The New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced which means we have our first look at who will be in the running for the Academy Awards in February. While many of these are unsurprising, it does remain to be seen how closely the Oscars will mimic this list.
Best Movie: ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN
Best Actress: Rachel Weisz, THE DEEP BLUE SEA
Best Supporting Actress: Sally Field, LINCOLN
Best Supporting Actor: Matthew McConaughey, BERNI/MAGIC MIKE
Best Director: Kathryn Bigalow, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Screenplay: Tony Kushner, LINCOLN
Best Cinematographer: Greig Fraser, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Animated Film: FRANKENWEENIE
Best Foreign Film: AMOUR
Best Documentary: THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE
Best First Film: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE
LINCOLN winning acting awards while ZERO DARK THIRTY takes directing and film seems to be on par with how those films have been reviewed to date. They also seem like the safe bets, which is what movie fans have been railing at the Academy for going with year in and year out. If these winners hold true for the Oscars, this will once again be one of the whitest group of winners in years.
While this list does not include all of the possible nominees, you would have to assume ARGO, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, HITCHCOCK, LES MISERABLES, DJANGO UNCHAINED, THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, and LIFE OF PI were in the running as well.
I don’t disagree with these nominees, but I also didn’t think THE HURT LOCKER was Best Picture a few years ago. I will reserve judgement until I have seen ZERO DARK THIRTY.