Movieline

New York Film Critics Circle Kicks Off Awards Season By Anointing Streep, Pitt, The Artist

The New York Film Critics Circle made waves by moving their awards announcement up to November 29 in an effort to claim "First!" but Oscar-watchers have to admit: Between the NYFCC Twitter roll-out and this morning's Spirit Awards nominations, there's a crackle in the air on an otherwise slo-o-o-w news day. So what if the New York critics didn't get a chance to see everything before voting today? They saw Tree of Life! (Clearly.) Hit the jump for the list of winners.

List of NYFCC winners, updated as announced:

Best First Feature: Margin Call

Best Nonfiction Film: Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain for Tree of Life, The Help, and Take Shelter

Best Actress: Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady

Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks for Drive

Best Actor: Brad Pitt for Moneyball and Tree of Life

Best Foreign Language Film: A Separation

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist

Best Screenplay: Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin for Moneyball

Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for Tree of Life

2011 Special Award to be given posthumously to filmmaker Raoul Ruiz

Best Picture: The Artist

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Thoughts so far (add your own below):

It's certainly been a banner year for Chastain, but Pitt for Best Actor? That oughta shake things up in the Oscarsphere. And what's with this idea of awarding a performer for multiple cumulative performances vs. one great turn?

Love for Cave of Forgotten Dreams? Huzzah for Herzog!

If anyone's keeping tabs, Roger Friedman's been scooping the NYFCC on their own awards announcements on Twitter.

With that, Moneyball's back in the minds of awards season watchers. Is it on deck for the Oscars? Will it hit for the cycle? (Does that make the NYFCC win the equivalent of notching an awards season single?)

Aaaaand Best Pic goes to The Artist. Thanks for that special screening of Dragon Tattoo, but no thanks.