The Las Vegas Film Critics Society announced its 2008 awards this week, and director Ron Howard’s “Frost/Nixon” was the runaway winner.
The film, about British journalist David Frost’s post-Watergate interviews with Richard Nixon, nabbed five of the organization’s Sierra Awards, including best picture, best actor for Frank Langella and best director for Howard. “Frost/Nixon” was also given honors for best screenplay and editing, and Langella also received the group’s William Holden Lifetime Achievement Award.
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foresthartman.com 
This has been an interesting year as the critics’ awards have not been agreeing. There seems to be no front-runner. Every week, a different film wins, where as last year, No Country for Old Men was almost a clear sweep. I just saw Frost/Nixon last night. It was interesting and Langella is much deserving of any award he might receive, but I don’t know if the film was “the best.” Overall, I think it’s been a lackluster year for films, but there’s lots of promise packed in these last few weeks of releases, and I hope to be surprised.
Here’s my review:
http://davethenovelist.wordpress.com/2008/12/19/a-review-of-ron-howards-frostnixon/
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This has been an interesting year. It’s a little tougher than usual to predict which films will wind up in Oscar’s best picture race. I do, however, expect “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Milk” to be there.
“Frost/Nixon” wasn’t my favorite overall film, and I know some colleagues in the LVFCS feel the same. The way our voting works, though, a film that’s well liked overall can win best picture even if nobody put it at No. 1.
Our awards go by a point system where voters rank nominees from one to three. The No. 1 movie gets 10 points, No. 2 gets five and No. 3 gets one. Therefore a movie that is consistently No. 2 or 3 can outscore a film that has three or four No. 1 votes, but didn’t sit well with every member.
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Forrest, I wonder now if other critics’ circles have a similar voting system. Very interesting. Are you able to reveal what was your pick for number one?
-DHS
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Hi David:
Each group is a little different. I also vote in the Broadcast Film Critics Association’s Critics’ Choice Awards, and the system is different. There are critics circles that use a system similar to ours, but I’m not tuned in to who is using what?
For the final round of voting, I went with the following for best picture.
1) “Revolutionary Road”
2) “Milk”
3) “Frost/Nixon”
I should note also that “Changeling” is my No. 1 film of the year, so far, but it didn’t make the final ballot. And, I’m extremely embarrassed to say, I was voting in a hurry, so it was actually a mistake that I put “Frost/Nixon” at No. 3. I should have gone with “The Dark Knight,” as it’s ranked higher on my year-end lists.
Hope my one point didn’t make the difference.
All that said, “Frost/Nixon” is certainly a good film.
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