New Jack City: KC Film Critics Lay Down Pre Oscar Picks, Descendents Best Picture

Sunday made for a festive evening just seven weeks ahead of February 26’s Oscar Night 2012.

The Kansas City’s Film Critics Circle voted for and unveiled its choices for best on film for 2011.

Women critics in the latest Paris fashions and tuxedo clad gents waved to excited crowds as they graced the red carpet leading to the festive Screenland Theatre in downtown KC, the site of this year’s main event.

And to think, once again I was part of it all.

Come to think of it, it was all just a dream.

In reality, a local group of some 34 shabbily-attired movie critics representing area radio, TV and newspaper outlets  – as well as a whole bunch of dot-com movie sites – brought their own covered dishes, broke bread and concluded the evening by voting for what they perceived were the best movies to grind through projectors the past year.

The local group announced its 45th annual list of winners in 12 catagories.

Taking top honors for BEST PICTURE was director Alexander Payne’s powerful drama THE DESCENDANTS starring George Clooney and Shailene Woodley. THE DESCENDANTS barely bettered the group’s first runner up DRIVE with Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.

KC’s critics also honored Terrence Malick as BEST DIRECTOR for his TREE OF LIFE with Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain.

The BEST ACTOR award went to George Clooney for THE DESCENDANTS while Kirsten Dunst was named BEST ACTRESS for MELANCHOLIA in a close race over first runner up Viola Davis in THE HELP.

In the BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR catagories the honors went to Christopher Plummer for BEGINNERS in which he co-starred with Ewan McGregor, while Jessica Chastain won in the female catagory for THE TREE OF LIFE.

Other winners in K.C.’s critics annual cinematic poll included:

*ORIGINAL  SCREENPLAY: YOUNG ADULT
 
* ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: MONEYBALL
 
* ANIMATED FILM: RANGO
 
* FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: A SEPARATION (Iran)
 
* DOCUMENTARY: Werner Herzog’s CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS
 
* SCI-FI / FANTASY or HORROR FILM: Martin Scorsese’s HUGO

For more about the local film critics organization and its membership roster go to kcfcc.org.