SAN DIEGO FILM CRITICS CHOOSE BEST OF 2009
Inglourious Basterds was voted Best Film of 2009 by the San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) on Tuesday. The film, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, tells the story of several disparate characters navigating survival and revenge in the chaos of World War II Europe, employing Tarantino's merge of comedy, violence, poignancy and pathos. The critics voted Tarantino as Best Director, and also chose his Inglourious Basterds as Best Original Screenplay. The film won six awards total from the group.
The society’s critics, comprising print, television, radio and Internet critics working in San Diego County, voted Michelle Monaghan as Best Actress for her riveting portrayal as a carefree long-haul trucker whose life suddenly changes in the indie film Trucker. Colin Firth, playing a college professor devastated by the loss of his longtime partner in A Single Man, was voted Best Actor.
Earning the Best Supporting Actress nod was Samantha Morton for her performance as a grieving war widow in The Messenger. The critics voted Christoph Waltz as Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the ever-deceptive Nazi officer in Inglourious Basterds.
SDFCS honored Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for Fantastic Mr. Fox, based on the novella by Roald Dahl.
Chosen as Best Foreign Language Film was Il Divo, the story of persevering Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti.
The critics voted the Disney-Pixar film Up as Best Animated Film.
The Best Documentary award went to The Cove, documenting the killing of dolphins in a Japanese fishing village.
For Best Cinematography honors, the critics chose Javier Aguirresarobe for his work on The Road, while honoring David Wasco for Best Production Design on Inglourious Basterds.
Winner of the Best Editing award went to Alan Edward Bell for his efforts on the film 500 Days of Summer.
Winning for Best Score was Abel Korzeniowski for the music in A Single Man, The cast of Inglourious Basterds was honored for Best Ensemble Performance.
The critics honored Woody Harrelson for Body of Work during 2009, citing the actor's performances in the films The Messenger, Zombieland and 2012.
The critics chose the Reading Cinemas Gaslamp Stadium 15 to receive the annual Kyle Counts Award. The award, named after the late San Diego film critic, honors those who have made contributions to film in the city. SDFCS cited the Reading Cinemas Gaslamp Stadium 15 for its bold and consistent booking of vital new independent and foreign films.
LIST OF WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP
BEST FILM: Inglourious Basterds
Runner-up: A Single Man
BEST DIRECTOR: Quentin Tarantino Inglourious Basterds
Runner-up: James Cameron (Avatar)
BEST ACTRESS: Michelle Monaghan (Trucker)
Runners-up: Abbie Cornish (Bright Star), Carey Mulligan (An Education)
BEST ACTOR: Colin Firth (A Single Man)
Runner-up: Viggo Mortensen (The Road)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Samantha Morton (The Messenger)
Runner-up: Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Christoph Waltz Inglourious Basterds
Runner-up: Woody Harrelson (The Messenger)
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Quentin Tarantino Inglourious Basterds
Runner-up: Joel & Ethan Coen (A Serious Man)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach (Fantastic Mr. Fox)
Runner-up: Jason Reitman & Sheldon Turner (Up in the Air)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Il Divo
Runner-up: Sin Nombre
BEST DOCUMENTARY: The Cove
Runner-up: Anvil, The Story of Anvil
BEST ANIMATED FILM: Up
Runner-up: Fantastic Mr. Fox
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Javier Aguirresarobe (The Road)
Runner-up: Robert Richardson (Inglourious Basterds)
BEST EDITING: Alan Edward Bell 500 Days of Summer)
Runner-up: Sally Menke (Inglourious Basterds)
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: David Wasco (Inglourious Basterds)
Runner-up: Anatasia Masaro (Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus)
BEST SCORE: Abel Korzeniowski (A Single Man)
Runner-up: Michael Giacchino (Up)
BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: Inglourious Basterds
Runner-up: A Serious Man
BODY OF WORK: Woody Harrelson (The Messenger, Zombieland, 2012)
KYLE COUNTS AWARD: Reading Cinemas Gaslamp Stadium 15. Named after the late San Diego film critic, the award honors those who have made contributions to film in the city. SDFCS cited the Reading Cinemas Gaslamp Stadium 15 for its bold and consistent booking of vital new independent and foreign films.
Beth Accomando
Outlets: KPBS FM Radio, KPBS TV’s Full Focus, KPBS.org, KPBS On Air Magazine, National Public Radio, Public Radio International’s The World, Revolt in Style
Chrystal Basil, President
Outlet: Warren College Television (WCTV - UCSD Triton Cable, Channel 20)
Dan Bennett
Outlet: North County Times
Michael Black
Eric Flowers, Secretary
Outlet: LousRecords.com
James Colt Harrison
Outlets: Buzz Magazine, La Jolla Village News, Hillcrest News, Monthly Courier, No Cover Music Magazine, Mid City Journal and Golden Triangle News
Jeri Jacquin, Outlets: East County California, Chula Vista Star News, Military Press
Jean Lowerison
Outlet: San Diego Metropolitan Magazine
Scott Marks
Outlets: KPRS Film Club of the Air, Gay & Lesbian Times
Rebecca Murray, Membership Chair
Diana Saenger, Treasurer
Outlets:
East County Gazette,
La Jolla Light,
Del Mar Times, Solana Beach Sun, Rancho Santa Fe Record and
Carmel Valley Leader, Saenger Syndicate
and
ReviewExpress.com, ReelTalkReviews.com, and
ClassicMovieGuide.com
Betty Jo Tucker
Anders Wright
Outlet: San Diego City Beat
