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Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2007 > December > 10 > Entry
Film awards are reeling in, No Country a favorite
Various film critics’ groups have been naming their best-ofs for this year, so I’d like to round up the picks in the major categories so far and see what might lead down the path to Oscar.
A roundup of awards so far is here.
LATE ENTRY: The Broadcast Film Critics Association, who hand out the Critics Choice awards, just announced their nominations, which can be found here. Although this group isn’t as well known, they do tend to be rather predictive of the Oscars.
BEST PICTURE
National Board of Review: No Country for Old Men
New York Film Critics: No Country
LA Film Critics: There Will Be Blood
Boston Critics: No Country
Washington, DC Critics: No Country
No Country is the clear victor here. Only the LA critics dissent, picking, as is their wont, the more iconoclastic choice of Paul Thomas Anderson’s oil-drilling drama. No Country will almost certainly be Oscar-nominated, but I’m not sure I see it winning; the film doesn’t go down easily and its abrupt “what was that” ending tends to alienate a lot of people who like their stories to end on a more definitive note. It’s my second favorite film of this calendar year, after the luminous Once.
BEST DIRECTOR
NBR: Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
NYC: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country
LA: Paul Thomas Anderson, There WIll be Blood
Boston: Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
DC: The Coens
More spreading of the wealth here. Although I have my reservations about No Country winning the Best Picture Oscar, I think its distinctly possible the Coens could get a directing trophy as kind of a “you’ve done a good job all these years” award. Anderson and Burton have good shots at nominations; I’m less convinced about Schnabel.
BEST ACTOR
NBR: George Clooney, Michael Clayton
NYC: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
LA: Day-Lewis
Boston: Frank Langella, Starting Out in the Evening
DC: Clooney
Clooney picks up some well-deserved honors and will probably score an Oscar nom, but having won recently for Syriana, I don’t expect him to win. Day-Lewis, who hasn’t won since 1990 for My Left Foot, has an excellent shot.
BEST ACTRESS
NBR: Julie Christie, Away from Her
NYC: Christie
LA: Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Boston: Cotillard
DC: Christie
Christie is a legend, so an Oscar nomination is certain; a win not quite so since she won for 1965’s Darling, but she still seems to be the strongest contender out there. Cotillard, who played Edith Piaf, will most likely score a nomination, but foreign-language performances rarely win.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
NBR: Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
NYC: Javier Bardem, No Country
LA: Vlad Ivanov, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
Boston: Bardem
DC: Bardem
Bardem’s a pretty clear favorite here, although personally I think he’s more of a lead. He’s in. Affleck has no shot, nor does Ivanov. The former’s film is polarizing, the latter’s isn’t on enough radars.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
All: Amy Ryan in Gone, Baby Gone
I knew Ryan would pick up some awards, and that’s fine with me, she’s far and away the best thing about the film. However, I didn’t expect her to sweep; some people were already saying Cate Blanchett would WIN for playing Bob Dylan in I’m Not There. However, since Blanchett won an Oscar recently for The Aviator, I think you have to call Ryan the front-runner now.
Watch this space for commentary on the Golden Globe nominations Thursday; I’ll unveil my own ten-best list Dec. 28.
Meanwhile, whom do you like in these categories so far?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Movie awards
Comments
By SRCputt
December 12, 2007 9:50 AM | Link to this
Since Supporting Actor is looking more and more like it is going to Bardem, I think Supporting Actress could be the upset Oscar this year, since Ryan is a relative unknown. I think it is becoming likely Ruby Dee will slip into the nominations for American Gangster, and that is one actress a lot of Hollywood people would like to see win an Oscar.By Sir Critic
December 11, 2007 12:35 PM | Link to this
No DVD release date has been set for No Country, but I strongly doubt it will come out before the Oscars. If a film is released in theaters near the end of the year, the strategy tends to be to keep it in theaters and have the Oscar noms give the box office a boost. Like all great movies, No Country should be seen in a theater first. ;)By ME
December 11, 2007 12:03 PM | Link to this
Will No Country make it to DVD before the Oscars?By Sir Critic
December 10, 2007 4:46 PM | Link to this
“Amazing Grace” is a 2007 film, but it was released early in the year to only mild acclaim. It was never positioned as an awards contender.By ME
December 10, 2007 4:04 PM | Link to this
Will Amazing Grace be in the running for this year? Or was it last year’s group? Just saw that and I have high regards for Ioan Gruffudd or Albert Finney.Very good movie!