The 31 movie scribes of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle came together again for its 46th annual choices of the best on film during the past year…
The organization represents critics who review motion pictures for various regional radio, tv, cable, on-line and newspaper outlets.
This year’s BEST PICTURE award by the K.C. critics went to THE MASTER, a 1950’s set drama that centers on the relationship between a charismatic intellectual known as The Master whose faith-based organization begins to catch on in America and the young drifter who becomes his right-hand man.
The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix and Amy Adams and was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
BEST DIRECTOR honors went to Ang Lee for his LIFE OF PI. Lee bested Paul Thomas Anderson by just one vote.
Another close vote played out in the BEST ACTOR category where Daniel Day Lewis won the category for LINCOLN by just one vote over Joaquin Phoenix.
BEST ACTRESS honors for the year were awarded to Jennifer Lawrence in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK.
In the BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR category, Kansas City’s finest chose Philip Seymour Hoffman as THE MASTER, while Anne Hathaway took top prize in the category for LES MISERABLE. (Les Mis opens here on Christmas Day.)
Other cinematic honors bestowed by Kansas City’s critics included BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY which went to THE MASTER as written by Paul Thomas Anderson. And Ben Affleck‘s ARGO won for BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY written for the screen by Chris Terrio.
Additional achievements in film honored by the KCFCC included Tim Burton‘s FRANKENWEENIE for BEST ANIMATED FILM.
Austria’s AMOUR was selected as BEST FOREIGN FILM.
THE IMPOSTER earned BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE honors. And this year’s special Vince Koehler Award for Best Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror Film went to THE CABIN IN THE WOODS—beating out THE AVENGERS by a single vote.
For the record, I’m a voting member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle.
Interesting picks.
At least the locals aren’t swept into the Hollywood pr machine.
Hated…hated… hated The Master. Worst film of the year by far. A bloated self-indulgent, aimless wreck of a movie. When I saw it, six people got up in the middle and walked out. I should’ve followed their lead. Talked to some people after in the lobby, and they all hated it as well. I did love Silver Linings Playbook. Jennifer Lawrence was terrific as was the actress who played Bradley Cooper’s mother.
If you like Jennifer Lawrence, check her out in “Winter’s Bone”. Excellent performance in an excellent movie.
Like Jennifer Lawrence? I’m damn close to being criminally obsessed with her. Even before Winter’s Bone, I used to force myself to watch Bill Engvall’s shitty sitcom just with the hope that I might catch a 3 minute glimpse of her and I’m not sure she was even legal them. Yikes. Well, also always had a thing for Nancy Travis just to make it clear that I wasn’t being a total perv.
Lawrence is great in Silver Linings Playbook, as is the entire cast (yes, even Bradley Cooper), but even though I liked the movie, it fell a little short for me as it damn near veered into typical rom-com territory near the end. A little too neat of a wrap up to what was a twistedly funny, dysfunctional love story up until that point, but that’s a minor complaint as it was still one of the better films I saw this year.
Also saw Life of Pi, Argo and Frankenweenie from above award winners and enjoyed them all. Pi was visually stunning, Argo was unexpectedly funny (Arkin and Goodman were a hoot) and tension-filled and Frankenweenie was Burton’s best film since Nightmare Before Christmas. Now if only he would stick to stop-motion instead of continuing to make the exact same fantasy flick with a kabuki-faced Depp in the lead, then maybe I’ll regain some interest in his work.