Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker (Jonathan Olley / Summit Entertainment)
The Hurt Locker was the National Society of Film Critics' big winner. The war drama about a bomb squad doing their work in the dangerous streets of an Iraqi city was voted best film of 2009, and earned honors for director Kathryn Bigelow and actor Jeremy Renner. Most US film critic' groups have picked The Hurt Locker as the best film of 2009 and Bigelow as best director. Jeremy Renner has also received several citations and is up for a SAG Award.
The NSFC's best actress was — I told you not be surprised — Cesar winner Yolande Moreau for Séraphine, in which she plays Séraphine de Senlis, a houseworker who also happens to be a great artist. In December, Moreau was voted the Los Angeles Film Critics Association's best actress as well. Despite her two important wins, however, Moreau's chances at the Oscar remain at best iffy. In a weak year, she'd be in, but competition is strong for 2009, e.g., Meryl Streep, Carey Mulligan, Gabourey Sidibe, Sandra Bullock, Helen Mirren, Melanie Laurent, and others.
Mo'Nique once again was the best supporting actress for her vicious mother in Precious, while Christoph Waltz' even viciouser Nazi in Inglourious Basterds was — gasp! — selfless enough to share the best supporting actor award with Bright Star's Paul Schneider, who's been all but ignored this awards season. Both Mo'Nique and Waltz should have their Oscar acceptance speeches ready by now.
Joel and Ethan Coen won the best screenplay award for the black comedy A Serious Man, while Agnes Varda's autobiographical The Beaches of Agnes was the best non-fiction film. The best foreign language film was Olivier Assayas' family drama Summer Hours, which has been a critics' favorite during this awards season.
The National Society of Film Critics consists of 64 members from major US-based media outlets, most of which are based in New York and Los Angeles. Six NSFC winners matched the New York Film Critics' choices (including Christoph Waltz); eight matched the Los Angeles winners (including The Beaches of Agnes, which tied with The Cove in LA).
National Society of Film Critics Awards 2009
BEST PICTURE
1. The Hurt Locker 64 (Kathryn Bigelow)
2. Summer Hours 23 (Olivier Assayas)
3. Inglourious Basterds (17) Quentin Tarantino
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
1. Summer Hours 61 (Olivier Assayas)
2. Everlasting Moments 21 (Jan Troell)
3. Police, Adjective 20 (Corneliu Porumboiu)
3. 35 Shots of Rum 20 (Claire Denis)
BEST DIRECTOR
1. Kathryn Bigelow 85 (The Hurt Locker)
2. Olivier Assayas 23 (Summer Hours)
3. Wes Anderson 18 (Fantastic Mr. Fox)
BEST NONFICTION FILM
1. The Beaches of Agnes 40 (Agnès Varda)
2. Tyson 30 (James Toback)
3. Anvil! The Story of Anvil 25 (Sacha Gervasi)
BEST SCREENPLAY
1. Joel and Ethan Coen 33 (A Serious Man)
2. Olivier Assayas 25 (Summer Hours)
3. Quentin Tarantino 22 (Inglourious Basterds)
BEST ACTRESS
1. Yolande Moreau 22 (Séraphine)
2. Meryl Streep 21 (Julie & Julia and Fantastic Mr. Fox)
3. Abbie Cornish 19 (Bright Star)
BEST ACTOR
1. Jeremy Renner 30 (The Hurt Locker)
2. Jeff Bridges 24 (Crazy Heart)
3. Nicolas Cage 15 (Bad Lieutenant)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Mo'Nique 28 (Precious)
2. Anna Kendrick 24 (Up in the Air)
2. Samantha Morton 24 (The Messenger)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Christoph Waltz 28 (Inglourious Basterds)
1. Paul Schneider 28 (Bright Star)
3. Christian McKay 27 (Me and Orson Welles)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. The White Ribbon 33 (Christian Berger)
2. The Hurt Locker 32 (Barry Ackroyd)
3. Everlasting Moments – 19 (Jan Troell and Mischa Gavrjusjov)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
1. Nelson Lowry 43 (Fantastic Mr. Fox)
2. Rick Carter 28 (Avatar)
3. Henry Selick 12 (Coraline)
Heritage Awards:
- Restoration of Rashomon,
Academy Film Archive and National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, as well as Kadokawa Pictures, Inc. - Bruce Posner for his restoration of Manhatta
- Treasures of American Film Vol. 4 (Avant Garde 1947 – 1986)
- Warner Archive Collection
- UCLA Film & Television Archive for the restoration of The Red Shoes
- Kino International, Avant Garde Vol 3. Experimental Cinema 1922 – 1954