Oscars and Golden Globes are one breed of animal — critics’ groups are another beast entirely (hopefully, of the more free-thinking, out-of-the-box type). At the lively annual meeting of the San Francisco Film Critics’ Circle Sun/16, several races came down to just one or two votes’ difference. But we muddled through (there was wine, there were cookies) and came up with a slate of winners I’m proud to report here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ1O1vb9AUU
Best picture: The Master
Best director: Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty
Best original screenplay: Mark Boal for Zero Dark Thirty
Best adapted screenplay: Tony Kushner for Lincoln
Best actor: Joaquin Phoenix for The Master
Best actress: Emmanuelle Riva for Amour
Best supporting actor: Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln
Best supporting actress: Helen Hunt for The Sessions
Best animated feature: ParaNorman
Best foreign language film: Amour
Best documentary: The Waiting Room (director Peter Nicks was also the winner of the Marlon Riggs Award, for “courage and vision in the Bay Area film community”)
Best cinematography: Claudio Miranda for Life of Pi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EUJeahhFg0
Best film editing: William Goldenberg for Argo
Best production design: Adam Stockhausen for Moonrise Kingdom
Special citation (honoring an under-appreciated indie): Girl Walk//All Day, directed by Jacob Krupnick. Watch the entire film here.