Jan 6, 2007–The National Society of Film Critics selected the best of 2006 in New York City, naming Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” the best movie of the year.
The group, comprised of 58 leading national critics, votes and announces its winners without hosting an annual ceremony. In its 41st annual awards announcement, “United 93” director Paul Greengrass was named best director and “An Inconvenient Truth” was voted the best nonfiction film of the year.
The announcement from the National Society of Film Critics marks the final critics organization to announce picks for the best films of the year, as organizations in New York and L.A. prepare to present their prizes during events this week.
In the voting for best actor, Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland”) narrowly beat out Peter O’Toole (“Venus”) in a tiebreaker vote and Helen Mirren was the clear winner in best actress voting. Mark Wahlberg (“The Departed”) won the award for best supporting actor and Meryl Streep was voted best supporting actress for both “The Devil Wears Prada” and “A Prairie Home Companion”).
Peter Morgan’s script for “The Queen” was named best screenplay, while Emmanuel Lubezki won the award for best cinematography for “Children of Men.”
Voters also singled out “Inland Empire” with an award for best experimental film, while film heritage awards were presented to both Jean-Pierre Melville’s “Army of Shadows” (released for the first time in the U.S. last year by Rialto Pictures) and to the Museum of the Moving Image for presenting the first complete U.S. retrospective of French filmmaker Jacques Rivette.
NSFC VOTING FOR 2006 FILMS (information provided by the National Society of Film Critics)
BEST PICTURE
1. Pan’s Labyrinth – 34 (Guillermo del Toro)
2. The Death of Mr. Lazurescu – 31 (Cristi Puiu)
3. Letters from Iwo Jima – 29 (Clint Eastwood)
BEST DIRECTOR
1. Paul Greengrass – 21 (United 93)
2. Martin Scorsese – 15 (The Departed)
2. Guillermo del Toro – 15 (Pan’s Labyrinth
BEST NONFICTION FILM
1. An Inconvenient Truth – 26
2. Deliver Us From Evil – 24
3. Shut Up & Sing – 13
BEST ACTOR
1. Forest Whitaker – 9 in tiebreaker – 54 (The Last King of Scotland)
2. Peter O’Toole – 8 in tiebreaker – 54 (Venus)
3. Ryan Gosling – 37 (Half Nelson)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Mark Wahlberg – 28 (The Departed)
2. Jackie Earle Haley – 18 (Little Children)
3. Alan Arkin – 17 (Little Miss Sunshine)
BEST ACTRESS
1. Helen Mirren -94 (The Queen)
2. Laura Dern – 32 (Inland Empire)
3. Judi Dench – 25 (Notes on a Scandal)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Meryl Streep – 25 (The Devil Wears Prada and A Prairie Home Companion)
2. Jennifer Hudson – 22 (Dreamgirls)
3. Shareeka Epps – 16 (Half Nelson)
BEST SCREENPLAY
1. The Queen – 67 (Peter Morgan)
2. The Departed – 25 (William Monahan)
3. The Good Shepherd – 15 (Eric Roth)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Children of Men – 66 (Emmanuel Lubezki)
2. Pan’s Labyrinth – 41 (Guillermo Navarro)
3. Curse of the Golden Flower – 10 (Xiaoding Zhao)
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM to David Lynch’s labyrinthine INLAND EMPIRE, a magnificent and maddening experiment with digital video possibilities.
FILM HERITAGE AWARD to Jean-Pierre Melville’s ARMY OF SHADOWS (1969), lovingly restored and released by Rialto Pictures for the first time in the United States.
FILM HERITAGE AWARD to the Museum of the Moving Image for presenting the first complete U.S. retrospective of French filmmaker Jacques Rivette, including the premiere American showing of the director’s legendary “Out 1.”
The results of the meeting were dedicated to the memory of Robert Altman.
