“Atonement” continues its critical domination this week by picking up eight nominations from the just released London Critics Circle awards. Tied for eight nominations also includes the grainy, kitchen-sink rock drama “Control” about the live of departed Joy Division singer Ian Curtis.
However, despite their critical hegemony, neither film was nominated for Best Picture. Instead Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” picked up four important nominations including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Screenplay.
Other films competeting for the top Best Picture prize include, “No Country For Old Men,” “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “The Bourne Ultimatum” and David Fincher’s almost-as-fun-as-studying-for-an-examine film, the grossly laborious “Zodiac.”
“Control” and “Atonement” were relegated to the Best British Picture ghetto which also includes the indie musical, “Once,” “Eastern Promises” and the aptly titled, “This Is England.”
The entire list of nominees is over at Variety. Keep in mind, there’s lot of British categories, which seems to weigh things in their favor, but few British actors of filmmakers broke out of their UK consignments. Some other categories below.
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck — “The Lives of Others”
Paul Thomas Anderson — “There Will Be Blood”
Joel and Ethan Coen — “No Country for Old Men”
David Fincher — “Zodiac”
Cristian Mungui — “4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days”
BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Anton Corbijn — “Control”
Paul Greengrass — “The Bourne Ultimatum”
Shane Meadows — “This Is England”
Joe Wright — “Atonement”
Danny Boyle — “Sunshine”