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News: SDFCS Gives Best Film to 'Winter's Bone'

Jennifer Lawrence is a teenager with adult responsibilities in "Winter's Bone"
Roadside Attractions
Jennifer Lawrence is a teenager with adult responsibilities in "Winter's Bone"

San Diego Film Critics Name Best of Year

Film Club: San Diego Film Critics Awards
The critics of the KPBS Film Club of the Air discuss the recent San Diego Film Critics Awards.

ALISON ST. JOHN: I'm Alison St. John in for Maureen Cavanaugh. Well, it's film club of the air. And since it's the end of the year, and award season, we've got some top to which films to talk about. Not that all our in-house critics will necessarily like them, as always, I expect some heated debate. But the reviews that I've been reading suggest some good quality entertainment in the films that our critics have picked to review am so just before we start that list, let's talk about the latest news from the San Diego film critics, because Beth, and first of all, of course, I should remind our listeners who our three critics are because some of you may not remember even although they're familiar names to most of us. Beth Accomando, is KPBS's film critic, and author of the blog cinema junkie. Beth, great to have you here. ACCOMANDO: Morning, Alison. ALISON ST. JOHN: Scott Marks is author of the film blog, Emotion Compulsion.com. Scott, good morning. MARKS: Good morning. ALISON ST. JOHN: And Anders Wright is the film critic of the San Diego CityBeat. WRIGHT: Great to see you, Alison. ALISON ST. JOHN: Great to have you here. So you all met with a bunch of film critics from San Diego yesterday, I believe, and you picked out -- what were your favorite films of the year? What came up top? ACCOMANDO: Well, what was interesting for us is that only one film had repeat awards, winter's bone won for best film, best actress and best supporting actor. But otherwise the awards were pretty spread out. And we also managed to avoid a lot of the films that are getting the bulk of the nominations and awards, films like Social Network and Inception. So they were spread out, one of my favorites, 44-inch chest won best acting ensemble. But it was a nice diverse selection of films. ALISON ST. JOHN: And what about best performance of the year? What did you come down on for that one? WRIGHT: Well, Jennifer Lawrence from winter's bone was given best actress, which I think is a very good choice, but our best actors' selection is I think is the one that was certainly the furthest out from all the other critics' groups. Colin Firth, who is in the King's Speech, has picked up I think the bulk of the awards, and Jeff Eisenberg in the Social Network. We actually gave the award to Colin Farrell who appears in a smaller film called an dine, which not very many people have seen, but it's a terrific movie, he gives a really wonderful performance. ACCOMANDO: It was the battle of the Collins. WRIGHT: Yeah, it was, it was Colin Firth versus Colin Farrell. ACCOMANDO: It was down to the wire. WRIGHT: Yeah, but I think it's the one big award that we gave out where people have been, like, Colin Farrell? For what? What movie? What is that? ? Not enough people have seen this film, but it's Neal Jordan's move, it's well made, well directed, and [CHECK AUDIO]. ALISON ST. JOHN: And Scott, in the film category, I am loved was the winner. Tell us about the category that you guys talked about. MARKS: I don't have the list here. I don't have my glasses, but I walked out of the house thinking I had a pair of glasses, they were 3D glasses, so I'm doing okay. [CHECK AUDIO] for Social Network, and Debra Cranner for Winter's Bone, and we gave it the best director to Daren Arenofsky. Oh, you wanted foreign film. I don't have my glasses. Beth, be my -- I'll be your Jerry Mahoney. ACCOMANDO: We had nominated Beautiful from Spain, Mother from South Korea, No One Knows about Persian Cats, and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from Denmark. And the winner was I am Love which is a wonderful film from Italy with Tilda Swinton and just a magnificent performance. She did a great job. She was a Russian transplant to Italy speaking Italian with a Russian accent. WRIGHT: She was also nominated for best actress by our group as well. ALISON ST. JOHN: And it sounds like you've got some ideas about some films that San Diegans may never had heard of or seen, but that they might benefit from seeing. Where would they find this list? WRIGHT: Well, our site is at sdfcs.org, or really, at this point, if somebody wants to just Google San Diego film critics we'll pop right up. MARKS: And dose our site have the nominees too? ACCOMANDO: Yes. MARKS: Okay, not just the winners. ALISON ST. JOHN: If you want to see some films, the best of San Diego's critics have recommended, go to that site and check them out.

The San Diego Film Critics Society often strays from other organizations in its awards choices. This year the top prize goes to the indie film 'Winter's Bone." The film was also the only one to receive multiple awards garnering best actress for Jennifer Lawrence and best supporting actor for John Hawkes.The critics may stir some snickers for picking Colin Farrell as best actor in "Ondine," but it was a fine performance in an unexciting list of nominees. It's not that any of the performances were bad but rather the other nominees delivered Oscar bait work.

