Not that this is something to be particularly proud of, but the Broadcast Film Critics Association has done its annual duty of distilling the Oscar race to what we think it is now (now, NOW!). There’s nothing of passionate note in its overall picks, nothing of unique flavor. But as I have explained in the past, that’s the result of a vaster group than these other, smaller 20- and 30-member critics groups. A bigger spread tends to yield consensus and, well, boring choices across the board.
The Academy can sometimes offer more refined selections throughout its many categories, focused on the work of peers, knowledgeable in it, even. But here you’ll find what seems like auto-pilot selections, some of them even traceable to various publicity campaigns around this or that contender (nice work in the Best Song category, “Act of Valor” pushers). I don’t claim them, though I certainly voted in them (full disclosure: I am a member). I don’t see my identity here. Indeed, I don’t see much of an identity at all.
It’s been building to this place, though (and some would argue it’s been here a while — I have defended). I have respect for what the BFCA brass have been trying to do — build a principled alternative to the Golden Globes — but the addition of a slew of categories this time around, awarding acting achievements per genre, reads more as an attempt to out-guest list the Globes than innocently recognizing “often overlooked performances.” It feels like an excuse to just fill out the red carpet with more stars. Jake Gyllenhaal gets to walk for his admittedly stellar performance, but only because somehow “End of Watch” is an “action film.”
I hate to sound this cynical but that’s my instinct. And I’m probably pissing off a few people by writing this, but I won’t be the only one reeling at the absurdity of this bloat. I’m not sure anyone anywhere needs 28 categories, particularly from a group full of people who aren’t exactly the best lot to discern good from bad in a number of these areas. No disrespect to my colleagues. Many of us just shouldn’t be asked to qualify certain things, I feel.
Anyway, that bitching and moaning aside, it was Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” that led the charge with 13 nominations, a record-breaking haul with the BFCA, besting the 12-nod tally run up by “Black Swan” in 2010. It landed a nomination in every conceivable category. Pity it wasn’t a comedy. Or an action film. Or a sci-fi/horror film. Or better yet, a comedy/action/sci-fi/horror film.
Not too far behind was Tom Hooper’s “Les Misérables” with 11 and David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook” (which did get the benefit of comedy category placement) with 10.
Looking over the nominees, I’d say the Best Picture list is a decent one and, again, fairly indicative of where we are in the Oscar hunt. The Best Actor and Best Actress categories boiled it down to the six anticipated contenders in each field (ditto the original screenplay field), while the supporting categories interestingly spoke up for Javier Bardem and Judi Dench in “Skyfall” (which itself netted seven nominations).
I was a bit irritated that Jared Gillman didn’t manage to join his “Moonrise Kingdom” co-star Kara Hayward in the Best Young Actor/Actress field. And clearly most BFCA members didn’t bother tracking down the GKIDS titles as the animated feature category is stuffed with studio product.
The Best Director field really plants the flag, though. Most would agree at this point that, if there were five Oscar nominees for Best Picture (as it was in saner times), they would be “Argo,” “Les Misérables,” “Lincoln,” “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Zero Dark Thirty,” with “Life of Pi” as a potential spoiler. And so it goes, the director nominees are Ben Affleck, Tom Hooper, Steven Spielberg, David O. Russell, Kathryn Bigelow and Ang Lee.
Don’t color outside the lines or anything, guys.
Finally, the group has instituted a new fan-voted award, making the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards the ultimate, terrifying Frankenstein of the Golden Globes, the Satellites, the MTV Movie Awards and the People’s Choice awards. The category is favorite film franchise and the nominees include Batman, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, James Bond/007, Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, Star Trek, Star Wars, Toy Story and Twilight.
And that about says it all, doesn’t it? Voting begins today at The Official Critics’ Choice Movie Awards Site.
The 18th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards will be televised live on The CW, January 10, 2013 at 8pm ET/PT. Unless, you know, Mayans. (fingers crossed)
Check out the full list of nominees on the next page, and as always, keep track of all this insanity as it unfolds via The Circuit.
