“Waltz” and “Lucky” Take National Society of Film Critics Honors

A scene from "Waltz With Bashir," winner of best picture from the National Society of Film Critics. Photo courtesy Sony Pictures Classics.

The National Society of Film Critics weighed in with their picks for the best of ‘08 today in New York, with Ari Folman’s “Waltz with Bashir” receiving the group’s choice for best picture. Mike Leigh’s “Happy-Go-Lucky” won a number of categories, including best director, best actress, best supporting actor and best screenplay. In the non-fiction category, celebrated doc “Man on Wire” by James Marsh took the nod, adding to its roster of best documentary pics including the National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
The group chose Folman’s animated documentary, about the the atrocities the Israeli army perpetuated during the early 80s Lebanon War, on the day that Israeli ground troops launched an attack on Hamas in Gaza. Sony Pictures Classics opened the anti-war film in U.S. theaters last week.

Film critics voted this afternoon at Sardi’s in New York City’s Times Square, chaired by David Sterritt. Founded in l966, the national group of 63 critics, included in the organization by election, aims to “promote the mutual interests of film criticism and filmmaking.” The group does not host an awards party; scrolls are sent to the winners.

Complete list of winners:

BEST PICTURE:
1. “Waltz with Bashir,” directed by Ari Folman (26)
2. “Happy Go Lucky” (20)
3. “Wall-E” (20)

BEST DIRECTOR:
1. Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (36)
2. Gus Van Sant, “Milk” & “Paranoid Park” (20)
3. Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire” (16)

BEST NON-FICTION FILM
1. “Man on Wire,” directed by James Marsh (55)
2. “Trouble The Water” (34)
3. “Encounters at the End of the World” (26)

BEST ACTOR:
1. Sean Penn, “Milk” (87)
2. Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler” (40)
3. Clint Eastwood, “Gran Torino” (38)

BEST ACTRESS:
1. Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (65)
2. Melissa Leo, “Frozen River” (33)
3. Michelle Williams, “Wendy and Lucy” (31)

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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: 1. Eddie Marsan, “Happy-Go-Lucky” (41) 2. Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight” (35) 3. Josh Brolin, “Milk” (29) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: 1. Hanna Schygulla, “The Edge of Heaven” (29) 2. Viola Davis, “Doubt” (29, on fewer ballots) 3. Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (24) BEST SCREENPLAY: 1. “Happy-Go-Lucky,” written by Mike Leigh (29) 2. “A Christmas Tale (24) 3. “Synecdoche, New York” (17) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 1. “Slumdog Millionaire,” Anthony Dod Mantle (29) 2. “Flight of the Red Balloon” (22) 3. “The Dark Knight” (18) 4. “Still Life” BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM: 1. “Razzle Dazzle,” directed by Ken Jacobs FILM HERITAGE AWARDS: - The Criterion Collection for finally making Samuel Fuller’s suppressed “White Dog” (1982) available to a wide American audience via DVD release. - “The Exiles,” Kent Mackenzie’s realistic 1961 independent film about Native Americans in Los Angeles. (Restored by Ross Lipman of the UCLA Television and Film Archives and distributed by Milestone.) - Flicker Alley for releasing DVD collections of rare early U.S. and foreign silent films. - Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for its DVD set “Murnau, Borzage and Fox.” Login to recommend this article » posted on January 3, 2009 Films to Snag Login to Leave a Comment »