mighty Heart
Ellen Page -Juno

Prediction Score: 4/5

Actor in a Leading Role

George Clooney -Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis -There Will Be Blood
Ryan Gosling -Lars and the Real Girl
Emile Hirsch -Into the Wild
Viggo Mortensen -Eastern Promises

Prediction Score: 2/5 I heard that they had loved Gosling, and I expected that McAvoy wasn't strong here, but Hirsch at the expense of Depp? I thought Langella might get in here too. Still it's shaken things up a bit.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Cate Blanchett -I'm Not There
Ruby Dee -American Gangster
Catherine Keener -Into the Wild
Amy Ryan -Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton -Michael Clayton

Prediction Score: 3/5 Ruby Dee... you've gotta be kidding. She's in the film marginally longer than Redgrave and achieves about 1% of impact in comparison. An awful nomination. I think Keener is the more likely to score with Oscar. The other three are already in.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Casey Affleck -The Assassination of Jesse James
Javier Bardem -No Country For Old Men
Hal Holbrook -Into the Wild
Tommy Lee Jones -No Country For Old Men
Tom Wilkinson -Michael Clayton

Prediction Score: 3/5 Affleck, Bardem, Holbrook and Wilkinson are already predictable for Oscar. Hoffman's snub is a blow but they clearly weren't into Charlie Wilson.

Ensemble

3:10 to Yuma
American Gangster
Hairspray
Into the Wild
No Country For Old Men

Prediction Score: 1/5 Wow. I can understand the last three but Yuma and Gangster? Just appalling.

2007: The Music

Top Ten Singles:

1. CSS - Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above
2. Robyn - With Every Heartbeat
3. LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great
4. Amy Winehouse - Love Is A Losing Game
5. Rihanna feat. Jay-Z - Umbrella
6. Mark Ronson - Stop Me
7. Bat For Lashes - What's A Girl To Do?
8. Girls Aloud - Call The Shots
9. Kate Nash - Foundations

10. Jack Penate - Second, Minute or Hour


Top Ten Albums:

1. Roisin Murphy - Overpowered

2. M.I.A. - Kala

3. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

3. Robyn - Robyn

5. Girls Aloud - Tangled Up
6. CSS - CSS
7. The Fratellis - Costello Music
8. Bjork - Volta
9. Christina Aguilera - Back To Basics
10. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

SAG 2007 {Predictions}

With SAG early this year it's going to be interesting. Will their nominations have more of an impact on the Academy's picks, or will the usual SAG role of dashing the dreams of those snubbed at the Globes mean we face a lengthy month of knowing pretty much what they'll pick? If it's the latter I vote they move it back next year.

Quick explanation of my picks: I went for the hefty ensembles, the people who are blatantly "acting", and tossed in a couple of old legends that they might not be able to leave out.

Best Ensemble

Atonement

Charlie Wilson's War

I'm Not There

No Country For Old Men

Sweeney Todd

Alternates: There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Best Actor in a Leading Role

George Clooney - Michael Clayton

Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd

Frank Langella - Starting Out in the Evening

Denzel Washington - American Gangster

Alternates: James McAvoy - Atonement, Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Amy Adams - Enchanted

Julie Christie - Away From Her

Marion Cotillard - La Vie En Rose

Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart

Ellen Page - Juno

Alternates: Keira Knightley - Atonement, Laura Linney - The Savages, Helena Bonham-Carter - Sweeney Todd

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Javier Bardem - No Country For Old Men

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Charlie Wilson's War

Hal Holbrook - Into the Wild

Max Von Sydow - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Tom Wilkinson - Michael Clayton

Alternates: Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James, Philip Bosco - The Savages, John Travolta - Hairspray

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

Vanessa Redgrave - Atonement

Saoirse Ronan - Atonement

Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone

Tilda Swinton - Michael Clayton

Alternates: Catherine Keener - Into the Wild, Ruby Dee - American Gangster

Austin Critics {Winners}

Top Ten:

There Will Be Blood
No Country for Old men
Juno
Into the Wild
3:10 to Yuma
Knocked Up
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Atonement
American Gangster
Eastern Promises

Best Film:
There Will Be Blood

Best Director:
Paul Thomas Anderson, 'There Will Be Blood'

Best Actor:
Daniel Day Lewis, 'There Will Be Blood'

Best Actress:
Ellen Page, 'Juno'

Best Supporting Actor:
Javier Bardem, 'No Country For Old Men'

Best Supporting Actress:
Allison Janney, Juno

Best Foreign Film:
Black Book

Best Documentary:
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Best Animated Film:
Ratatouille

Best First Film:
Ben Affleck, Gone Baby Gone'

Best Original Screenplay:
Diablo Cody, 'Juno'

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Ethan & & Joel Coen, 'No Country For Old Men'

Best Cinematography:
Robert Elswit, 'There Will Be Blood'

Best Original Score:
Jonny Greenwood, 'There Will Be Blood'

Breakthrough Artist:
Michael Cera, 'Superbad,' 'Juno

Austin Film Award:
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, 'Grindhouse'

Toronto Critics {Winners}

BEST PICTURE
"No Country for Old Men" (Alliance Films)

