Los Angeles Film Critics Preview

They’ve only been around since 1975, but Los Angeles has, in its own funny way, carved out its own identity from the New York critics — perhaps part of that nowadays is due to the New York Times critics, inexplicably, not being part of the New York Film Critics circle. The New York Times. Also, we sort of deal in a more global film criticism community now so how do we start to distinguish one from the other? There is so much overlap. People who write about films and Oscars also vote in awards like the Critics Choice and the New York Film Critics Online and the Online Film Critics. The Critics Choice have always been a bit strange to me — simply because the people who vote on them are people like me —  Kris and David Poland and Jeff Wells and every Tom, Dick and Harry out there – that they refer to themselves as “critics,” is misleading.   I would never call myself a critic, for instance, which is why I never have joined that group.  I am a member of the Alliance of Women Film Journalists — and I and I can barely call myself a journalist.  If the BFCA called themselves Broadcast Film Critics and Bloggers that would more accurately reflect their voting membership.  As it is, they aren’t critics, and you are not a cop.

How the BFCA becomes influential is that they have a live show.  And whenever any contender takes the mic that can be a powerful campaign tool or it can totally derail a campaign.  Of course, anyone going to their site and digging up their scores, as we do, just gives you a number but once you realize who is voting on those scores, how few of them who have had access to some of the upcoming Oscar movies, you’ll have a clearer understanding why the scores are what they are – and trust me, most of the time, they’re way way off.  For an informal poll of unbiased voters I prefer Yahoo movies – because you’re just getting an impartial audience rating.

The New York, the National Society, the Southeaster, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles appear to be among the key influencers when it comes to critics awards.  I think New York help put the Kids Are All Right in the race last year.  And though There Will Be Blood was headed for a Best Picture nomination, that the LA Film Critics named it their Best Picture before it was even released.

Either way, lately, Los Angeles has proven to be the more daring group of critics compared not just to New York but to everyone else. They are the least likely to go with the general consensus, unless faced with a film that is clearly superior to everything else, like The Social Network (sorry, having a little fun).  Sure, New York went for Mulholland Drive and Far From Heaven, two great choices, but the LAFCA went for Letters from Iwo Jima and Wall-E. If The Artist weren’t one of the films to choose from I’d guess that this year, the critics awards are going to be divided all over the place.  But I sense an Artist sweep of the critics — simply because there aren’t many other films they all agree on.  For instance, Turan is in the LAFCA and he gave both Hugo and Drive bad reviews.  But he is one of The Artist’s biggest champions.  Try fighting THAT tide.

Please tell me your predictions.  But for now I’d go:

Best Picture: The Artist
Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Best Actress: Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Actor: Woody Harrelson, Rampart
Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, Drive
Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain, Tree of Life
Screenplay: Moneyball

I have no idea, truth be told, how they will vote.  Here is how they went last year – it’s amazing how the King’s Speech was a runner-up for Supporting Actor and Screenplay.

LAFCA | New York Film Critics | Oscar – Best Picture
*Also nominated for best picture

LA Film critics are:
Robert Abele
David Ansen
ANDREW barker
Charles Champlin
Justin Chang
Peter Debruge
Alonso Duralde
David Ehrenstein
Stephen Farber
F.X. Feeney
Scott Foundas
Todd Gilchrist
Mike Goodridge
James Greenberg
Ray Greene
TIM Grierson
Kirk Honeycutt
Mark Keizer
Leonard Klady
Andy Klein
Robert Koehler
Christy Lemire
Emanuel Levy
Sheri Linden
Lael Loewenstein
justin lowe
Wade Major
Leonard Maltin
Willard Manus
Todd McCarthy
Myron Meisel
Joe Morgenstern
AMY Nicholson
Jean Oppenheimer
HJ Park
John Powers
Claudia Puig
Peter Rainer
Michael Rechtshaffen
Harriet Robbins
James Rocchi
Richard Schickel
Henry Sheehan
Brent Simon
Charles Solomon
Bob Strauss
Ella Taylor
Kevin Thomas
Luke Y. Thompson
Kenneth Turan
Glenn Whipp
Chuck wilson