2012 Critics' Choice Awards

I had never posted about this prize, awarded on January 12^th, but I’ve now come to realize that it’s actually one of the earliest and most influential of the entire awards season (likely because it encompasses all the most influential industry critics, unlike the smaller circles of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc…)

As we see from the list of winners, many have carried on to win Golden Globes, SAGs, DGAs, and PGAs already.

Of note to me are 3 categories:

1. Best Comedy Movie: I like awards that split dramatic and comedic films (like the Golden Globes – one of the few things they do right) because:
1. they are radically different genres
2. together, they represent the main currents of motion pictures
3. dramatic roles or films always trump comedic ones because of the bigger emotional impact and the impression that doing comedy is easier.  It isn’t, so it’s only fair to give comedies a shot at being showcased as well.
   
   The only gripe I have is that it’s clearly a subcategory, like Best Foreign Language or Best Documentary, and not on the same level with Best Picture, but at least it’s something.  Also, not splitting the acting, writing, and directing categories, drama will always trump comedy there anyway.
2. Best Action Movie: I have not seen a similar category among any other major awards and I just wonder why “action” in particular.  Is it because there are enough of those in any given year to have the award (unlike science fiction or horror for instance)?  I guess action movies are likely the third largest current of movies out there, so that might be the reason behind it.  Also, action can encompass thrillers, comic book adaptations, fantasy, and such.
3. Best Young Actor/Actress: this is an award that only the BAFTAs hand out and I think it has its place.

Best Picture

The Artist (2011)

• The Descendants (2011)
• Drive (2011)
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
• The Help (2011)
• Hugo (2011/II)
• Midnight in Paris (2011)
• Moneyball (2011)
• The Tree of Life (2011)
• War Horse (2011)

Best Actor

George Clooney for The Descendants (2011)

• Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar (2011)
• Jean Dujardin for The Artist (2011)
• Michael Fassbender for Shame (2011)
• Ryan Gosling for Drive (2011)
• Brad Pitt for Moneyball (2011)

Best Actress

Viola Davis for The Help (2011)

• Elizabeth Olsen for Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
• Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady (2011)
• Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
• Charlize Theron for Young Adult (2011)
• Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010)

• Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011)
• Albert Brooks for Drive (2011)
• Nick Nolte for Warrior (2011)
• Patton Oswalt for Young Adult (2011)
• Andy Serkis for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Best Supporting Actress

Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011)

• Bérénice Bejo for The Artist (2011)
• Jessica Chastain for The Help (2011)
• Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids (2011)
• Carey Mulligan for Shame (2011)
• Shailene Woodley for The Descendants (2011)

Best Acting Ensemble

The Help (2011)

• The Artist (2011)
• Bridesmaids (2011)
• The Descendants (2011)
• The Ides of March (2011)

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist (2011)

• Stephen Daldry for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
• Alexander Payne for The Descendants (2011)
• Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive (2011)
• Martin Scorsese for Hugo (2011/II)
• Steven Spielberg for War Horse (2011)

Best Original Screenplay

Midnight in Paris (2011): Woody Allen

• The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius
• 50/50 (2011): Will Reiser
• Win Win (2011): Thomas McCarthy, Joe Tiboni
• Young Adult (2011): Diablo Cody

Best Adapted Screenplay

Moneyball (2011): Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin

• The Descendants (2011): Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011): Eric Roth
• The Help (2011): Tate Taylor
• Hugo (2011/II): John Logan

Best Animated Feature

Rango (2011)

• The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
• Arthur Christmas (2011)
• Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
• Puss in Boots (2011)

Best Young Actor/Actress

Thomas Horn for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

• Asa Butterfield for Hugo (2011/II)
• Elle Fanning for Super 8 (2011)
• Ezra Miller for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)
• Saoirse Ronan for Hanna (2011)
• Shailene Woodley for The Descendants (2011)

Best Action Movie

Drive (2011)

• Fast Five (2011)
• Hanna (2011)
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
• Super 8 (2011)

Best Comedy Movie

Bridesmaids (2011)

• Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
• Horrible Bosses (2011)
• Midnight in Paris (2011)
• The Muppets (2011)

Best Foreign Language Film

A Separation (2011)

• In Darkness (2011)
• Le Havre (2011)
• The Skin I Live In (2011)
• Where Do We Go Now? (2011)

Best Documentary Feature

George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011)

• Buck (2011)
• Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)
• Page One: Inside the New York Times (2011)
• Project Nim (2011)
• Undefeated (2011)

Best Song

The Muppets (2011): Bret McKenzie("Life's a Happy Song")

• Gnomeo & Juliet (2011): Elton John, Bernie Taupin("Hello Hello")
• The Help (2011): Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr.("The Living Proof")
• The Muppets (2011): Bret McKenzie("Man or Muppet")
• The Muppets (2011): Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis, Chen Neeman("Pictures in My Head")

Best Score

The Artist (2011): Ludovic Bource

• Drive (2011): Cliff Martinez
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
• Hugo (2011/II): Howard Shore
• War Horse (2011): John Williams

Best Cinematography

The Tree of Life (2011): Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse (2011): Janusz Kaminski

• The Artist (2011): Guillaume Schiffman
• Drive (2011): Newton Thomas Sigel
• Hugo (2011/II): Robert Richardson

Best Art Direction

Hugo (2011/II): Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo

• The Artist (2011): Laurence Bennett, Gregory S. Hooper
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
• The Tree of Life (2011): Jack Fisk, David Crank
• War Horse (2011): Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

Best Editing

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall

• The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius, Anne-Sophie Bion
• Drive (2011): Matthew Newman
• Hugo (2011/II): Thelma Schoonmaker
• War Horse (2011): Michael Kahn

Best Costume Design

The Artist (2011): Mark Bridges

• The Help (2011): Sharen Davis
• Hugo (2011/II): Sandy Powell
• Jane Eyre (2011): Michael O'Connor
• My Week with Marilyn (2011): Jill Taylor

Best Makeup

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

• Albert Nobbs (2011)
• The Iron Lady (2011)
• J. Edgar (2011)
• My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Best Visual Effects

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
• Hugo (2011/II)
• Super 8 (2011)
• The Tree of Life (2011)

Best Sound

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

• Hugo (2011/II)
• Super 8 (2011)
• The Tree of Life (2011)
• War Horse (2011)