National Society of Film Critics Announce

The 44th National Society of Film Critics Awards were handed out today honoring the best in film for 2009 and, yawn,  it went as expected and how many predicted.

Best Picture: THE HURT LOCKER

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, THE HURT LOCKER

Best Actor: Jeremy Renner, THE HURT LOCKER

Best Actress: Yolande Moreau, SERAPHINE

Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS and Paul Schneider, BRIGHT STAR

Best Supporting Actress: Mo’Nique, PRECIOUS

Best Screenplay: Joel & Ethan Coen, A SERIOUS MAN

Foreign-Language Film: SUMMER HOURS

Non-fiction Film: THE BEACHES OF AGNES

Cinematography: Christian Berger, THE WHITE RIBBON

Production Design: Nelson Lowry, FANTASTIC MR. FOX

Good for them on bestowing honors on Moreau for Best Actress,  Schneider for Best Supporting Actor  and Lowry for his work on my favorite animated film of the year, FANTASTIC MR. FOX. THE HURT LOCKER already has won Best Picture from the New York and Los Angeles film critics and  as Kris Tapley of InContention has pointed out, “this is the first time since 1997 that a single film made the hat trick of NYFCC, LAFCA and NSFC.” Just like 1997, Cameron and  another of his  blockbuster films were in play as well, swooped in to steal the whole scene  and TITANIC went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.  In the last 15 years, only one movie picked by the National Society of Film Critics has won Best Picture…MILLION DOLLAR BABY.

The National Society of Film Critics meeting, which was attended by 46 of the group’s 64 members, was held at Sardi’s, as usual,  in New York.