The Online Film Critics Society announced our nominees this morning, and I am proud to say that in all the years I’ve belonged to that group, we’ve never put out such a top-to-bottom fine list: as far from a “Let’s predict the Oscars!” list as it gets, with no fewer than four nominations for Holy Motors, among other delights. We are, this time, squarely on the side of the angels
The complete list is here, but I’ll reveal Best Picture and Best Director, to whet your appetites.
Best Picture
Argo
Holy Motors
The Master
Moonrise Kingdom
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Director
Ben Affleck, Argo
Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master
Wes Anderson, Moonrise Kingdom
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Leos Carax, Holy Motors
NB: The almost complete shut-out for Silver Linings Playbook and Django Unchained – one acting nod each – has a simple explanation: The Weinstein Company never got around to sending us screeners. Lord knows what would have changed otherwise, but a large chunk of the membership hasn’t seen either film – I still haven’t, for one.