Actor<\/strong><\/p>\n Michael Fassbender — Jane Eyre, A Dangerous Method and Shame<\/p>\n
Brad Pitt \u2013 Moneyball<\/p>\n
Michael Shannon \u2013 Take Shelter<\/p>\n
*George Clooney \u2013 The Descendants<\/p>\n
Jean Dujardin \u2013 The Artist<\/p>\n
Honorable Mention<\/strong>:\u00a0 Rhys Ifans\u00a0 — Anonymous, Dominic Cooper \u2013 The Devil\u2019s Double<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Actress<\/strong><\/p>\n *Glenn Close \u2013 Albert Nobbs<\/p>\n
Meryl Streep \u2013 The Iron Lady<\/p>\n
Viola Davis \u2013 The Help<\/p>\n
Michelle Williams — My Week With Marilyn<\/p>\n
Charlize Theron \u2013 Young Adult<\/p>\n
Honorable Mention<\/strong>:\u00a0 Vera Farmiga \u2013 Higher Ground, Rooney Mara \u2013 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Tilda Swinton \u2013 We Need to Talk About Kevin, Elizabeth Olsen \u2013 Martha Marcie May Marlene<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Supporting Actor<\/strong><\/p>\n *Albert Brooks \u2013 Drive<\/p>\n
Jonah Hill \u2013Moneyball<\/p>\n
John Hawkes \u2013 Martha Marcie Mae Marlene<\/p>\n
Christopher Plummer \u2013 Beginners<\/p>\n
Max Von Sydow \u2013 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close<\/p>\n
Honorable Mention:\u00a0 <\/strong>Patton Oswalt \u2013 Young Adult<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Supporting Actress<\/strong><\/p>\n Jessica Chastain \u2013 The Help, The Debt<\/p>\n
*Octavia Spencer \u2013 The Help<\/p>\n
B\u00e9r\u00e9nice Bejo \u2013 The Artist<\/p>\n
Judi Dench \u2013 My Week With Marilyn<\/p>\n
Janet McTeer \u2013 Albert Nobbs<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Director<\/strong><\/p>\n Stephen Spielberg — The Adventures of Tintin<\/p>\n
Nicolas Winding Refn \u2013 Drive<\/p>\n
*Michel Hazanavicius \u2013 The Artist<\/p>\n
Brad Bird \u2013 Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol<\/p>\n
Alexander Payne \u2013 The Descendents<\/p>\n
Honorable Mention<\/strong>:\u00a0 Vera Farmiga \u2013 Higher Ground, David Fincher \u2013 The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Screenplay<\/strong><\/p>\n Midnight in Paris<\/p>\n
Moneyball<\/p>\n
Drive<\/p>\n
*The Descendants<\/p>\n
My Week With Marilyn<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Cinematography (it\u2019s a tie)<\/strong><\/p>\n *Drive<\/p>\n
*Tree of Life<\/p>\n
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol<\/p>\n
Martha Marcie May Marlene<\/p>\n
The Artist<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Art Direction \/ Set design<\/strong><\/p>\n *Hugo<\/p>\n
The Immortals<\/p>\n
The Help<\/p>\n
Tree of Life<\/p>\n
The Devil\u2019s Double<\/p>\n
War Horse<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Costumes<\/strong><\/p>\n Albert Nobbs<\/p>\n
*Anonymous<\/p>\n
The Immortals<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Score<\/strong><\/p>\n The Descendants<\/p>\n
*The Adventures of Tintin<\/p>\n
Carnage<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Documentary<\/strong><\/p>\n *The Troubadors \u2013 terrific chronicle of the emergence of the singer\/songwriter on the American pop music scene in the late 60s and early 70s, with a special emphasis on James Taylor and Carole King.<\/p>\n
Tabloid \u2013 Errol Morris once again finds a fascinating human story to explore.<\/p>\n
Being Elmo \u2013 A loving portrait of legendary Muppeteer Kevin Clash.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Animated Feature (no winner; they are all sooooo good)<\/strong><\/p>\n Rango<\/p>\n
Puss in Boots<\/p>\n
The Adventures of Tintin<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Foreign Language Feature<\/strong><\/p>\n Undertow [Peru] \u00a0\u2013 A gorgeous film that uses magical realism to tell a sweet, sad and life-affirming love story.<\/p>\n
*Point Blank [France] \u2013 A very thrilling, twisty, well-acted and superbly shot crime story.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Funniest!<\/strong><\/p>\n Puss in Boots<\/p>\n
Paul<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Undergoddamnedrated<\/strong><\/p>\n The Eagle \u2013 It was not only the best gay movie of the year, but a surprisingly well done depiction of the collision of Rome and native Caledonian (that is, proto-Scottish) barbarians in the second century.\u00a0 Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Mark Strong are all in fine form.<\/p>\n
In Time \u2013 Why did critics hate this movie so much?\u00a0 It was clever, audacious and exciting.\u00a0 Justin Timberlake proves his mettle as an action star.<\/p>\n
