January 5, 2009

The Kansas City Film Critics Announce Their Award Winners

The Wrestler has a nice showing here:
BEST FILM-Slumdog Millionaire
BEST DIRECTOR-Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler
BEST ACTOR-Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
BEST ACTRESS-Meryl Streep, Doubt
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS-Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY-Robert D. Siegel, The Wrestler
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY-Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM-Let the Right One In (Sweden)
BEST DOCUMENTARY-Man on Wire
BEST ANIMATED FILM-Wall*E
THE VINCE KOEHLER AWARD~for Best Science Fiction,Fantasy or Horror Film-The Dark Knight
-A lot of familiar winners, but a few more wins than usual for The Wrestler...a one time thing or a sign of a shift towards the film Oscar-wise?

6 comments:

  1. I'm probably in the minority here, but I think The Wrestler is a little overrated. I think Mickey Rourke is phenomenal and Aronofsky accomplished a difficult task, but the film as a whole didn't move me in the emotional way I had hoped. However, I think Aronofsky has a strong chance of getting nominated for Best Director, and the screenplay (my least favorite part) might get nominated as well. As for Best Picture, I have to see what some of the other precursers say.

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  2. well, I obviously have a lot of love for the film, but I can definitely see that reaction...I'm actually more surprised that most people seem to agree with me about the emotional success of the film, but again...it definitely is a film that can come off as cold to some

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  3. I just saw The Wrestler and I'm going to have to side with Joey and his rave about the film. I was afraid at first that it wouldn't live up to your review of it, but it really did. Rourke was simply incredible and deserves to win the oscar. Hopefully Aronofsky will get some recognition, and maybe we can hope for a surprise best picture nomination, instead of lesser films like Frost/Nixon and Doubt. Ugh, it frustrates me to no end that the three films that are clearly the best films of the year (The Dark Knight, The Wrestler, WALL-E) are all long-shots to get nominated, yet the ones that are far inferior are becoming locks (Frost/Nixon, Doubt, etc)

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  4. Like I said, I'm in the minority. I don't deny that it isn't a really good movie, and certainly one of the best films of the year. But then there are some people who would say the same thing about Milk, my pick for the year's best. To each his own I suppose...

    Though I do agree that I'm a little saddened that Doubt and Frost/Nixon are being declared locks in the Best Picture race. They're very overrated to me they might just get nominated because they've showed up at the precursers (much like what happened to Michael Clayton).

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  5. I am really starting to doubt (ha) that Phillip Seymour Hoffman or any supporting actor really, can beat Heath Ledger. I think that he is a guarantee! Josh, Doubt is not a lock for Best Picture? I do not think it will get in. The only argument that stands for Doubt is the acting is so phenomenal it may pull in the entire picture, but otherwise I am thinking the PGA is looking pretty good and would love to see it match... In the end, Slumdog or Benjamin Button for the prize.

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  6. Yeah, the PGA nom for The Dark Knight pretty much locked up the fifth slot for it by about 90%. Heath is going to win an oscar this year. It's all part of the plan.

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