With all the differing selections in most of the main categories, the various critics groups have definitely made any speculation on the Oscars® a crap shoot.
The last major critics group, The National Society of Film Critics, has checked in with its choices for the best in film for 2011 and, surprise, they’ve chosen the deeply odd and beautiful end-of-the-world/study of clinical depression film, Melancholia – directed by Lars Von Trier – as best film of 2011.
Melancholia lead Kirsten Dunst was named Best Actress and Brad Pitt nabbed Best Actor for his work in Moneyball and The Tree of Life. The Tree of Life’s Terrence Malik was named Best Director.
The complete list of winners follows the jump.
BEST ACTOR
Brad Pitt (Moneyball, The Tree of Life)
BEST ACTRESS
Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Albert Brooks (Drive)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, The Help)
BEST PICTURE
Melancholia (Lars von Trier)
BEST DIRECTOR
Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life)
BEST NONFICTION
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (Werner Herzog)
BEST SCREENPLAY
A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Tree of Life (Emmanuel Lubezki)
EXPERIMENTAL
Ken Jacobs, for Seeking the Monkey King.