12/03/2011

The Artist; Hugo lead the Washington DC Area Film Critics Award nominations


The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association(WAFCA), of which we here at Punch Drunk Critics are loyal members, have announced the nominees for this year's WAFCA Awards, and while a lot of the contenders were to be expected, the group's tendency to walk to the beat of our own drum continues.

Leading the pack this year is The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius' love letter to the silent movie era. The critically acclaimed film, which has already awarded Best Picture by the New York Film Critics Circle, picked up eight nominations including one for Best Picture and one for star Jean Dujardin. Following closely behind is Hugo, another film designed for and by lovers of classic film. Martin Scorsese earned one nomination for Best Director, and was featured in all of the technical categories.

Performance capture superstar, Andy Serkis, has earned another nomination for his role as Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. There's been a pretty sizable push for him to earn some awards recognition by the Oscars and Golden Globes for it, as well. In the Best Ensemble category, the little seen but well received financial crisis drama, Margin Call, earned it's sole nomination. In a move that may surprise some, Win Win, an early year favorite starring Paul Giamattii, earned two nominations including one for Best Picture.

Winners will be announced on Monday, December 5th at 8AM, so tune in to Blogtalkradio to hear them revealed live and to get the instant opinions from those involved in the voting. For the full list of this year's nominees, see below...


Best Film:
The Artist
The Descendants
Drive
Hugo
Win Win


Best Director:
Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Alexander Payne (The Descendants)
Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive)
Martin Scorsese (Hugo)

Best Actor:
George Clooney (The Descendants)
Jean Dujardin (The Artist)
Michael Fassbender (Shame)
Brad Pitt (Moneyball)
Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)

Best Actress:
Viola Davis (The Help)
Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene)
Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady)
Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)
Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn)

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn)
Albert Brooks (Drive)
John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene)
Christopher Plummer (Beginners)
Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes)

Best Supporting Actress:
Bérénice Bejo (The Artist)
Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids)
Carey Mulligan (Shame)
Octavia Spencer (The Help)
Shailene Woodley (The Descendants)

Best Acting Ensemble:
Bridesmaids
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Help
Hugo
Margin Call


Best Adapted Screenplay:
Alexander Payne and Nate Faxon & Jim Rash (The Descendants)
Tate Taylor (The Help)
John Logan (Hugo)
Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin (Moneyball)
Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)

Best Original Screenplay:
Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)
Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist)
Tom McCarthy (Win Win)
Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids)
Will Reiser (50/50)

Best Animated Feature:
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Puss in Boots
Rango
Winnie the Pooh


Best Documentary:
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey
Buck
Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life
Project Nim


Best Foreign Language Film:
13 Assassins
Certified Copy
I Saw the Devil
Pina
The Skin I Live In


Best Art Direction:
Lawrence Bennett, Production Designer, and Gregory S. Hooper, Art Director (The Artist)
Stuart Craig, Production Designer, and Stephenie McMillan, Set Decorator (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2)
Dante Ferretti, Production Designer, and Francesca Lo Schiavo, Set Decorator (Hugo)
Jack Fisk, Production Designer, and Jeanette Scott, Set Decorator (The Tree of Life)
Rick Carter, Production Designer, and Lee Sandales, Set Decorator (War Horse)

Best Cinematography:
Guillaume Schiffman (The Artist)
Robert Richardson (Hugo)
Manuel Alberto Claro (Melancholia)
Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life)
Janusz Kaminski (War Horse)

Best Score:
Ludovic Bource (The Artist)
Cliff Martinez (Drive)
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Howard Shore (Hugo)
John Williams (War Horse)