United 93 is the best-pic pick of the Austin Film Critics org, which honored Children of Men's Alfonso Cuarón as best director, and handed the top acting kudos to Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed) and Ellen Page (Hard Candy). Austin's supporting slots went to Jack Nicholson (The Departed) and Rinko Kikuchi (Babel).The Kansas City Film Critics Circle, meanwhile, also honored United 93 for best picture and best director (Paul Greengrass), then went with the Forest/Helen ticket in lead, and Michael Sheen (The Queen)/Catherine O'Hara (For Your Consideration) in supporting.
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Finally, a departure from The Departed. The film-critics organizations from Utah and Oklahoma have each honored United 93 with their best-picture awards. The Sooners, however, named Martin Scorsese best director, while Utah gave that kudos to Children of Men's Alfonso Cuaron. Helen Mirren, Forest Whitaker, Cate Blanchett (Notes on a Scandal) and Jackie Earle Haley won the acting categories in Oklahoma, while Utah opted for a Mirren/Sacha Baron Cohen/Rinko Kikuchi (Babel)/Michael Sheen (The Queen) ticket.
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Scorsese scores again. The Departed has been declared the year's best film by the Southeastern Film Critics Association, with Marty himself named best director. (Sounds like it's time for Matt to get a sitter and see this flick.) The top acting awards went to Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) and Helen Mirren (The Queen), with Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children) and Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) sweeping the supporting slots. Pan's Labyrinth, An Inconvenient Truth and Cars copped foreign-language, doc and animated honors.The Chicago Film Critics group, meanwhile, has unveiled nominations for the year in film, and Babel bested the rest with nine nods, including those for best picture, director and original screenplay. Also vying for best film: The Departed (which also netted nods for Scorsese, Leo, Jack and adapted screenplay), Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen and United 93 (which is currently residing in my sleek li'l Sony Watchman DVD gizmo).
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Hot on the heels of Sunday's kudos handed out by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the American Film Institute, the New York Film Critics Circle has awarded its best-picture honor to... United 93. In other categories, Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) and Helen Mirren (The Queen) solidified their positions as front-runners in the Oscar race, while Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children) and Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) copped supporting honors.
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The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has picked Clint Eastwood's second WWII-themed release, Letters from Iwo Jima (in theaters Dec. 20), as the best movie of the year, while The Queen took five honors, including best actress for Helen Mirren and best director for Stephen Frears. Also on Sunday, the American Film Institute unveiled its 10 Best list. On it were, natch, Letters, Dreamgirls, United 93 and Borat. (What? No Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny?) Their best-actor prize was shared by Sacha Baron Cohen and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland).
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