AUSTIN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCE

Best Picture

1.    Hugo

2.       Drive

3.       Take Shelter

4.       Midnight in Paris

5.       Attack the Block

6.       The Artist

7.       Martha Marcy May Marlene

8.       I Saw the Devil

9.       13 Assassins

10.    Melancholia

Best Director

                Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

                Michael Shannon (Take Shelter)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

                Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

                Albert Brooks (Drive)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

                Jessica Chastain (Take Shelter)

Best Original Screenplay

                Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris)

Best Adapted Screenplay

                Hossein Amini (Drive)

Best Cinematography

                Emmanuel Lubezki (The Tree of Life)

Best Original Score

                Steven Price (Attack the Block)

Best Animated Feature

                Rango

Best Documentary

                Senna

Best Foreign Language Film

                I Saw the Devil

The AFCA are proud of their 'wild contrarianism' as they put it, kind of, according to their website. It makes one wonder - did they vote for their favourite films this year or just whatever they thought might make them 'progressive...compared to their counterparts'. Maybe they just don't have an agenda or feel the need to follow the crowd and increase their relevance. Or maybe they do have an agenda - take a look at the correlation between their Top 10 and their other awards. Sure, I can understand maybe one or two people voting for Attack the Block for Best Original Score, but enough to allow it to win? I'm not sure. The big win for Hugo, though, I can't quite justify, no matter how I try to interpret these results. It's hardly that big a win, still, and perhaps it's better not to try to interpret these results. After all, for such a progressive critics' group, where is Shame? A Separation? Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy? Or something truly progressive, like Midnight in Paris...;)