Best Picture
“Argo”
“Beasts of the Southern Wild”
“Django Unchained”
“Les Misérables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“The Master”
“Moonrise Kingdom”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Best Director
Ben Affleck, “Argo”
Tom Hooper, “Les Misérables”
Steven Spielberg, “Lincoln”
Ang Lee, “Life of Pi”
David O. Russell, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Kathryn Bigelow, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis, “Lincoln”
John Hawkes, “The Sessions”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Misérables”
Joaquin Phoenix, “The Master”
Denzel Washington, “Flight”
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain, “Zero Dark Thirty”
Marion Cotillard, “Rust and Bone”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Emmanuelle Riva, “Amour”
Quvenzhané Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”
Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin, “Argo”
Javier Bardem, “Skyfall”
Robert De Niro, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman, “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones, “Lincoln”
Matthew McConaughey, “Magic Mike”
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams, “The Master”
Judi Dench, “Skyfall”
Ann Dowd, “Compliance”
Sally Field, “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables”
Helen Hunt, “The Sessions”
Best Adapted Screenplay
“Argo”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
Best Original Screenplay
“Django Unchained”
“Flight”
“Looper”
“The Master”
“Moonrise Kingdom”
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Best Art Direction
“Anna Karenina”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Les Misérables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
Best Cinematography
“Les Misérables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“The Master”
“Skyfall”
Best Costume Design
“Anna Karenina”
“Cloud Atlas”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Les Misérables”
“Lincoln”
Best Editing
“Argo”
“Les Misérables”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“Zero Dark Thirty”
Best Makeup
“Cloud Atlas”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Les Misérables”
“Lincoln”
Best Score
“Argo”
“Life of Pi”
“Lincoln”
“The Master”
“Moonrise Kingdom”
Best Song
“For You” from “Act of Valor”
“Learn Me Right” from “Brave”
“Skyfall” from “Skyfall”
“Still Alive” from “Paul Williams Still Alive”
“Suddenly” from “Les Misérables”
Best Visual Effects
“The Avengers”
“Cloud Atlas”
“The Dark Knight Rises”
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
“Life of Pi”
Best Animated Feature
“Brave”
“Frankenweenie”
“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”
“ParaNorman”
“Rise of the Guardians”
“Wreck-It Ralph”
Best Foreign Language Film
“Amour”
“The Intouchables”
“A Royal Affair”
“Rust and Bone”
Best Documentary Feature
“Bully”
“The Central Park Five”
“The Imposter”
“The Queen of Versailles”
“Searching for Sugar Man”
“West of Memphis”
Best Young Actor/Actress
Elle Fanning, “Ginger & Rosa”
Kara Hayward, “Moonrise Kingdom”
Tom Holland, “The Impossible”
Logan Lerman, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
Suraj Sharma, “Life of Pi”
Quvenzhané Wallis, “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Best Acting Ensemble
“Argo”
“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”
“Les Misérables”
“Lincoln”
“Moonrise Kingdom”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
Best Action Movie
“The Avengers”
“The Dark Knight Rises”
“Looper”
“Skyfall”
Best Actor in an Action Movie
Christian Bale, “The Dark Knight Rises”
Daniel Craig, “Skyfall”
Robert Downey Jr., “The Avengers”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “Looper”
Jake Gyllenhaal, “End of Watch”
Best Actress in an Action Movie
Emily Blunt, “Looper”
Gina Carano, “Haywire”
Judi Dench, “Skyfall”
Anne Hathaway, “The Dark Knight Rises”
Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games”
Best Comedy
“Bernie”
“Silver Linings Playbook”
“Ted”
“This is 40”
“21 Jump Street”
Best Actor in a Comedy
Jack Black, “Bernie”
Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Paul Rudd, “This is 40”
Channing Tatum, “21 Jump Street”
Mark Wahlberg, “Ted”
Best Actress in a Comedy
Mila Kunis, “Ted”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Shirley MacLaine, “Bernie”
Leslie Mann, “This is 40”
Rebel Wilson, “Pitch Perfect”
Best Sci-Fi/Horror Movie
“The Cabin in the Woods”
“Looper”
“Prometheus”