'Brokeback' leads Critics' Choice noms
The Broadcast Film Critics Assn.'s award nominations trumpet new trends among the early kudos. "Brokeback Mountain" continues to tower above rivals, leading with eight bids following best picture and director wins from the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn.
"King Kong" proved its might, reaping Critics' Choice noms for best picture and director, and "Memoirs of a Geisha" stepped further back most humbly from frontrunner status. "Geisha" was nominated for best pic, but director Rob Marshall and star Ziyi Zhang were snubbed.
"Crash" scored the second-most bids (6) and is one of three films, including "Brokeback" and "Good Night, and Good Luck," also nominated for best picture and screenplay. Usually, that triple showing bodes well for a film's Golden Globe and Oscar fate.
Photo: Triple kudos threat — red-hot Terrence Howard raps three times.
(Paramount Classics)
"Cinderella Man" climbed up off the kudos mat and came out swinging hard with nominations for best picture, director (Ron Howard), actor (Russell Crowe) and supporting actor (Paul Giamatti), but not for actress Renée Zellwegeror script. Another notable snub for best actress was Naomi Watts despite "King Kong" landing other top noms.
Although "Munich" recently lost its clout as the lead pony in the Oscar derby, Steven Spielberg's drama about the terrorist attack at the 1972 Olympics landed nominations for best picture and director, but not for actor (Eric Bana), supporting actor (Geoffrey Rush, Daniel Craig) or screenplay.
Notable omission from the best picture lineup, which was a long list of 10 contenders: "Match Point," "The New World," "Syriana," "Pride & Prejudice" and "A History of Violence." Although Maria Bello was nominated for supporting actress, the snubs of "Violence" from the races for picture, director (David Cronenberg) and actor (Viggo Mortensen) were noteworthy since they mark the distinct difference in film tastes between TV broadcast critics and those who write for print publications and favor it strongly. Yesterday "Violence" came in second place for best picture and director at the L.A. critics' vote.
"Print critics consider it to be part of their job to highlight edgy indie films in their awards," notes BFCA president Joey Berlin. "We consider ourselves to be more of an industry consensus organization like the Oscars and Golden Globes."
However, the broadcast critics opted for an equally gritty performance by Terrence Howard as a pimp aspiring to be a rapper in "Hustle & Flow." It marked one of three nominations for Howard, who also received notice for writing the song "Hustle & Flow" and for his supporting-actor stint in "Crash."
George Clooney also received three nominations: director and screenplay ("Good Night, and Good Luck") and supporting actor ("Syriana"). Even if Clooney loses all three bids, he'll still receive an honorary Freedom Award "for illuminating our shared values of freedom, tolerance and democracy with his acclaimed film 'Good Night, and Good Luck,'" according to a BFCA announcement.
BFCA created a new race for best comedy, thus introducing its sixth best picture category. Unlike the Golden Globes, comedies also qualified to compete for the main best picture award.
"In our mailing to members, we made a special point of emphasizing that all of the best picture races are nonexclusive," says Berlin. However, none of the nominees for best comedy, animated, foreign, family or made-for-TV film popped up in the best-picture category.
The Critics' Choice Awards will be telecast on The WB on Jan. 9, 2006, at 8 p.m.
For a full list of nominees and further info, check out the BFCA website.
Cinderella Man is one of the best films I've seen in a long long time. These days we are lucky if there is one or two films a year worth taking a trip to the box office for. Flawless direction from Ron Howard overall, and great set decoration and art direction as well. If I had my way, it would get Best Director, Best Art Direction, and Best Supporting Actor (Paul Giamatti), and I think I'd have to tip Best Actor towards Russell Crowe as well..
This film now resides within my top 20 list of all time greatest films.
Posted by: Orwell | December 26, 2005 at 11:02 PM
"oH, COME OFF IT. 'CINDERELLA MAN' is the best picture of the year bar none. As for 'Constant Gardener' while a good film the best thing it has going for it is Raplh Fiennes. Talk about melodramatic hookey"
Excuse me? Cinderella Man is the best picture of the year? And The Constant Gardener is melodramatic hookey? (I think you mean 'hooey', but 'hooky' would explain why you don't know how to spell.)
Cinderella Man ISN'T melodramatic hooey?? Constant Gardener IS melodramatic hooey??
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!
Okay, I'm done.
Posted by: Mr. America | December 13, 2005 at 04:33 PM
I'm sorry but does anyone else but me recognize "Crash" as the same movie as "Magnolia" AND "Grand Canyon"? "Crash" is the most overrated film of the year.
Posted by: zoey811 | December 13, 2005 at 02:37 PM
The thing that will make "nancy happy" is if they stop rewarding unoriginal melodramatic films
like "Cinderella Man" & "Walk the Line directed by unimaginative directors. And while "Crash" had some wonderful supporting performances I also don't think it should be a best picture contender. "The Constant Gardener" surpasses these three on several levels
of which the most important is...directed by a visionary auteur.
Posted by: nancy | December 12, 2005 at 05:48 PM
I also think that it's an outrage that Dillon is singled out for a nomination but that Newton was dismissed.
Her expressions, delivery of her dialogue, and her emotions were crucial to the power that Crash has over its audience and for her not to also be recognized for her work in this film is outrageous!!!
Posted by: Jane Wilmington | December 12, 2005 at 07:54 AM
How does Maria Bello's lead role in "A History of Violence" make her eligible for a Supporting Actress nomination?
The same is true of Weisz in the Constant Gardner and Gardner in "JuneBug". These were all fine performances, but they clearly received more development and screen time than a supporting role does. In addition, these women are listed as the leads for these films.
It's a shame that to exclude excellent performances like Thandie Newton from getting a nomination, the voting had to include women who would have otherwise been ineligible in this category.
Posted by: Dennis Martin | December 12, 2005 at 05:55 AM
The early awards are living out wonderful movies such as "The New World," "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada," "Where the Truth Lies," "Breakfast on Pluto," "Bee Sason," "Me, You and Everybody We Know," "The Shopgril," or even "Batman Begins." I don't think the movie "Crash" was any good, not even honest with itseself, it was just blown by media, same as "Good Night and Good Luck," "The Constant Gardner," or "Memoirs of a Gaisha," the las two were way off from their literary source. My favorite 5 of the year are: 1) History of Violence. 2) The Thre Burials of Melquiades Estrada, 3) The Producers. 4) Brockeback Mountain. 5) The New World.
Posted by: Jose Alberto | December 12, 2005 at 12:13 AM
oH, COME OFF IT. "CINDERELLA MAN" is the best picture of the year bar none. As for "Constant Gardener" while a good film the best thing it has going for it is Raplh Fiennes. Talk about melodramatic hookey. Lets hope the Academy takes time out to check out the Broadcast Critics Choice list and follows it except maybe "Constant Gardner" can replace "BrokeBack Mountain" and make nancy happy....
Posted by: jdls | December 11, 2005 at 09:07 PM
I can't believe all the nominations for Cinderella Man and the snubbing of the brilliant The Constant Gardener. Aren't critics supposed to know better ? Russel Crowe and Ron Howard for that melodramatic hooey called "Cinderella Man"? I guess the Broadcast Film Critics fell for the big Universal publicity push for this film with the re-release.
Where are the nominations for Ralph Fiennes and Fernando Mereilles? What an insult. Mereilles is chosen as Best Director by the New York Film Critics and he doesn't even get a nomination by this group. Is this group afraid of Russel Crowe?
Posted by: nancy | December 11, 2005 at 04:02 PM