The Lincoln Lawyer \u2013 I don\u2019t care what anyone said.\u00a0 This was the first grownup movie in forever from the once-promising Matthew McConnaughey, and he is quite good in it.<\/p>\n
The Guard \u2013 Written and directed by the brother of the man who wrote and directed the great \u201cIn Bruges\u201d and likewise starring the great Brendan Gleeson, this tiny little character-driven thriller deserves a look by any film buff.\u00a0 Also, it\u2019s always good to see Don Cheadle in anything.<\/p>\n
Special Shout-Out to YouTube<\/strong><\/p>\n For producing the remarkable movie Life in a Day.\u00a0 Ordinary people from around the world were invited to submit video of their own lives on a particular day \u2013 July 24, 2010.\u00a0 The thousands of videos received were culled and edited into a beautiful portrait of life on Earth.<\/p>\n
The Greatest Film Ever Made<\/strong><\/p>\n A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas.\u00a0 Okay, not really the GREATEST, but it\u2019s wall-to-wall fun.<\/p>\n
Most Bizarre Film Sequence of 2011<\/strong><\/p>\n Oscar-winner Chris Cooper breaks into a rap number in The Muppets.<\/p>\n
Slyest Dirty Joke<\/strong><\/p>\n They managed to slip a song called \u201cFuck You\u201d into the family-friendly The Muppets.\u00a0 How did they do it?\u00a0 It was sung by the chickens, who can only speak one word:\u00a0 \u201cBok!\u201d<\/p>\n
Waaaaaaay Better Than\u00a0I Expected<\/strong><\/p>\n Anonymous — Who would have ever put money on the chances of Roland Emmerich directing a movie that I would champion?\u00a0 Well, he did.\u00a0 This speculative tale of an alternative author of Shakespeare is simply delicious from start to finish.\u00a0 Seriously, put it on the top of your Netflix queue.<\/p>\n
Most Underrated Movie of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n Paul.\u00a0 Yes, this silly alien-on-the-run comedy was hilarious and smart.\u00a0 Rent it if you don\u2019t believe me.<\/p>\n
Further Proof that Liam Neeson Has Stumbled Onto a Really Good Career Phase<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2008 when he scored with Taken (a JANUARY release!) it seemed like a fluke.\u00a0 But then he followed it up with Unknown this past January.\u00a0 Both were solid, fun thrillers.\u00a0 If his new film The Grey follows suit, he\u2019ll have a full-fledged franchise on his hands.<\/p>\n
I must be going soft, because \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n I actually didn\u2019t mind Starlet Johansson in We Bought a Zoo.\u00a0 Is this a sign of The Apocalypse?<\/p>\n
Inched me closer to accepting John C. Reilly as a movie star<\/strong><\/p>\n The very underappreciated, sweet, odd, and funny Cedar Rapids.\u00a0 Also, it was great to see Anne Heche in a lead role again!<\/p>\n
Trashy Fun<\/strong><\/p>\n I Am Number Four.\u00a0 Dopey but weirdly fun high school science fiction action pic.<\/p>\n
Limitless.\u00a0 Fun wish-fulfillment fantasy with Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro (playing against type in a fun way).<\/p>\n
Source Code.\u00a0 Special props to Vera Farmiga who has to give most of her performance as a talking head on video, and yet still manages to be compelling at every moment.<\/p>\n
Horrible Bosses.<\/p>\n
Good Neighbors \u2013 even the presence of two actors I really like (Jay Baruchel and Scott Speedman) couldn\u2019t turn this sow\u2019s ear into a silk purse, but it\u2019s a genre I like so much (Chamber Thriller) that I still enjoyed myself.<\/p>\n
The Devil\u2019s Double \u2013 Nasty thriller based on the true life experiences of a man forced into living as a double for one of Saddam Hussein\u2019s sons.\u00a0 Tremendous work by Dominic Cooper in dual roles.<\/p>\n
The Help \u2013 It cheapens the themes of the book, but it\u2019s still beguilingly written and performed.\u00a0 Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer are standouts in a terrific cast.<\/p>\n
30 Minutes or Less \u2013 It\u2019s possible this movie only seemed good because I was in Tampa.<\/p>\n
Crazy Stupid Love \u2013 It was a hot mess, but still, fun.<\/p>\n
Friends With Benefits \u2013 Sharp, funny romcom with very appealing lead performances from Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake.<\/p>\n
Fright Night \u2013 A totally unnecessary remake, but still, fun!<\/p>\n
In Time \u2013 Written and directed by Andrew Niccol, the same dude who wrote and directed Gattaca.\u00a0 And yeah, this movie may be a tiny bit too much LIKE Gattaca, but hey, Justin Timberlake over Ethan Hawke is a huge improvement, right?\u00a0 In Time is elegant and exciting and fun.<\/p>\n
