“The Social Network” will be voted Best Picture by the L.A. and New York film critics’ groups this Sunday and Monday, according to 13 experts polled by Gold Derby, who also foresee victories by Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) as Best Actor and Christian Bale (“The Fighter”) as Best Supporting Actor. There are no consensus views about the races for lead and supporting actress.
The film critics’ awards are proving to be more important than ever. In recent years, they propelled “No Country for Old Men,” “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Hurt Locker” Oscar-bound. What’ll triumph this year? Members of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. vote on Sunday, Dec. 12. Members of the New York Film Critics’ Circle cast ballots on Monday, Dec. 13.
We polled these noted Oscarologists to forecast the critics’ kudos champs: Erik Davis (Cinematical), Scott Feinberg (ScottFeinberg), Pete Hammond (Deadline), Guy Lodge (In Contention), Michael Musto (Village Voice), Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby, The Envelope), Nathaniel Rogers (Film Experience), Keith Simanton (IMDB), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily), Kris Tapley (In Contention), Chuck Walton (Fandango), Jeff Wells (Hollywood-Elsewhere), Susan Wloszczyna (USA Today).
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LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSN.
BEST PICTURE
“The Social Network” – Davis, Feinberg, Rogers, Simanton, Tapley, Walton, Wloszczyna
“Toy Story 3” – Hammond, Musto, O’Neil, Stone
“Black Swan” or “Social Network” – Wells
“Winter’s Bone” — Lodge
BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher, “The Social Network” – Davis, Feinberg, Hammond, Lodge, Musto, O’Neil, Rogers, Simanton, Stone, Tapley, Walton, Wloszczyna
Fincher or Aronofsky – Wells
BEST ACTOR
Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech” – Davis, Feinberg, Hammond, Musto, O’Neil, Simanton, Stone, Tapley, Wloszczyna
Javier Bardem, “Biutiful” or Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network” – Wells
James Franco, “127 Hours” – Rogers, Walton
Ryan Gosling, “Blue Valentine” — Lodge
BEST ACTRESS
Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone” — Hammond, Lodge, Tapley
Natalie Portman, “Black Swan” – Rogers, Walton, Wloszczyna
Lesley Manville, “Another Year” – Feinberg, O’Neil, Stone
Natalie Portman or Lesley Manville – Davis, Wells
Annette Bening, “The Kids Are All Right” – Musto, Simanton
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, “The Fighter” – Davis, Feinberg, Hammond, Musto, O’Neil, Rogers, Simanton, Stone, Tapley, Walton, Wells, Wloszczyna
Niels Arestrup, “A Prophet” — Lodge
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Helena Bonham Carter, “The King’s Speech” – Simanton, Walton
Melissa Leo, “The Fighter” — Davis, Musto, Wells, Wloszczyna
Hailee Steinfeld, “True Grit” – Stone
Jacki Weaver, “Animal Kingdom” – Feinberg, Hammond, Lodge, O’Neil, Rogers, Tapley
NEW YORK FILM CRITICS CIRCLE
BEST PICTURE
“Black Swan” — Simanton
“The King’s Speech” – Wloszczyna
“The Social Network” – Davis, Feinberg, Hammond, Lodge, Musto, O’Neil, Rogers, Stone, Tapley, Walton
“The Social Network” or “Black Swan” – Wells
BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, “Black Swan” – Rogers, Simanton, Walton
David Fincher, “The Social Network” – Davis, Feinberg, Hammond, O’Neil, Stone
Tom Hooper, “The King’s Speech” – Wloszczyna
Mike Leigh, “Another Year” – Musto, Tapley
David Fincher or Darren Aronofsky – Wells
Roman Polanski, “The Ghost Writer” — Lodge
BEST ACTOR
Javier Bardem, “Biutiful” – Feinberg, Simanton, Walton
Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech” – Davis, Hammond, Musto, O’Neil, Stone, Wloszczyna
Stephen Dorff, “Somewhere” – Tapley
Robert Duvall or Ryan Gosling … somebody unusual – Wells
Ryan Gosling, “Blue Valentine” – Rogers
Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network” — Lodge
BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening, “The Kids Are All Right” – Davis, Wloszczyna
Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone” – Hammond, Wells
Lesley Manville, “Another Year” – Lodge, Musto, Tapley
Natalie Portman, “Black Swan” – Feinberg, O’Neil, Rogers, Simanton, Stone, Walton
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale, “The Fighter” – Davis, Feinberg, Hammond, Lodge, Musto, O’Neil, Rogers, Stone, Tapley, Walton, Wloszczyna
Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech” — Simanton, Wells
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Melissa Leo, “The Fighter” – Davis, Feinberg, O’Neil, Simanton, Tapley, Walton, Wells, Wloszczyna
Jacki Weaver, “Animal Kingdom” — Hammond, Lodge, Musto, Rogers, Stone
