'Tis the season for top ten lists and awards, so the list of picks from critics groups just keeps coming. The Boston Society of Film Critics split the difference between the LA Critics and the NY Film Critics Online, selecting both Wall-E and Slumdog Millionaire as the best pictures of the year. There was also a tie in the Best Actor category, with Sean Penn (Milk) and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) both taking home honors).
I admire them for going out on a limb or two in the other categories, picking Gus Van Sant's tiny effort Paranoid Park for Best Cinematography (as opposed to his Oscar-season behemoth, Milk). And the spooky, terrific Swedish vampire movie Let The Right One In took home Best Foreign-Language Film, beating out stiff competition like Palme d'Or winner The Class. (It's worth noting that with the NY Critics Online, Let The Right One In ran a very, very close second to eventual winner, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days).,
Check out the full list of awards below, taken from BSFC's website.
Best PictureR Tie: Slumdog Millionaire and WALL-E
Best Actor
Tie: Sean Penn for Milk and Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
Best Actress
Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Director
Gus Van Sant for Milk and Paranoid Park
Best Screenplay
Dustin Lance Black for Milk
Best Cinematography
Christopher Doyle and Rain Kathy Li¹ for Paranoid Park
Best Documentary
Man on Wire
Best Foreign-Language Film
Let the Right One In
Best Animated Film
WALL·E
Best Film Editing
Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire
Best New Filmmaker
Martin McDonagh for In Bruges
Best Ensemble Cast
