New York Film Critics Love the Hustle

To the shock of nearly everyone following, David O. Russell’s American Hustle was the clear winner from today’s long slog through the awards trough giving it three major awards, including Best Picture. What seemed for many to be a season of 12 Years a Slave vs. Gravity was proven otherwise with the former getting a single mention today (albeit for director, Steve McQueen) and the latter going home empty-handed (even losing Cinematography). The Wolf of Wall Street, which just screened for the NY critics came out with nothing today.

In the acting categories, 77-year old Robert Redford won Best Actor for his solo sailboat adventure All is Lost, besting Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) and the other 77-year old, Bruce Dern (Nebraska, which also came up with zero wins). Cate Blanchett began her probably awards run for Blue Jasmine, silencing Sandra Bullock and Adèle Exarchopoulos. Jared Leto made the grade for Dallas Buyers Club over Michael Fassbender (12 Years a Slave) and Jonah Hill (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Jennifer Lawrence (American Hustle) bested 12 Years a Slave’s newcomer Lupita Nyong’o for Best Supporting Actress. Many might remember Lawrence was in a death duel with Amour’s Emmanuelle Riva last year with NY, only to lose out in the last ballot to Rachel Weisz. She clearly has her fans and this could be seen as a bit of a makeup for that.

American Hustle’s other win came early in the voting for Screenplay, much to the surprise of everyone as it bested Nebraska, Inside Llewyn Davis and again, 12 Years a Slave.

So what does this all mean? We’re just two days into the awards season (well, one if you don’t count the Satellites and after their debacle yesterday, who would?) and it’s already upside down. Is American Hustle going to be the third time’s a charm for Russell? Having had huge success at the Oscars with his last two films it’s not hard to imagine we could be seeing him on that stage in March.

The full list of winners (runners-up are announced later):

BEST PICTURE – American Hustle
BEST DIRECTOR – Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
BEST ACTOR – Robert Redford, All is Lost
BEST ACTRESS – Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
BEST SCREENPLAY – American Hustle
BEST FOREIGN FILM – Blue is the Warmest Color
BEST ANIMATED FILM – The Wind Rises
BEST NON-FICTION FILM – Stories We Tell
BEST FIRST FILM – Fruitvale Station
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY – Inside Llewyn Davis