Why We Need Film Critics
You have a Eureka moment.
After writing the first hundred words on your paper on "L'avventura", you would figure out why film critics are still relevant. It's their job to watch all the movies, if not most of the black and white pictures. And you might get an idea or two. Not that you can't think of a better one, but you don't want to be reminded of succeeding assignments. Information overload too. You've been a film enthusiast, which didn't sit well with your folks. They loved to go to the movie theater, but they were fans of Billy Wilder. And this was where you began to fancy the finer films. You have no idea that you turned into a snob, but it worked in the English Department. After all, you didn't expect a module on Dan Brown. You've been reminded of your assignment one more time. You didn't forget the critics.
You've been following the New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards for years, often curious about the members. You only knew Armond White. He made headlines during a ceremony four years ago. He was the NYFCC chairman, and he expressed his bias towards certain films on stage. It didn't sit well with Darren Aronofsky. (White disliked "The Black Swan". The audience gasped at the director's swipe.) You wondered if White was still the chairman, but you didn't think further. This small group of critics revealed their choices for the best features and performances of the year. You were certain that "Carol" won't win an Academy Award for Best Picture.
There was no doubt about it, as you knew the past winners. It was a long list. You remembered the following:
The 64th edition, held on January 10, 1999, honored Nick Nolte, Cameron Diaz, Bill Murray, and Lisa Kudrow in the acting categories. You sensed the absence of politics, which often influenced the Academy Awards. You weren't surprised that Nolte was the only one who earned an Oscar nomination. And he didn't win. (You might be reading too many showbiz news or the veteran actor didn't make an effort to be likable to his peers.) As for Kudrow, she could blame Phoebe Buffay. Murray didn't reach icon status, yet, while you detested the works of the Farrelly brothers.
The 78th edition, which took place on December 3, 2012, surprised you. Why did NYFCC picked "Zero Dark Thirty" for Best Picture? It was an action thriller film, and you and your brother discussed it after both of you have seen it. And you have different opinions. It was about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and the discovery of his compound in Pakistan. Production took place a few months after this breaking news, prompting you to wonder if the White House delivered classified documents to screenwriter Mark Boal. The story seemed too good to be true, but filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow won't tell much. And she was the recipient of the Best Director Award. You didn't fancy "Argo", so you were bewildered at its reception. Perhaps you didn't grasp the nature of terrorism, which your distant cousin (in Bristol) told you again and again.
The 80th edition recognized the best movies and acting achievements of 2014. "Boyhood" disarmed you, but you knew "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)" would scoop the top prize. Alejandro G. Iñárritu should have won the Oscar for "Amores perros", but the Academy voters weren't receptive to his cynical view of the world. And it didn't shock you that a picture produced by Hollywood (and directed by Iñárritu) changed their impression.
Maybe Steven Spielberg's latest movie will win the Best Picture category on February 28. You were at the edge of your seat, which made you forget your previous assignment. But you recalled the last one again. And you groaned after it dawned on you that you won't go to the theater anytime this month.