Runners-up
"Eastern Promises" (Odeon Films)
"Zodiac" (Paramount Pictures)

BEST PERFORMANCE, MALE
Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises"

Runners-up
George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"
Gordon Pinsent, "Away From Her"

BEST PERFORMANCE, FEMALE -- TIE
Julie Christie, "Away From Her"
and
Ellen Page, "Juno"

Runner-up
Laura Dern, "Inland Empire"

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE
Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"

Runners-up
Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James
By the Coward Robert Ford"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"

Runners-up
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton"

BEST DIRECTOR
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"

Runners-up
David Cronenberg, "Eastern Promises"
David Fincher, "Zodiac"

BEST SCREENPLAY
Joel Coen & Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men"

Runners-up
Diablo Cody, "Juno"
Tony Gilroy, "Michael Clayton"

BEST CANADIAN FILM
"Away From Her" (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up
"Eastern Promises" (Odeon Films)
"Radiant City" (Odeon Films)

BEST FIRST FEATURE
"Away From Her", directed by Sarah Polley

Runners-up
"Gone Baby Gone", directed by Ben Affleck
"Michael Clayton", directed by Tony Gilroy

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
"Ratatouille" (Disney/Pixar)

Runners-up
"Paprika" (Mongrel Media)
"The Simpsons Movie" (20th Century Fox)

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
"4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days" (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Alliance Films)
"The Lives of Others" (Mongrel Media)

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"No End in Sight" (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up
"Iraq in Fragments" (Mongrel Media)
"My Kid Could Paint That" (Mongrel Media)

Hottest Track: Kelly Rowland - Work [Freemasons Remix]

South-Eastern Film Critics {Winners}

Firstly... I HATE WAITRESS! Secondly, what on earth is the Wyatt award supposed to be for? Could that top five be Oscar's BP line-up?

BEST PICTURE
1. No Country for Old Men
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Atonement
4. Juno
5. Michael Clayton
6. Zodiac
7. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
8. Gone Baby Gone
9. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
10. Into the Wild

BEST ACTOR
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
* Runner-up: George Clooney - Michael Clayton

BEST ACTRESS
Julie Christie - Away from Her
* Runner-up: Ellen Page - Juno

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men
* Runner-up: Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward
Robert Ford

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
* Runner-up: Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

BEST DIRECTOR
Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
* Runner-up: Joe Wright - Atonement

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody - Juno
* Runner-up: Tamara Jenkins - The Savages

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Joel & Ethan Coen - No Country for Old Men
* Runner-up: Christopher Hampton - Atonement

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (France)
* Runner-up: La vie en rose (France)

BEST DOCUMENTARY
No End in Sight
* Runner-up: Sicko

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Ratatouille
* Runner-up: The Simpsons Movie

WYATT AWARD
Waitress
* Runner-up: Black Snake Moan

Dallas Fort-Worth Critics {Winners}

I'm a bit distressed at the inclusion of The Kite Runner and Charlie Wilson. How great is the Christie/Cotillard/Page battle?! Such interesting performances and all with detractors. Nobody wants a Helen Mirren year. Woohoo for Tilda Swinton!! But how come it took us to get all the way to Dallas for someone to acknowledge that she is flat out brilliant??

Top Ten:

1. No Country for Old Men
2. Juno
3. There Will Be Blood
4. Atonement
5. Michael Clayton
6. Into the Wild
7. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
8. The Kite Runner
9.The Assassination of Jesse James
10. Charlie Wilson's War

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis
Runners-up included George Clooney for MICHAEL CLAYTON (2), Frank Langella for STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING (3), Tommy Lee Jones for IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH (4) and Emile Hirsch for INTO THE WILD (5).

Best Actress: Julie Christie
Next in the voting were Marion Cotillard for LA VIE EN ROSE (2), Ellen Page for JUNO (3), Laura Linney for THE SAVAGES (4) and Angelina Jolie for A MIGHTY HEART (5).

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem
He was followed by Philip Seymour Hoffman for CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR (2), Casey Affleck for THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (3), Tom Wilkinson for MICHAEL CLAYTON (4) and Hal Holbrook for INTO THE WILD (5).

For Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton
Runners-up included Amy Ryan for GONE BABY GONE (2), Cate Blanchett for I'M NOT THERE (3), Saoirse Ronan for ATONEMENT (4) and Jennifer Jason Leigh for MARGOT AT THE WEDDING (5).

Best Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
Next in the voting were Paul Thomas Anderson for THERE WILL BE BLOOD (2), Tim Burton for SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (3), Julian Schnabel for THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY (4) and Sean Penn for INTO THE WILD (5).

Screenplay: Juno, Diablo Cody
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Cinematography: Roger Deakins, Assassination of Jesse James

The association voted ONCE as the winner of the Russell Smith Award, named for the late Dallas Morning News film critic. The honor is given annually to the best low-budget or cutting-edge independent film.

AFI Awards

Ratatouille may already have won my award for 2007's "Most Overrated"...

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR - OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
INTO THE WILD
JUNO
KNOCKED UP
MICHAEL CLAYTON
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
RATATOUILLE
THE SAVAGES
THERE WILL BE BLOOD