The Immortals \u2013 as my friend Brett might say, \u201cBring on the mens!\u201d<\/p>\n
The Adjustment Bureau \u2013 Silly, but nice high concept plus great suits and hats.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Scariest<\/strong><\/p>\n Paranormal Activity 3 \u2013 The filmmakers behind 2010\u2019s Catfish take over the reins of the popular \u201cFound Footage\u201d franchise, with very creepy results.\u00a0 Best cinematic idea:\u00a0 The camera mounted on the oscillating fan.<\/p>\n
Best Career Move<\/strong><\/p>\n It was extremely smart for Matthew Lillard to take a one-scene role in The Descendants.\u00a0 Not only is it a better picture than he has ever been in, but it\u2019s a role utterly unlike anything we\u2019ve seen him do before.\u00a0 Good for him, his agent, and Alexander Payne for using him in this interesting way.<\/p>\n
Special Kudos to Warner Brothers<\/strong><\/p>\n I have to congratulate Warner Brothers for the skillful and consistent and classy way they have handled the Harry Potter franchise.\u00a0 Over the course of ten years, eight films, five different directors and a galaxy of the most talented British thespians, the films were consistently entertaining and well-made.\u00a0 Probably the greatest thing Warners got right was the casting of the three leads:\u00a0 Daniel Ratcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.\u00a0 Not only did they embody the books characters beautifully (Ms. Watson is too pretty for Hermione, but that\u2019s not her fault), but they handled themselves offscreen<\/em> in a classy and professional manner.\u00a0 The Harry Potter movies will go down in Hollywood history with one of the greatest film franchises, taking a well-deserved place alongside the Thin Man films, the James Bond films, the Fred and Ginger dance movies, and many others.\u00a0 My hat is off to all involved.<\/p>\n Fun Villains<\/strong><\/p>\n January Jones as an icy assassin and Frank Langella as a Machiavellian boss in Unknown.<\/p>\n
Best Special Effect<\/strong><\/p>\n Jeremy Renner\u2019s forearms in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Can we see more of?<\/strong><\/p>\n Isiah Whitlock \u2013 Very funny and appealing as a not-particularly \u201cstreet\u201d black dude in Cedar Rapids<\/p>\n
Anne Heche \u2013 Okay so maybe she\u2019s crazy.\u00a0 Who cares.\u00a0 She\u2019s a big talent, and I want to see her in more movies.<\/p>\n
Mason Lee \u2013 practically the only good thing in The Hangover II.<\/p>\n
Corey Stoll \u2013 mesmerizing as Ernest Hemmingway in Midnight in Paris.<\/p>\n
Emma Stone \u2013 I know, she starred in two big movies this year, but she\u2019s adorable.<\/p>\n
Zachary Quinto \u2013 He was only in two features this year and one of those was a cameo.\u00a0 I think we can all agree that this isn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n
Jessica Chastain \u2013 Seriously, the flavor of the month this year.\u00a0 She appeared in Texas Killing Fields, The Tree of Life, The Debt, The Help, Coriolanus, Take Shelter.\u00a0 All major roles, too.\u00a0 For once, I think they\u2019ve anointed the right actor as The Next Big Thing.\u00a0 I approve, and I hope we get to see her in seven movies in 2012.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Kudos for compliance with the \u201cRay and tayler\u201d rule about getting in shape for a movie<\/strong><\/p>\n Alex Pettyfer in I Am Number Four<\/p>\n
Rooney Mara in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo<\/p>\n
Ryan Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love and Drive<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A friendly warning to kal penn\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2026 who took a brief sabbatical from his duties working for President Obama to make A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas:\u00a0 You\u2019re a very good looking guy.\u00a0 Don\u2019t let all that plush White House food send you into a weight-gaining spiral.\u00a0 Learn from MY mistakes!!<\/p>\n
Great suits and hats!<\/strong><\/p>\n The Adjustment Bureau<\/p>\n
Give Him a lead in an \u201cA\u201d picture already<\/strong><\/p>\n Anthony Mackie<\/p>\n
Best Argument For a Benevolent Deity<\/strong><\/p>\n Henry Cavill in The Descendants<\/p>\n
Greatest\u00a0ALIENS Reference Ever<\/strong><\/p>\n In Paul, Blythe Danner gets to yell TO Sigourney Weaver:\u00a0 \u201cGet away from her, you BITCH!\u201d\u00a0 Heaven.<\/p>\n
