The Movie Race is On

So, the onslaught of critics awards are starting to spill out, and some clear leaders are emerging in this years Oscar race, and thank heavens, nothing I can really object to so far (must I remind people again of my disappointment of Crash winning this past year?).

So The Queen, The Departed, Letters From Iwo Jima and United 93 seem to be emerging as leaders. Haven't seen Letters yet but United 93 is definitely my pick of the best movie I've seen so far this year, with The Queen and The Departed as worthy close runners. I'm glad to see Ryan Gosling being noted for Half Nelson, though I found both indies Little Miss Sunshine and Thank for for Smoking as a little overated. Good films but not the best movies I've seen this year, nor the best independent movies I've seen before.

Funny how Boston critics chose Boston-set The Departed, and Washington Critics chose Washington based United 93 though. Just a note. (Last year Toronto Critics chose Toronto filmed A History of Violence so hey, who am I to say?)

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
BEST PICTURE Letters from Iwo Jima Runner Up: The Queen
DIRECTOR Paul Greengrass, United 93 Runner-up: Clint Eastwood, Flags of our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima
ACTRESS Helen Mirren, The Queen Runner-up: Penelope Cruz, Volver
ACTOR Tie - Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat and Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
SCREENPLAY The Queen by Peter Morgan Runner-up: Little Miss Sunshine by Michael Arndt
SUPPORTING ACTRESS Luminita Gheorghiu, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu Runner-up: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
SUPPORTING ACTOR Michael Sheen, The Queen Runner-up: Sergi Lopez, Pan's Labyrinth
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM The Lives of Others directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Runner-up: Volver directed by Pedro Almodovar
DOCUMENTARY/NON-FICTION FILM An Inconvenient Truth directed by Davis Guggenheim Runner-up: Darwin's Nightmare directed by Hubert Sauper
PRODUCTION DESIGN Eugenio Caballero, Pan's Labyrinth Runner-up: Jim Clay, Veronica Falzon, Geoffrey Kirkland, Children of Men
ANIMATION Happy Feet (George Miller)Runner-up: Cars (John Lasseter, Joe Ranft)

Boston Society Of Film Critics
Best Picture The Departed United 93, runner-up
Best Director Martin Scorsese, The Departed Paul Greengrass, United 93, runner-up
Best Actor Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson, runner-up
Best Actress Helen Mirren, The Queen Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal, runner-up
Best Supporting Actor Mark Wahlberg, The Departed TIE: Michael Sheen, The Queen; Alec Baldwin, The Departed/Running with Scissors/The Good Shepherd, runners-up
Best Supporting Actress Shareeka Epps, Half Nelson Meryl Streep, The Devil Wore Prada, runner-up
Best Ensemble Cast United 93 The Departed, runner-up
Best Screenplay William Monahan, The Departed Peter Morgan, The Queen, runner-up
Best Foreign Language Film Pan's Labyrinth Volver, runner-up
Best DocumentaryTIE: Deliver Us From Evil/Shut Up & Sing 51 Birch Street, runner-up
Best New Filmmaker Ryan Fleck, Half Nelson Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, Little Miss Sunshine, runners-up
Best Cinematography Guillermo Navarro. Pan's Labyrinth TIE: Stuart Dryburgh, The Painted Veil; Xiaoding Zhao, Curse of the Golden Flower, runners-up

Washington DC AreaFilm Critics Awards
Best Film United 93
Best Actor Forrest Whitaker, Last King of Scotland
Best Actress Helen Mirren, The Queen
Best Supporting Actor Djimon Hounsou, Blood Diamond
Best Supporting Actress Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Best Director Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Best Original Screenplay Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine
Best Adapted Screenplay Jason Reitman, Thank You For Smoking
Best Foreign Film Pan's Labrynth
Best Animated Feature Happy Feet
Best Documentary An Inconvenient Truth
Best Ensemble Little Miss Sunshine
Best Art Direction Marie Antoinette

New York Film Critics Online
Picture The Queen
Director Stephen Frears, The Queen
Actor Forrest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Actress Helen Mirren, The Queen
Supporting Actor Michael Sheen, The Queen
Supporting Actress(Tie) Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls and Catherine O'Hara, For Your Consideration
Screenplay Peter Morgan, The Queen
Ensemble CastL ittle Miss Sunshine
Debut as Director Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris - Little Miss Sunshine
Breakthrough Performer Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
Cinematography Dick Pope, The Illusionist
Film Score Philip Glass, The Illusionist
Documentary Feature An Inconvenient Truth
Animated Feature Happy Feet
Foreign Language Picture Pan's Labrynth
Humanitarian Award DEEPA MEHTA (Water) for taking risks to create films aboutthe difficulties of social change in India especially as it affectswomen.
Ten Best Pictures (Alphabetical)BABEL (Paramount Vantage) THE FOUNTAIN (Warner Bros.) INLAND EMPIRE (Absurda) LITTLE CHILDREN (New Line) LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (Fox Searchlight) PAN'S LABYRINTH (Picturehouse) THE QUEEN (Miramax) THANK YOU FOR SMOKING (Fox Searchlight) VOLVER (Sony Pictures Classics) WATER (Fox Searchlight)

AFI AWARDS 2006
(in alphabetical order)

BABEL
BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
HALF NELSON
HAPPY FEET
INSIDE MAN
LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
UNITED 93