The Denver Film Critics Society has given director Terrence Malick’s impressionistic portrait of a ’50s-era family and the origins of life the group’s highest honor.

“The Tree of Life,” starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Sean Penn, was chosen by DFCS as the Best Picture of 2011 this week, while “The Descendants” won three awards, including Best Screenplay. DFCS’s annual awards celebrate the finest achievement in film as chosen by a diverse group of Colo.-based film journalists.

Acting nods went to Pitt for his complicated turn as a baseball executive reinventing the rules of his game in “Moneyball,” and Meryl Streep for her latest astonishing performance as Great Britain’s groundbreaking “Iron Lady.”

Chastain’s busy 2011, including sterling appearances in “Take Shelter,” “The Tree of Life,” “The Help” and “The Debt,” made her the runaway choice for the year’s Breakout Star, while director Gore Verbinski’s neo-western “Rango” moseyed off with the Best Animated Film award.

“The 2011 film lineup may have lacked that awards-sweeping entry, but the breadth of films spoke to the vision of the modern filmmaker,” said DFCS co-director Christian Toto. “Many of the categories were won by a single vote.”

“The Artist,” the magnificent ode to the silent film era, earned a Best Director tie for Michel Hazanavicius as well as Best Score.

The Denver Film Critics Society is comprised of print journalists, bloggers, TV personalities and film scholars across the Front Range. Voting was conducted from Jan. 1-4, 2012.

THE 2011 DFCS AWARD WINNERS:

Best Picture:

“The Tree of Life”

Best Actor:

Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best Actress:

Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”

Best Supporting Actor:

Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Best Supporting Actress:

Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

Best Director (tie):

Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”

Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

Best Screenplay Original/Adapted (both in a single category):

“The Descendants” – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

Best Animated Film:

“Rango”

Best Ensemble:

“The Descendants”

Best Original Score:

“The Artist” – Ludovic Bource

Best Breakout Star:

Jessica Chastain

Best Documentary:

“Page One: Inside the New York Times”

Best Foreign Language Film:

“A Separation”

The Denver Film Critics Society is proud to announce our nominees for the 2012 DFCS Awards. Winners will be announced on January 9, 2012.

Best Picture:

“The Tree of Life”

“The Artist”

“Martha Marcy May Marlene”

“The Descendants”

“Melancholia”

Best Actor

George Clooney. “The Descendants”

Michael Fassbender, “Shame”

Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

Woody Harrelson, “Rampart”

Best Actress

Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”

Elizabeth Olsen, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”

Kirsten Dunst, “Melancholia”

Rooney Mara, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

John Hawkes, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”

Albert Brooks, “Drive”

Ryan Gosling, “Crazy, Stupid, Love”

Nick Nolte, “Warrior”

Best Supporting Actress

Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”

Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”

Judy Greer, “The Descendants”

Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”

Jessica Chastain, “The Tree of Life”

Best Director

Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”

Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”

Sean Durkin, “Martha Marcy May Marlene”

Michael Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

Lars Von Trier, “Melancholia”

Best Screenplay Original/Adapted (both in a single category)

“Moneyball” – Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin

“The Descendants” – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash

“Martha Marcy May Marlene” – Sean Durkin

“Contagion” – Scott Z. Burns

“Bridesmaids” – Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo

Best Animated Film

“Rango”

“The Adventures of Tintin”

“Kung Fu Panda 2″

“Rio”

“Puss in Boots”

Best Ensemble

“Margin Call”

“The Descendants”

“Bridesmaids”

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

“Contagion”

Best Original Score

“The Artist” – Ludovic Bource

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” – Alberto Iglesias

“Hanna” – The Chemical Brothers

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2″ – Alexandre Desplat

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Best Breakout Star

Elizabeth Olsen

Jessica Chastain

Rooney Mara

Shailene Woodley

Felicity Jones

Best Documentary

“Project Nim”

“Buck”

“Into the Abyss”

“Page One: Inside the New York Times”

“The Other F Word ”

Best Foreign-language film.

“A Separation”

“The Skin I Live In”

“The Flowers of War”

“Le Havre”

“The Double Hour”

The Denver Film Critics Society is proud to announce our winners for the 2011 DFCS Awards.

