New York critics narrowly avoid 'Violence'

Although booze was banned from circle votes in the 1960s, clashes remained loud and contentious until the 1970s when verbal debate was banned too. But nothing could stop the nasty fights that took place during balloting.

The circle's unique voting system encourages the formation of rival factions that engage in a game some members call "Block the Other Camp." Often members end up focusing more intently on voting against their peers' choices than fighting for their own. Thus "Mulholland Drive" won best picture in 2001 when neither of the camps behind "In the Bedroom" and "Gosford Park" could muster enough support to prevail. Ultimately, after a few brutish ballot rounds, they had to surrender to compromise. Ditto for the best picture victories of "Quiz Show" and "The Accidental Tourist."

But I digress . . . sorry . . .

This year circle President Gene Seymour of Newsday reports, "There wasn't any acrimony." In fact, he adds, "We aren't as contentious as people think. The worst that happened today was there was occasional grumbling around the table and Rex Reed rolled his eyes."

How nice that Rex behaved himself. Legend has it that, back in the glory days of the circle, he screamed unprintable epithets at Pauline Kael, who may have deserved it considering how she used to filibuster proceedings. It was eons ago that Rex got into a fist fight with Manny Farber at a voting session of the National Society of Film Critics (virtually the same as the circle back then — they shared the same members), but everybody's still talking about it.

But I digress again . . . sorry again . . .

Despite outward civility, "'Brokeback Mountain' and 'A History of Violence' went head-to-head in lots of major categories" during voting, reports Thelma Adams of Us Weekly, a staunch Cronenberg soldier. "This year there were two solid camps. Voting wasn't all over the map like it's been in other years. I would've preferred a best picture or director win, but at least we got both supporting categories."

The vote for supporting actress was the only flip-flop of the day. Catherine Keener ("Capote") led on the first ballot, but then lost to Maria Bello of "Violence." Bello's costar William Hurt won supporting actor over Mathieu Amalric ("Munich") and Terrence Howard ("Crash").

In the best picture race, "Good Night, and Good Luck" was a distant third in the tally. Only a vote or two separated "Munich" and "The New World" in the very distant fourth and fifth positions.

The also-rans for best director were Steven Spielberg ("Munich") in third place followed by Terrence Malick ("The New World") and Wong Kar Wai ("2046").

Final scores in the best actor race: Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain" (35), Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote" (33), Viggo Mortensen, "A History of Violence" (30), Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow" (16).

Final scores for best actress: Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line" (31), Emmanuelle Devos, "Kings and Queen" (17), Zhang Ziyi, "2046" and "Memoirs of a Geisha" (14), Q'orianka Kilcher, "The New World" (14), Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents" (13).

"All voting lasted only two or three ballot rounds in each category," notes Adams. "There weren't four or five rounds like we sometimes do."

While circle members gathered in the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel — once the gathering place of the infamous literary Round Table — the total voting period was brief, lasting less than three hours, commencing slightly after 9 a.m. At one point the meeting was interrupted to announce the winners of the National Board of Review awards. So much for believing those huffy critics when they say that they don't care about NBR, eh?

But they usually do pay careful attention to what their counterparts do in Los Angeles.

"Yes, we care about how the L.A. critics vote," acknowledges NYFCC prez Seymour. "Some years you get the feeling that one group votes one way because the other group voted a different way. In the past there has been a wide disparity between left and right coasts, but this year we all joined hands and got behind 'Brokeback Mountain.'"

Actually, let's give these huffy, bullheaded critics on both coasts their due. Last year they joined hands and chose the same film too — a rarity, granted. Over the past 30 years during their mutual existence (the L.A. group was founded in 1975, the New Yorkers in 1935), they've agreed on best picture 10 times: "Brokeback Mountain," "Sideways," "Saving Private Ryan," "L.A. Confidential," "Leaving Las Vegas," "Schindler's List," "Goodfellas," "Hannah and Her Sisters," "Terms of Endearment" and "Kramer vs. Kramer."