National Society of Film Critics

For the films of 2013
Big Magilla
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Re: National Society of Film Critics

Post by Big Magilla »

Mister Tee wrote:I'm sure this marks me terminally uncool, but I'm with BJ on James Franco. My take on Spring Breakers isn't full-on "Get off my lawn", but I definitely don't turn cartwheels, either. Middle-aged and older critics going for Franco has a hint of "I'll show those young 'uns I'm still with it".
I don't get it either, although I haven't seen the film - the trailer was enough for me.
Mister Tee
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Re: National Society of Film Critics

Post by Mister Tee »

And...full vote counts.

BEST PICTURE
1. "Inside Llewyn Davis" - 23
2. "American Hustle" - 17
3. "12 Years a Slave" - 16

BEST DIRECTOR
1. Joel and Ethan Coen ("Inside Llewyn Davis") - 25
2. Alfonso Cuarón ("Gravity") – 18
3. Steve McQueen ("12 Years a Slave") – 15

BEST ACTOR
1. Oscar Isaac ("Inside Llewyn Davis") – 28
2. Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years a Slave") - 19
3. Robert Redford ("All Is Lost") - 12

BEST ACTRESS
1. Cate Blanchett ("Blue Jasmine") - 57
2. Adèle Exarchopoulos ("Blue Is the Warmest Color") - 36
3. Julie Delpy ("Before Midnight") - 26

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. James Franco ("Spring Breakers") - 24
2. Jared Leto ("Dallas Buyers Club") - 20
3. Barkhad Abdi ("Captain Phillips") - 14

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Jennifer Lawrence ("American Hustle") - 54
2. Lupita Nyong’o ("12 Years a Slave") - 38
3. Sally Hawkins ("Blue Jasmine") – 18
3. Léa Seydoux ("Blue Is the Warmest Color") - 18

BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
1. "Blue Is the Warmest Color" - 27
2. "A Touch of Sin" - 21
3. "The Great Beauty" - 15

BEST NON-FICTION FILM
(Tie)
1. "The Act of Killing" (Joshua Oppenheimer) - 20
1. "At Berkeley" (Frederick Wiseman) - 20
3. "Leviathan" (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel) - 18

BEST SCREENPLAY
1. "Before Midnight" (Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke) - 29
2. "Inside Llewyn Davis" (Joel and Ethan Coen) - 26
3. "American Hustle" (Eric Singer and David O. Russell) - 18

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. "Inside Llewyn Davis" (Bruno Delbonnel) -28
2."Gravity" (Emmanuel Lubezki) - 26
3. "Nebraska" (Phedon Papamichael) – 19
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Re: National Society of Film Critics

Post by Mister Tee »

This does solve a question okri asked last year: if the low vote count for some winners indicated lack of critical enthusiasm for certain categories. Based on the numbers reported below (see supporting actor, in particular), it mainly reflects that the category went past the first ballot -- numbers for first ballot winners like Blanchett and Lawrence, or just Leto/Franco first round vote totals -- are far gaudier than those decided later, because far fewer voters were canvassed.

So: we've gone through the classic groups, and, under film or director, 12 Years a Slave won only best director from NY. The moment it won that, it felt like it was kicking off its promised season of dominance; instead, that was its peak. Did anyone imagine this happening?

If Jennifer Lawrence hadn't just won the Oscar last year, would that category be clinched?

I'm sure this marks me terminally uncool, but I'm with BJ on James Franco. My take on Spring Breakers isn't full-on "Get off my lawn", but I definitely don't turn cartwheels, either. Middle-aged and older critics going for Franco has a hint of "I'll show those young 'uns I'm still with it".
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Re: National Society of Film Critics

Post by Big Magilla »

I turned on CBS This Morning today to catch the weather as I expect a lot of members of the NSFC did. Oscar Isaac was on, quite erudite in discussing Inside Llewyn Davis and his own long, if largely unheralded, acting and music background. His classy, yet humble appearance may well have influenced a few votes. Incidentally, tomorrow is his 34th birthday.
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Re: National Society of Film Critics

Post by Big Magilla »

Mister Tee wrote:Not that there's anything wrong with the outcomes, but it seems to me this "everybody gets to vote on the first ballot, then half the voters get disenfranchised" doesn't bespeak good quality control. The same happened at the NY voting, but this group seems especially turned on its head, given that so many members hail from far-off cities and aren't likely to fly to NY New Years weekend. In this day of easy electronic communication, couldn't people vote in subsequent rounds via the Internet?
I agree that this disenfranchisement is nonsensical but I am quite pleased with the outcome.
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Re: National Society of Film Critics

Post by The Original BJ »

Good call, Mister Tee. After a rough couple of days, Inside Llewyn Davis gets a pretty sizable boost with a bunch of prizes here. I don't think all of them will carry over to Oscar (Best Actor probably no), but I still think the movie's getting in Best Picture, Original Screenplay, and Cinematography at the very least.

