Sunday kicks off the critical kudos season with the LAFCA’s list of superlatives. Every year one film stands out as the “critics’ darling” if you will, a film that commands support from quality-gaugers across the board.
So what’s it going to be? In the latest sidebar poll, I’ve offered up a list of possibilities (leaving off less traditional stuff that was nevertheless critically acclaimed, such as “District 9,” for instance, or “Star Trek”). Have your say and, if you think it’ll be something else, tell us in the comments section below.
(By the way, the last poll asking which of the “big four” everyone expected to fail? Interesting results.)
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23 responses to “POLL: Which film will be the critics’ darling this year?”
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The Associated Press has chosen their top 10 of 2009 and of the decade. The Hurt Locker was the only film to make both lists.
Definitely should be between Up in the Air and The Hurt Locker. Maybe Precious. I do think, however, it will be interesting to see how Avatar does…
Up in the Air!
I’d have to say The Hurt Locker. I think the critics will want to triumph this small, independent movie which has had such a long road to get here.
Up in the Air a close second.
Ivan never had his day so give it to Jason’s Up in the Air
The Hurt Locker or Up in the Air.
Up in the Air was snubbed big time by the AP. Maybe that’s a hint of things to come. Pergaos the film didn’t stand up to a second viewing and is now being considered too much of a light comedy or too dependent on George clooney to carry it. He’s very likeable, but pretty much the same in every movie.
I think “The Messenger” is going to surprise everyone. It has been quietly showing up alongside the usual suspects. Hopefully it will continue to do so.
The Hurt Locker, easily. It has across-the-board support, not just from American critics, but Europeans as well. And it’s considered more “serious” than Up in the Air. Precious is unlikely, and it’s not so much a backlash as it is a group of critics who legitimately think Precious is not a great film. If I were able to name two films on the poll, I’d say A Serious Man as well. It seems to have garnered a surprising amount of love from the critics, some considering it among the Coens best films.
The Hurt Locker and Up In the Air are the ones to beat, but don’t count Precious out.
avatar is to fx driven to be critics darling, my guess is Up in the Air or Precious, the hurt locker wont get the acting nods Up in the Air and Precious will see.
My bet is on The Hurt Locker. Up in the Air and A Serious Man as runner-ups.
What are Up’s prospects looking like at this point in the race? I know everyone has taken it as a for-granted BP nominee since May, but I have a feeling as the season rolls on that it may run into troubl somehow.
BTW, this center-justified format is really, really weird.
Kris,
You still don’t have “Inglourious Basterds” listed among your ten possible Best Picture nominees. Tarentino’s movie was among the D.C. film critics’ top five and the Detroit film critics’ top five. Do you have insider information that is keeping it off your list?
Up in the Air, which dissapointed me big time. I’m beginning to loose faith in film critics.
The movie I’m rooting against the most of all the legit contenders is Basterds, in every category…except acting. I’d be fine with Waltz or Laurent.
Up In The Air is this year’s Slumdog, that is, in a weak year(according to me), there’s one name that gets unimaginatively and gratingly repeated ad nauseum. Up In The air is that movie, I expect it will win all those critics groups that we always hear of for the first time.
I think the actual critical darlings might turn out to be A Serious Man and The Hurt Locker. I really doubt Precious will win many Best Picture awards.
I agree about Precious. It reminds me of last year’s Doubt. The performances are fantastic, but the film itself just doesn’t quite cut it.
As for “critical darling”, I wish there weren’t one. I prefer years where it’s spread out.
Be careful with the Up in the Air-Slumdog Millionaire comparisons, because there are differences. Up in the Air doesn’t have the same “little movie that could” story, nor is it quite as activly feelgood. Up in the Air is going to be big come award season but the critics probably aren’t going to be the ones to bring it there, critics like it but they don’t love it, it will probably be somewhere areound number seven on a majority of their top ten lists.
Sci-fi fans and film bloggers are calling into question Cameron’s ethics as discussions of plagiarism start to make the rounds on the web. Cameron is no stranger to accusations of plagiary. After Terminator’s release, writer Harlan Ellison sued Cameron and won, for the ripping off two episodes Ellison wrote for The Outer Limits. The company settled and Ellison is acknowledged in the film’s credits.
http://www.screenjunkies.com/movienews/james-cameron-may-have-committed-avatar-plagiarism
http://www.soundonsight.org/avatar-james-cameron-accused-of-plagiarism/
http://screenrant.com/avatar-plot-james-cameron-plagiarized-poul-anderson-call-me-joe-ross-32369/
There’s one great movie every year that critics just smother with their insincere talking points and condescending compliments because they’re trying to sound sensitive. Up in the Air is too entertaining to be that movie. Precious is a great movie but the critics are going to have me rooting against it by March because they’ll turn it into something so ‘important.’
I don’t see the critics going for Precious big time. I think that The Hurt Locker will be their big love this year. But people probably are underestimating A Single Man.