Detroit Film Critics Society Announces the Best of 2007 Nominations and Winners!

Detroit Film Critics Society Announces the Best of 2007 Nominations and Winners!

DETROIT, Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The newly founded Detroit Film Critics Society is pleased to announce the BEST OF 2007 winners in eight categories. The society was founded last Spring by a group of 17 Michigan film critics who write in the Detroit area as well as other major cities within a 150-mile radius of the city including Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Flint, Michigan and Toledo, Ohio.

Tom Long, film critic of the Detroit News said, "Critics are inevitably influenced by the environment that surrounds them, so the idea all along was that a Detroit Film Critics Society would reflect the Detroit area. And I think the results do just that, showing an enthusiasm and appreciation for both the established and the new."

"I'm so glad we created the Detroit Film Critics Society this year. It's important for us to speak up for the films that appeal to Michigan movie goers -- movies that we don't always see reflected on critics' lists from the Coasts. And, I hope, our recognition of some films that have not yet made it to Michigan screens will mean theatres will gain greater access to smaller films that often skip over our part of the country," said Robin Swartz of the Lansing State Journal.

John Monaghan of The Detroit Free Press added, "It has been a fun way to celebrate and share thoughts on the best movies of the year. Movie reviewing can be a lonely, insulated business. Many of the group members I had sat in the dark with and never met - until now. The DACES has brought together a diverse group that has a common love of movies."

To be eligible to join the Detroit Film Critics Society, a critic must have reviewed at least 12 films over the last year in an established publication (print, radio, television or web as long as it is a commercial entity). No more than two writers per publication were admitted. Finally, each participating critic has an obligation to announce the formation of the society and the announcement of the year end winners via their medium.

Each critic submitted their top 5 picks in the following categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Ensemble, and Best Newcomer. From these submissions, each entry was given a point value and the top 5 in each category were put on the final ballot. The final ballots were then given to each critic to rank in order. The results were once again tabulated and the winner's were decided.

"Considering the exceptional quality of films released in 2007, the DACES couldn't have picked a better year to get up and running. The wide range of talent on display in the nominees proves that Detroit critics have a unique gift for spotting talent and recognizing the reasons why we all fell in love with movies in the first place," commented Jason Buchanan of allmovie.com.

"As opposed to most years where there are only a handful of worthy frontrunners, this year boasted a strong slate of quality films and performances ... some of which didn't make the final cut but were clearly worthy. It's been a pretty good year for moviegoers, added Jeff Meyers of The Metro Times. I think many of the Detroit critics display a kind of no nonsense individuality. Looking at the list of nominations it's clear that, as a group, we have a fairly eclectic taste. More interesting than our top five selections in each category would be those films and actors that just missed the cut. I think people would be pretty surprised by the almost-rans."

Chris Williams of the Advisor and Source Newspapers said, "This was the best year for film in a very long time and every film that is recognized was a contender for my top 10 list. It's a great year for us to be able to start this group, when so many filmmakers and actors are turning out such quality work. It made the decision process very difficult at times, as great films seemed to present themselves each week, but it also made the entire experience immensely gratifying and I was pleased at the diversity that I saw in the ballots, from large projects like 'No Country For Old Men' and 'There Will Be Blood' to smaller, character-driven fare like 'Juno,' 'The Savages' and 'Away from Her.'"

THE NOMINATIONS AND WINNERS FOR 2007

PICKED BY THE DETROIT FILM CRITICS SOCIETY

(WINNERS ARE MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK (*))

1. BEST FILM
-- THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
-- INTO THE WILD
-- JUNO
-- NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN*
-- THERE WILL BE BLOOD

2. BEST DIRECTOR
-- PAUL THOMAS ANDERSON - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
-- TIM BURTON - SWEENEY TODD
-- JOEL & ETHAN COEN - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN*
-- SEAN PENN - INTO THE WILD
-- JASON REITMAN - JUNO
-- JULIAN SCHNABEL - THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY

3. BEST ACTOR
-- MATHIEU AMALRIC - THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
-- GEORGE CLOONEY - MICHAEL CLAYTON*
-- DANIEL DAY-LEWIS - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
-- EMILE HIRSCH - INTO THE WILD
-- TOMMY LEE JONES - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

4. BEST ACTRESS
-- AMY ADAMS - ENCHANTED
-- JULIE CHRISTIE - AWAY FROM HER
-- MARION COTILLARD - LA VIE EN ROSE
-- LAURA LINNEY - THE SAVAGES
-- ELLEN PAGE - JUNO*

5. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
-- CASEY AFFLECK - THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES
-- JAVIER BARDEM - NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN*
-- PAUL DANO - THERE WILL BE BLOOD
-- HAL HOLBROOK - INTO THE WILD
-- TOM WILKINSON - MICHAEL CLAYTON

6. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
-- CATE BLANCHETT - I'M NOT THERE
-- CATHERINE KEENER - INTO THE WILD
-- EMILY MORTIMER - LARS & THE REAL GIRL
-- AMY RYAN - GONE, BABY GONE
-- TILDA SWINTON - MICHAEL CLAYTON*

7. BEST ENSEMBLE
-- BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD
-- JUNO*
-- LARS & THE REAL GIRL
-- WAITRESS
-- ZODIAC

8. BEST NEWCOMER
-- NIKKI BLONSKY - ACTOR, HAIRSPRAY
-- MICHAEL CERA - ACTOR, JUNO & SUPERBAD
-- DIABLO CODY - SCREENWRITER, JUNO*
-- SARAH POLLEY- DIRECTOR, AWAY FROM HER
-- ADRIENNE SHELLEY- DIRECTOR, WRITER, ACTOR, WAITRESS

The Detroit Film Critics Society founding members for 2007 are Chris Williams - Advisor & Source Newspapers, Terry Lawson - The Detroit Free Press, John Monaghan - The Detroit Free Press, Tom Long - The Detroit News, Adam Graham - The Detroit News, Ed Bradley - The Flint Journal, John Serba - The Grand Rapids Press, James Sanford - The Kalamazoo Gazette, Robin Swartz - The Lansing State Journal, Michael Hastings - The Metro Times, Jeff Meyers - The Metro Times, Chris Borelli - The Toledo Blade and Scripps Howard News Wire, Jason Buchanan - allmovie.com, Perry Seibert - allmovie.com, Jim Fordyce - WLAJ TV-WILS RADIO, Warren Pierce - WJR Radio, and Greg Russell - WMYD-TV.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Detroit Film Critics Society

CONTACT: Ruth Daniels, Detroit Film Critics Society, +1-248-703-0997,
ruthd@emagine-entertainment.com

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