The apocalyptic psychological drama Melancholia was recently named the year’s best film by the National Society of Film Critics. While Kirsten Dunst, the protagonist of the film, was chosen as the best actress, Brad Pitt was picked as best actor for the baseball drama Moneyball as well as The Tree of Life.
Lars von Trier lost out on the best director award for his work on Melancholia to Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life, a mystical period piece which also won the best cinematography prize.
But the big win by Melancholia bolstered the offbeat film’s chances for the upcoming Academy Awards, which will announce nominees later this month. Set against the backdrop of a country wedding, the dark film explores the strained relationship of two sisters, one a bride played by Dunst, while a strange planet threatens to collide with Earth, wiping out all traces of human existence.
Pitt, already a strong contender for the Oscars, was honoured for his roles as Oakland A’s manager Billy Beane in Moneyball as well as a strict father in The Tree of Life. Critics’ awards are important in helping build momentum heading toward the Academy Awards, or Oscars, which are the world’s top film awards given out on the final Sunday in February by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The NSFC includes 58 members from major newspapers in Los Angeles, Boston, New York, Chicago and other cities as well as from Time, Newsweek and The New Yorker and newspapers The Village Voice and The Boston Phoenix. The group’s awards for best supporting performances went to Albert Brooks, who played a small-time hood in the drama Drive, and Jessica Chastain, who was honoured for her performances in The Tree of Life, Take Shelter and The Help.