The best supporting actress category, however, was ripe with outstanding work and Lesley Manville in "Another Year" took the award over the equally fine Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom."

The critics also give out a Body of Work Award to a person who excelled in multiple films in a given year. This year the award went to Rebecca Hall who was exquisite in "Red Riding 1973," "Please Give," and "The Town." The Kyle Counts Award is given in memory of the late film critic and SDFCS member Kyle Counts and highlights someone in the community who has done exceptional work promoting the art of film. This year the award went to San Diego Reader film critic Duncan Shepherd who retired after decades of covering film and raising the bar on what we should expect at the cinema.

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Here is a complete list of winners and nominees:

Best Film: - "Winter’s Bone"

"Black Swan"

"Inception"

"The King’s Speech"


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"The Social Network"

Best Director – Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"


Christopher Nolan, "Inception"


Danny Boyle, "127 Hours"

David Fincher, "The Social Network"


Debra Granik, "Winter’s Bone"

Best Actress – Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter’s Bone"


Carey Mulligan, "Never Let Me Go"

Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"


Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"


Tilda Swinton, "I Am Love"

Alicja Bachleda and Colin Farrell star in Neil Jordan's "Ondine."
Magnolia Pictures
Alicja Bachleda and Colin Farrell star in Neil Jordan's "Ondine."

Best Actor – Colin Farrell, "Ondine"


Aaron Eckhart, "Rabbit Hole"


Colin Firth, "The King’s Speech"

James Franco, "127 Hours"


Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"

Best Supporting Actress – Lesley Manville, "Another Year"

Blake Lively, "The Town"


Dale Dickey, "Winter’s Bone"


Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"


Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"

Best Supporting Actor – John Hawkes, "Winter’s Bone"

Christian Bale, "The Fighter"


Geoffrey Rush, "The King’s Speech"


Jeremy Renner, "The Town"


John Hurt, "44 Inch Chest"

Best Original Screenplay – Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain And Chris Morris, "Four Lions"


Christopher Nolan, "Inception"


David Seidler, "The King’s Speech"


Michael Arndt, "Toy Story 3"


Neil Jordan, "Ondine"

Best Adapted Screenplay – Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network"


Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini, "Winter’s Bone"


Laeta Kalogridis, "Shutter Island"

Michael Bacall & Edgar Wright, "Scott Pilgrim Vs The World"

Peter Craig & Ben Affleck & Aaron Stockard, "The Town"

Best Foreign Language Film – "I Am Love"

"Biutiful"


"Mother"


"No One Knows About Persian Cats"


"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"

Street artist Banksy... or is it? "Exit Through the Gift Shop."
PDA
Street artist Banksy... or is it? "Exit Through the Gift Shop."

Best Documentary – "Exit Through The Gift Shop"


"A Film Unfinished"


"Inside Job"

"The Tillman Story"


"Waiting For ‘Superman'"

Best Cinematography – Wally Pfister, "Inception"


Anthony Dod Mantle & Enrique Chediak, "127 Hours"

Eduardo Serra, "Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1"


Matthew Libatique, "Black Swan"


Robert Richardson, "Shutter Island"

Best Animated Film – "Toy Story 3"

"Despicable Me"


"How To Train Your Dragon"

"Tangled"

"The Illusionist"

Michael Cera stars as Scott Pilgrim
Universal
Michael Cera stars as Scott Pilgrim

Best Editing – Jonathan Amos & Paul Machliss, "Scott Pilgrim Vs The World"

Andrew Weisblum, "Black Swan"

Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter, "The Social Network"

Jon Harris, "127 Hours"

Lee Smith, "Inception"

Best Production Design – Dante Ferretti, "Shutter Island"

Guy Hendrix Dyas, "Inception"

Robert Stromberg, "Alice In Wonderland"

Stuart Craig, "Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1"

Thérèse Deprez, "Black Swan"

Best Score – Rachel Portman, "Never Let Me Go"


A. R. Rahman, "127 Hours"

Clint Mansell, "Black Swan"

Danny Elfman, "Alice In Wonderland"

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, "The Social Network"

The gang's all here... "44 Inch Chest"
Image Entertainment
The gang's all here... "44 Inch Chest"

Best Ensemble Performance – "44 Inch Chest"

"Another Year"

"The Fighter"

"The Social Network"

"Winter’s Bone"

Rebecca Hall plays a bank employee held hostage by robbers in "The Town."
Warner Brothers
Rebecca Hall plays a bank employee held hostage by robbers in "The Town."

Body of Work for 2010


Rebecca Hall, ("Red Riding 1974," "Please Give," "The Town")

Kyle Counts Award


Duncan Shepherd (retired San Diego Reader Film Critic)