The San Diego Film Critics Award this year’s top honors
December 18th, 2007 by Scott Marks
Riddle me this: With the hundreds of movies released every year, why is it that come awards time everything hinges on 5 or 10 pictures?
First off, a lot of local critics won’t see some of the more obscure foreign films because their readers are more interested in Shia LeBeouf than Jafar Panahi. Sadly, more and more critics wind up watching screeners instead of trekking to the screening and studios are not likely to send copies of films that even they know don’t stand a chance of winning. Hence Offside and Killer of Sheep, two of my top three films this year, weren’t even considered.
2007 turned out to be one the worst years for movies ever; compiling a 10 best list is virtually impossible. With not much to chose from, the voting went rather quickly. The eleven of us met in a conference room at KPBS and in three hours all votes were argued and tallied.
Well, not exactly argued. You’d be surprised how many critics sit in silence, never so much as offering one word’s defense for any of their choices. They circle their picks before the floor is opened for debate. At least be polite enough to pretend that you’re interested in what your colleagues have to say.
My partner on the Film Club is a royal polemicist, so Beth and I were responsible for a lot of the verbal pyrotechnics. A welcome addition to this year’s vote was City Beat critic Anders Wright. He’s a bright film junkie who knows his stuff and in at least one instance (best score) actually convinced me to change my mind.
As mentioned in an earlier piece, the sole reason the group exists is so we may fill a shelf with screeners come November. With the exception of the annoying Juno’s best original screenplay award, this year’s selections were by no means an embarrassment.
And the winners are…
Best Picture
No Country for Old Men
Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood
Best Actress
Julie Christie for Away from Her
Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
Best Supporting Actress
Amy Ryan for Gone Baby Gone
Best Supporting Actor
Tommy Lee Jones in No Country for Old Men
Best Original Screenplay
Diablo Cody for Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood
Best Foreign Film
The Diving Bell and the Mermaid
Best Documentary
A tie: Crazy Love and Deep Water
Best Animated Feature
Ratatouille
Best Cinematography
Roger Deakins for No Country for Old Men
Best Production Design
Dante Ferretti for Sweeney Todd
Best Editing
Paul Tothill for Atonement
Best Score
Jonny Greenwood for There Will Be Blood
Best Ensemble Performance
No Country For Old Men
Outstanding Body of Work
Christian Bale for Rescue Dawn, 3:10 to Yuma and I’m Not There
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