Spirit Award Nominations

Technically awards season started yesterday with the Gotham Awards giving their Best Feature prize to The Tree of Life and Beginners with the latter also getting Best Ensemble. But it really ramped up this morning with the New York Film Critics Circle being the first critics group to chime in with their winners (more on that later) as well as the finding out the nominations for the Spirit Awards, which are as follows:

BEST FEATURE
50/50
Beginners
Drive
Take Shelter
The Artist
The Descendants

It was a big day for Take Shelter and The Artist as they both tied with a leading 5 nominations each. I haven't seen either film, but I only hear good things about them as well as The Descendants. I have seen the other three and I'm glad they're nominated. A bit weird to not see Midnight in Paris here, but I guess they didn't like it too much since they also didn't nominate Woody Allen below.

BEST DIRECTOR
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Mike Mills, Beginners
Jeff Nichols, Take Shelter
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn, Drive

As I said above, Woody Allen was snubbed here, but Cannes winning director Nicolas Winding Refn makes it in which makes me happy. No one knew The Artist was eligible for these awards, but as one of the presumed Oscar frontrunners, it makes sense for its director to be honored here as well.

BEST FIRST FEATURE
Another Earth
In The Family
Margin Call
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Natural Selection

I've only seen Martha Macy May Marlene, which I liked more than I expected. Margin Call received the Robert Altman Award from this group which is essentially a Best Ensemble award so it seemed they quite liked the film as well.

BEST MALE LEAD
Demian Bichir, A Better Life
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Ryan Gosling, Drive
Woody Harrelson, Rampart
Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Can't say much since I've only seen Ryan Gosling's amazing performance, but I was expecting to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt for 50/50 and possibly Owen Wilson for Midnight in Paris here. Jean Dujardin and Woody Harrelson look like they can be in the Oscar shortlist.

BEST FEMALE LEAD
Lauren Ambrose, Think of Me
Rachael Harris, Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye, Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

I'm ecstatic to see Michelle Williams here (and Ryan Gosling up there) since even though she got an Oscar nomination last year, the awards love shown for Blue Valentine wasn't nearly enough. Elizabeth Olsen wins the battle of the newcomers with Felicity Jones in Like Crazy got snubbed. Glenn Closse for Albert Nobbs was also inexplicably snubbed.

BEST SUPPORTING MALE
Albert Brooks, Drive
John Hawkes, Martha Marcy May Marlene
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
John C. Reilly, Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll, Midnight in Paris

Shocker: I've seen every single performance in this category! I'm actively rooting for Corey Stoll here since he made the sexiest Ernest Hemingway ever, but I only have good thoughts for the others. Likeliest Oscar shortlister is probably Albert Brooks and Christopher Plummer, right?

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE
Jessica Chastain, Take Shelter
Angelica Huston, 50/50
Janet Mcteer, Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana, Gun Hill Road
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Jessica Chastain is going to rule this category this year isn't she? I mean she has this film as well as her work on The Help and Tree of Life. Pretty funny to see Angelica Huston nominated. It's the only performance here I've seen. She's fine, but I didn't think she was awards-worthy.

BEST FOREIGN FILM
A Separation
Melancholia
Shame
The Kid With a Bike
Tyrannosaur

Haven't seen any of these, but I'll definitely be there this weekend for the opening of Shame. I've been meaning to see Melancholia as well. I've heard good to great things for both as well as A Separation and Tyrannosaur. Last year, the eventual Oscar Best Picture, The King's Speech, was nominated. Will any of these films repeat that feat?

BEST DOCUMENTARY
An African Election
Bill Cunningham New York
The Interrupters
The Redemption of General Butt Naked
We Were Here

BEST SCREENPLAY
Joseph Cedar, Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Tom McCarthy, Win Win
Mike Mills, Beginners
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, The Descendants

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY
Mike Cahill & Brit Marling, Another Earth
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Patrick DeWitt, Terri
Phil Johnston, Cedar Rapids
Will Reiser, 50/50

Good solid list for the screenplay awards, but again an odd snub for Woody Allen who will probably get Oscar nominated. I'm happy for Will Reiser, Mike Mills, and Jim Rash.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Joel Hodge, Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke, The Off Hours
Darius Khondji, Midnight in Paris
Guillaume Shiffman, The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron, The Dynamiter

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Low Budget Films)
Bellflower
Circumstance
Hello Lonesome
Pariah
The Dynamiter

No other comments, but now I need to know what The Dynamiter is about because how cool is that title?

Now I did say I would talk about the New York Film Critics Circle winners later, but I actually meant to say I'm waiting until we get more critic groups to chime in before doing a postmortem analyses. But if you really want to see who they picked, click here.