AWARDS 2011: DC Critics go for the odd nods

With the awards season in full swing, it's expected for things to start to form in unexpected manners. The DC critics have continued that trend which started at NBR, and we're really starting to consider which films are genuinely the main players of the season. Until "War Horse" garners a genuine win, I think it's becoming more and more plain that maybe it's not the frontrunner we all thought it would be. Perhaps it's just a lower tier player, as it wasn't able to even scratch past "Win Win" or "Drive" in the DC circuit. It's odd enough that Nicolas Refn's film was in there, and that alone sparks another fire in this awards season that's in much need of some personality.

"Win Win", on the other hand, I wouldn't give too much attention based on this nomination alone. If AWARDSit's a trend that continues on to other awards, we'll definitely take it into consideration. After all, if "The Help" is getting buzz, then we can more than expect to see more light indie flicks like this to rise up. You could categorize "Win Win" right along with "50/50" in that respect. A few more pleasant notes are that Fassbender made it into his first Best Actor field for his performance in "Shame", Elizabeth Olsen and Tilda Swinton continue to be of strong presence in Best Actress, and Andy Serkis and Melissa McCarthy are genuinely getting buzz for the supporting categories. In review, we need more critics awards to tell if DC is not completely off their rocker.

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

"The Descendants"
"The Help"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"50/50"
"Midnight in Paris"
"Win Win"

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

"The Artist"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
"Hugo"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Melancholia"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

BEST SCORE

"The Artist"
"Drive"
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"War Horse"