London Film Critics Nods

With London’s position as one of the most film-friendly environs on the planet, it is interesting to see the films and performances that the London Film Critics Circle has selected for their end of year nods. Most reflect their American counterparts and the recent Golden Globe nomination announcements, but there is a definite English bent that is unique to their choices. Top films on the list include TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY and DRIVE, which both received 6 nominations each. Neither film figures strongly in American film critics’ awards or in the Golden Globes race (with the exception of Albert Brooks’ unlikely performance as a particularly sadistic baddie in DRIVE). Also strongly figuring in the award nods is MARGARET, the little seen American indie film by Kenneth Lonergan, which secured high profile Best Screenplay and Best Actress (Anna Pacquin) nominations.

British film TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY directed by Tomas Alfredson is nominated for Film of the Year, British Film of the Year, Screenwriter of the Year, Actor of the Year (Gary Oldman), British Actor of the Year (Gary Oldman again) and The Sky 3D Award for Technical Achievement. DRIVE, directed by fellow Scandinavian Nicolas Winding Refn is nominated for Film of the Year, Director of the Year, Actor of the Year (Ryan Gosling), Supporting Actor of the Year (Albert Brooks), The Moët & Chandon Award for British Actress of the Year (Carey Mulligan) and The Sky 3D Award for Technical Achievement. The Iranian film A SEPERATION, a Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear winner by director Asghar Farhadi and Irish director Lynne Ramsay’s WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN received 5 nominations each, with critic faves THE ARTIST and SHAME not far behind with 4 nomination each.

The London Critics’ Circle Film Awards, in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, will reveal its full list of annual award winners at a glittering ceremony at BFI Southbank on Thursday, January 19. The Awards also serve as a fundraiser for the British Film Institute, specifically targeted to help with the preservation and restoration of British film, in particular native son Alfred Hitchcock’s nine silent features, as part of the Rescue the Hitchcock 9 campaign. The Dilys Powell Award for Excellence In Film will be given to 83 year old director Nicolas Roeg.

32^nd LONDON FILM CRITICS CIRCLE FILM AWARDS NOMINATIONS

FILM OF THE YEAR

• The Artist (Entertainment)
• Drive (Icon)
• A Separation (Artificial Eye)
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)
• The Tree of Life (Fox)

THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD/BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR

• The Guard (StudioCanal)
• Kill List (StudioCanal)
• Shame (Momentum)
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)
• We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)

FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

• Mysteries of Lisbon (New Wave)
• Poetry (Arrow)
• Le Quattro Volte (New Wave)
• A Separation (Artificial Eye)
• The Skin I Live In (Fox/Pathé)

DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR

• Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Picturehouse)
• Dreams of a Life (Dogwoof)
• Pina (Artificial Eye)
• Project Nim (Icon)
• Senna (Universal)

DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

• Asghar Farhadi – A Separation (Artificial Eye)
• Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist (Entertainment)
• Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life (Fox)
• Lynne Ramsay – We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)
• Nicolas Winding Refn – Drive (Icon)

SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR

• Asghar Farhadi – A Separation (Artificial Eye)
• Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist (Entertainment)
• Kenneth Lonergan – Margaret (Fox)
• Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)
• Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon & Jim Rash – The Descendants (Fox)

THE VIRGIN ATLANTIC AWARD/BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILMMAKER

• Richard Ayoade – Submarine (StudioCanal)
• Paddy Considine – Tyrannosaur (StudioCanal)
• Joe Cornish – Attack the Block (StudioCanal)
• Andrew Haigh – Weekend (Peccadillo)
• John Michael McDonagh – The Guard (StudioCanal)

ACTOR OF THE YEAR

• George Clooney – The Descendants (Fox)
• Jean Dujardin – The Artist (Entertainment)
• Michael Fassbender – Shame (Momentum)
• Ryan Gosling – Drive (Icon)
• Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)

ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

• Kirsten Dunst – Melancholia (Artificial Eye)
• Anna Paquin – Margaret (Fox)
• Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady (Fox/Pathé)
• Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)
• Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn (Entertainment)

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR

• Simon Russell Beale – The Deep Blue Sea (Artificial Eye)
• Kenneth Branagh – My Week With Marilyn (Entertainment)
• Albert Brooks – Drive (Icon)
• Christopher Plummer – Beginners (Universal)
• Michael Smiley – Kill List (StudioCanal)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

• Sareh Bayat – A Separation (Artificial Eye)
• Jessica Chastain – The Help (Disney)
• Vanessa Redgrave – Coriolanus (Lionsgate)
• Octavia Spencer – The Help (Disney)
• Jacki Weaver – Animal Kingdom (StudioCanal)

BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR

• Tom Cullen – Weekend (Peccadillo)
• Michael Fassbender – A Dangerous Method (Lionsgate), Shame (Momentum)
• Brendan Gleeson – The Guard (StudioCanal)
• Peter Mullan – Tyrannosaur (StudioCanal), War Horse (Disney)
• Gary Oldman – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)

BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

• Olivia Colman – The Iron Lady (Fox/Pathé), Tyrannosaur (StudioCanal)
• Carey Mulligan – Drive (Icon), Shame (Momentum)
• Vanessa Redgrave – Anonymous (Sony), Coriolanus (Lionsgate)
• Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)
• Rachel Weisz – The Deep Blue Sea (Artificial Eye)

YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

• John Boyega – Attack the Block (StudioCanal)
• Jeremy Irvine – War Horse (Disney)
• Yasmin Paige – Submarine (StudioCanal)
• Craig Roberts – Submarine (StudioCanal)
• Saoirse Ronan – Hanna (Universal)

THE SKY 3D AWARD/BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT

• Manuel Alberto Claro, cinematography – Melancholia (Artificial Eye)
• Paul Davies, sound design – We Need to Talk About Kevin (Artificial Eye)
• Maria Djurkovic, production design – Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (StudioCanal)
• Dante Ferretti, production design – Hugo (Entertainment)
• Alberto Iglesias, original score – The Skin I Live In (Fox/Pathé)
• Chris King & Gregers Sall, editing – Senna (Universal)
• Joe Letteri, visual effects – Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Fox)
• Cliff Martinez, original score – Drive (Icon)
• Robert Richardson, cinematography – Hugo (Entertainment)
• Robbie Ryan, cinematography – Wuthering Heights (Artificial Eye)