One of the big surprises to me this awards season is just how poorly Michael Fassbender has done. (Comparatively, of course -- it seems strange to use the word "poorly" in association with someone who is a virtual lock for an Oscar nod.) But I'd have expected him to be, if not the dominant supporting actor in the race, at least jousting competitively with Jared Leto. But he can't really seem to win much of anything.

I don't get the James Franco in Spring Breakers thing. At all.
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Re: National Society of Film Critics

Post by Mister Tee »

Not that there's anything wrong with the outcomes, but it seems to me this "everybody gets to vote on the first ballot, then half the voters get disenfranchised" doesn't bespeak good quality control. The same happened at the NY voting, but this group seems especially turned on its head, given that so many members hail from far-off cities and aren't likely to fly to NY New Years weekend. In this day of easy electronic communication, couldn't people vote in subsequent rounds via the Internet?
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National Society of Film Critics

Post by flipp525 »

The National Society of Film Critics became the first major U.S. critics association to honor Inside Llewyn Davis with their top prize on Saturday, bringing the critics' awards season to a close. Joel and Ethan Coen also won Best Director for Llewyn, Oscar Isaac took home Best Actor, and Best Cinematography went to Bruno Delbonnel. The awards were dedicated to late NSFC members Stanley Kauffmann and Roger Ebert.

Voting began with a tie -- over the dates of the 2014 meeting -- which turned out to be a harbinger for a session in which few awards were determined on the initial ballot. The NSFC's voting rules state that a winner must get the most points (based on a system of 3 points for first, 2 for second and 1 for third) and also appear on a majority of ballots. As proxies for those not present drop out after the first round of voting, the dynamic can shift dramatically in subsequent votes. This proved a deciding factor in many categories, including Best Picture. In nearly every case where the vote went to a second ballot, the winner was different from the first-round leader.

Best Picture: Inside Llewyn Davis (second ballot)

12 Years a Slave led the initial vote, but did not appear on a majority of ballots; the three-way tie for second -- between American Hustle, Gravity and Her -- showed the lack of consensus.

Dropping out proxies turned the vote over to the 17 members present, at which point Inside Llewyn Davis surged from a distant fifth into first place.

Best Director: Joel and Ethan Coen, Inside Llewyn Davis (second ballot)

Alfonso Cuaron had the points but not the ballots in the first round, with Steve McQueen in second and Spike Jonze and the Coen brothers tied for third. But in the room, the Coens ruled again, topping Cuaron in second and McQueen in third.

Best Actor: Oscar Isaac, Inside Llewyn Davis (second ballot)

Isaac was tied for fourth after the first ballot, trailing Chewitel Ejiofor, Matthew McConaughey and Robert Redford. But he surged into first on the second ballot, with 28 points to Ejiofor's second-place 19.

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine

Although just narrowly on a sufficient number of ballots, Blanchett's Passiondex was high enough to give her a commanding first-round victory, with 57 points over Adele Exarchopoulos (36) and Julie Delpy (26).

Best Supporting Actor: James Franco, Spring Breakers (second ballot)

Jared Leto led the first vote, with 47 points to Franco's 36, but did not appear on a majority of ballots. In the second round, the positions were switched, with Franco prevailing 24 to 20. A motion was made to honor Franco for both Spring Breakers and This Is the End, but it was voted down in favor of a stronger pro-Alien statement.

Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle

An easy first-ballot victory, with Lupita Nyong'o in second and Lea Seydoux and Sally Hawkins tied for third.

Best Screenplay: Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, Before Midnight (second ballot)

The only time a first-ballot lead held for a second, with Before Midnight holding onto a slight lead over Inside Llewyn Davis.

Best Cinematography: Bruno Delbonnel, Inside Llewyn Davis (second ballot)

Gravity had a large lead in the first vote but fell one ballot short of a plurality. Once again, positions flip-flopped on the second ballot, with Llewyn Davis gaining a slight lead.

Best Foreign Film: Blue Is the Warmest Color (second ballot)

Paolo Sorrentino's The Great Beauty had a narrow lead over Blue Is the Warmest Color in the first round, with A Touch of Sin in third, but none had enough ballots. Second-round balloting scrambled the order, with Blue coming in first, A Touch of Sin second and The Great Beauty third.

Best Documentary: The Act of Killing/At Berkeley (tie) (second ballot)

Sarah Polley's Stories We Tell led the first ballot, followed by The Act of Killing, Leviathan and At Berkeley.

Best Experimental Film: Leviathan

http://blogs.indiewire.com/criticwire/i ... -top-prize
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