NYFCC Awards Zero Dark Thirty, Lincoln, Magic Mike

The New York Film Critics Circle got the awards season off to a wildly unpredictable start, with many categories going to movies and performances that no one thought to predict

Matthew McConaughey got a big boost for his fantastic supporting turn in Magic Mike, an awards-worthy performance in a movie that is anything but Oscar bait (his win also included his work in Bernie).  Now, he'll surely shoot up the rankings as a likely nominee.  It'll be interesting to see if he nets any more wins in the next few weeks.  He could also receive some love for his gritty turn in Killer Joe.  He's had an impressive year.


Likewise, Rachel Weisz's well-received turn in The Deep Blue Sea was singled out for Best Actress, which is one of the hardest-to-predict categories this year.  Most thought Jennifer Lawrence or Jessica Chastain would win (for Silver Linings Playbook and Zero Dark Thirty, respectively), while others thought dark horse contenders like Emmanuelle Riva in Amour (which won Best Foreign Film, to no one's surprise) or Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild would win.  All of these actresses are in the running for the Oscars, along with Marion Cotillard for Rust & Bone, Helen Mirren for Hitchcock, Naomi Watts for The Impossible, and Keira Knightley for Anna Karenina.

The first award announced, Best First Film, was one of the biggest surprises of the morning/afternoon (seriously, this was an all-day process).  Most assumed that Behn Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild was a shoo-in for the prize, but it lost out to the insightful documentary How to Survive a Plague, about the activities of advocacy groups ACT UP and TAG during the AIDS epidemic of the late '80s and early '90s.  The Academy ought to be releasing its documentary shortlist soon, so we'll have a better idea then of How to Survive a Plague's Oscar prospects.

Of course, not all announcements landed with a shockwave.  As expected, Daniel Day-Lewis took Best Actor, and he should continue to rake in the awards just as he did for There Will Be Blood five years ago.  His Lincoln costar, Sally Field, won for Best Supporting Actress, beating presumed front-runner Anne Hathaway.  Field has been nominated for two Oscars, and won both, so she could be looking at a three-peat this year.

Lincoln also won the prize for Best Screenplay, a result that will surely be echoed at the Oscars.  Tony Kushner's script is the best of the year, and will likely continue to be recognized as such.

Though Lincoln led the field going into Best Picture and Director, Zero Dark Thirty took both awards, with Kathryn Bigelow winning her second prize from the group in four years for Zero Dark Thirty (Steven Spielberg has never won Best Director from the NYFCC).  Zero Dark Thirty, which held its first screenings last weekend, has received rave reviews and is considered one of the strongest contenders in a number of key Oscar races, including Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, and Actress.  It also took home the Best Cinemtography prize from the NYFCC.

Best Picture: Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Screenplay: Tony Kushner, Lincoln

Best Actress: Rachel Weisz, The Deep Blue Sea

Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln

Best Supporting Actress: Sally Field, Lincoln

Best Supporting Actor: Matthew McConaughey, Bernie and Magic Mike

Best Cinematographer: Greig Fraser, Zero Dark Thirty

Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary): The Central Park Five

Best Animated Film: Frankenweenie

Best Foreign Film: Amour

Best First Film: How to Survive a Plague