Overrated, I don\u2019t care what you say<\/strong><\/p>\n Bridesmaids \u2013 I like Kristen Wiig as much as the next guy, but her script for this movie was alternatively unfunny (the one-upsmanship party toast sequence) and stupidly over-the-top (yay, wedding gowns and diarrhea).\u00a0 Also:\u00a0 Are there really Irish cops in Milwaukee?\u00a0 Really?<\/p>\n
Super 8 \u2013 Elle Fanning was terrific, but the train crash was stupidly over-the-top, and the third act made no sense at all.<\/p>\n
I Guess I Am Just Too Stoopid to Understand, Appreciate, or Enjoy It<\/strong><\/p>\n Tree of Life<\/p>\n
Most Boring Movie of 2011<\/strong><\/p>\n Of Gods and Men.\u00a0 Yes, this French film actually managed to be more dull than The Tree of Life.<\/p>\n
Weirdest Movie of 2011<\/strong><\/p>\n Rubber.\u00a0 A movie about a sentient, homicidal steel-belted radial tire<\/em>.\u00a0 And it\u2019s not animated.\u00a0 Yes, it\u2019s as strange as it sounds, and very very meta, in case that appeals to you.<\/p>\n Biggest Disappointment<\/strong><\/p>\n Red State \u2013 Kevin Smith ventures into Quentin Tarantino \/ Coen Brothers territory, with very indifferent results.<\/p>\n
It may be time to talk about a constitutional amendment barring artists from becoming filmmakers<\/strong><\/p>\n Or at least to keep Steve McQueen from making another movie as boring as Shame.\u00a0 Yes, he managed to make a film about a sex addict played by the frequently nude Michael Fassbender boring.\u00a0 This couldn\u2019t have been easy.\u00a0 But he managed, and made it predictable and pretentious as well!<\/p>\n
Worst Score<\/strong><\/p>\n The Chemical Brothers\u2019s earsplitting, inappropriate, jangling, obnoxious music for Hanna.<\/p>\n
The Jodie Foster Award For Worst Performance by a Lead Actor<\/strong><\/p>\n I regret to report that this award goes, once again, to\u2026 Jodie Foster herself for her hammy, senior-class-play-level performance in the otherwise interesting Roman Polanski film Carnage.\u00a0 Perhaps it\u2019s time to consider just giving Jodie the Lifetime Achievement Award in this category?<\/p>\n
Worst Films of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n Water For Elephants \u2013 BLEH.\u00a0 Not even Academy Award-winners Christoph Waltz and Reese Witherspoon could salvage this tedious bit of dreck starring an inexcusably out-of-shape Robert Pattinson.<\/p>\n
Thor \u2013 First of all, it was a bore.\u00a0 Second, it was a cheat.\u00a0 Why?\u00a0 The publicity machine was in overtime for an entire year about the incredible shape star Chris Hemsworth was getting into for the title role.\u00a0 The trailers for the film showed a very brief glimpse of his amazing physique.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it turns out, that brief shot was the entire amount of screentime he appeared shirtless<\/em>. I want my money back!<\/p>\n The Hangover II \u2013 I loved the first one.\u00a0 Really.\u00a0 But this one was a bust.\u00a0 It also confirmed all of my fears about the city of Bangkok.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s Your Number?\u00a0 — Even the presence of a frequently-naked Chris Evans couldn\u2019t lift this dumb, contrived romcom out of the doldrums.<\/p>\n
Hanna \u2013 It\u2019s full of people I love (Eric Bana, Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett) and directed by the talented Joe Wright (Atonement, Pride and Prejudice).\u00a0 But the movie sucked, no matter what my friend Valerie might tell you.\u00a0 Don\u2019t listen to her.<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n REST IN PEACE!<\/strong><\/p>\n The peerless Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)<\/p>\n
The indefatigable Harry Morgan (1915-2011)<\/p>\n
The underrated \u201cfull-figure\u201d girl Jane Russell (1921-2011)<\/p>\n
The legendary Hollywood agent Sue Mengers (1932-2011)<\/p>\n
The very tall James Arness (1923-2011)<\/p>\n
The sort-of creepy Jeff Conaway (1950-2011)<\/p>\n
The 50-foot woman herself, Yvette Vickers (1928-2010)<\/p>\n
The perennial character actor Michael Gough (1916-2011)<\/p>\n
The puzzlingly admired Pete Postlethwaite (1946-2011)<\/p>\n
The sexy siren Anne Francis (1930-2011)<\/p>\n
The alarmingly hilarious Kenneth Mars (1935-2011)<\/p>\n
The prolific film composer John Barry (1933-2011)<\/p>\n
The insane director Ken Russell (1927-2011)<\/p>\n
The durable Charles Napier (1936-2011)<\/p>\n
The Oscar-winning Cliff Robertson (1923-2011)<\/p>\n
The simply great Peter Falk (1927-2011)<\/p>\n
The tragically underappreciated writer, producer, and designer Polly Platt (1939-2011)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Comments?\u00a0 Kudos?\u00a0 Threats?\u00a0 Please leave a comment!!<\/p>\n
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