Best Film:

• The Social Network, directed by David Fincher

Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky
Blue Valentine, directed by Derek Cianfrance
The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper

Best Director:

• David Fincher, The Social Network

Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
Christopher Nolan, Inception

Best Actor:

• Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
James Franco, 127 Hours

Best Actress:

• Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Supporting Actress:

• Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Jackie Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Supporting Actor:

• Christian Bale, The Fighter

Matt Damon, True Grit
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Best Animated Film:

• Toy Story 3, directed by Lee Unkrich

How to Train Your Dragon, directed by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders
The Illusionist, directed by Sylvain Chomet
Tangled, directed by Nathan Greno & Byron Howard

Best Screenplay (Original):

• Christopher Nolan, Inception

Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Holofcener, Please Give
David Seidler, The King’s Speech

Best Screenplay (Adapted):

• Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Ben Affleck, Peter Craig & Aaron Stockard, The Town
Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit

Best Documentary:

• Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by Banksy

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, directed by Ricki Stern & Annie Sundberg
Restrepo, directed by Tim Hetherington & Sebastian Junger
Waiting for Superman, directed by Davis Guggenheim

Best Foreign Language Film:

• Mother, directed by Joon-ho Bong

Biutiful, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
I Am Love, directed by Luca Guadagnino
White Material, directed by Claire Denis

Best Original Song:

• A.R. Rahman & Dido, If I Rise, 127 Hours

John Legend, Shine, Waiting For Superman
Chris Martin, Me and Tennessee, Country Strong
Randy Newman, We Belong Together, Toy Story 3

Best Original Score:

• Daft Punk, Tron: Legacy

Carter Burwell, True Grit
Clint Mansell, Black Swan
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, The Social Network

The Denver Film Critics Society is proud to announce our nominees for the 2011 DFCS Awards. Winners will be announced on January 28, 2011.

Best Film:

Black Swan, directed by Darren Aronofsky
Blue Valentine, directed by Derek Cianfrance
The King’s Speech, directed by Tom Hooper
The Social Network, directed by David Fincher

Best Director:

Danny Boyle, 127 Hours
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
David Fincher, The Social Network
Christopher Nolan, Inception

Best Actor:

Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours

Best Actress:

Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
Lesley Manville, Another Year
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Jackie Weaver, Animal Kingdom

Best Supporting Actor:

Christian Bale, The Fighter
Matt Damon, True Grit
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

Best Animated Film:

How to Train Your Dragon, directed by Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders
The Illusionist, directed by Sylvain Chomet
Tangled, directed by Nathan Greno & Byron Howard
Toy Story 3, directed by Lee Unkrich

Best Screenplay (Original):

Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Holofcener, Please Give
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David Seidler, The King’s Speech

Best Screenplay (Adapted):

Ben Affleck, Peter Craig & Aaron Stockard, The Town
Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy, 127 Hours
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network

Best Documentary:

Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by Banksy
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, directed by Ricki Stern & Annie Sundberg
Restrepo, directed by Tim Hetherington & Sebastian Junger
Waiting for Superman, directed by Davis Guggenheim

Best Foreign Language Film:

Biutiful, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
I Am Love, directed by Luca Guadagnino
Mother, directed by Joon-ho Bong
White Material, directed by Claire Denis

Best Original Song:

John Legend, Shine, Waiting For Superman
Chris Martin, Me and Tennessee, Country Strong
Randy Newman, We Belong Together, Toy Story 3
A.R. Rahman & Dido, If I Rise, 127 Hours

Best Original Score:

Carter Burwell, True Grit
Daft Punk, Tron: Legacy
Clint Mansell, Black Swan
Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, The Social Network

Formed to provide the greater Denver area a unified and diverse opinion on film and its industry, DFCS is dedicated to not only recognize excellence in cinema, but also promote Colorado within the industry. Representing all sectors in media, including print, radio, television and online outlets, DFCS provides a platform for national and international recognition for achievements in film through its presentation of its annual awards.

Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” hit movie theaters this weekend, and most critics are raving about the director’s latest vision. Dave Taylor (Dave On Film) calls it arguably the best film of the summer, if not the year. Not everyone thinks “Inception” lives up to the hype. Critic Christian Toto (What Would Toto Watch?) found the film far too confusing for its own good.

Toto: I wanted to love Inception as much as most critics. The summer movie season has been a big disappointment, so who better than the mind behind The Dark Knight to save the season? But “Inception” taxes our brain without delivering a story to engage our emotions. The film spends so much time explaining itself there’s precious little time to engage in character development or a lucid narrative.

Taylor: I disagree, of course. I think that DiCaprio’s Cobb was an interesting, troubled man who had some extraordinary gifts (i.e. the ability to go into people’s dreams) and a complex, half-buried back story with his wife Mal and children. But I suggest that the lack of lucidity is consistent with the entire storyline and as Cobb says to Saito (Ken Watanabe), part of the self-referential nature of the film was that there were “half-remembered dreams”.

I will say that I think Ariadne (Ellen Page) brought up some interesting ethical dilemmas that were quickly glossed over in the film, but then again, I don’t expect a deep philosophical treatise or indie film from Chris Nolan, but a visually stunning action film that has more of a story than the usual banal dreck that we have to sit through. And I think he delivered with Inception.

Toto: Yes, the film’s lack of lucidity certainly was a constant. And I appreciate the enthusiasm and ambition of the project. But glorious action sequences ring hollow when we can’t get to know the people running from, or causing, the explosions. By the final half hour I felt disconnected from the main players, and all that kept me going was the promise of more razzle dazzle scenery.

I have issues with dreams in films to begin with … it’s too much of a blank canvas and filmmakers aren’t disciplined enough to show restraint. Nolan would have been better served by simplifying matters, still keeping the intricate dream material but distilling it down and letting the humanity of the characters shine though. It’s a testament to DiCaprio, Cotillard and co. that they register at all given dialog that served more as nonstop exposition than anything else.

Taylor: Hollywood has been suffering from the dumbing down of storylines for all too many years, Christian. How many times are we forced to endure a film where they go back and show us The Important Scenes as flashbacks, in case we’re too dim to realize?

Heck, the last few seconds of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was exactly that (though I think you’d already left the theater by then). I have to come clean, I’m not a huge fan of The Dark Knight and felt it was portentous and overly manipulative of the audience. It might be the subject matter — our subconscious — or the all-too-human dilemma of Cobb’s guilt over what transpired with his wife Mal, but I identified with Cobb and was quite curious how things would transpire as the film proceeded. Then again, I like Hitchcock’s rather cliché Spellbound too, his attempt at exploring our subconscious.

Let’s get a reference point here, though. Name a few films you think are superb action films and have a solid character exposition that lets you identify with and understand the motivations of the character, yet are sufficiently complex to sustain multiple viewings. I’ll offer one of my own favorites that I think perfectly captures these criteria: Blade Runner. Harrison Ford is superb as troubled ex-cop Decker and we feel for him as he’s torn between saving probable replicant Rachel (Sean Young) and performing his job of identifying and eliminating all the “skin jobs” in this stunning Ridley Scott masterpiece.

Toto: Off the top of my head I’d say Aliens, a slam-bang action film with choice science fiction elements and a full-bodied performance by the lead character, Ripley. Not only is she thoroughly in command, she shows maternal feelings toward Newt and conflicting emotions regarding the humans in her company (Paul Reiser, take a bow). She registers as human throughout the melee, building on the character we first came to know in “Alien.”

I’m not looking for a full character study in a movie like Inception, but when the character elements are so fractured I feel little reason to root for a semblance of a happy ending.

Even The Dark Knight fits this criteria. Bruce Wayne’s alter ego is indirectly causing his clones to be killed, and his double life means it’s nearly impossible for him to pursue the girl of his dreams. And consider the great speech by Alfred mid-film about the steps needed to eradicate evil – and the methods men of conscience must take to do so.

I do love the fact that Nolan respects the audience and is willing to tax their brains in order to fully appreciate his story. I just wish the mental effort was worthwhile.

Taylor: Whether or not we agree on Inception‘s merits, I will say that he’s going to get people talking about the film and its storyline in a way that few films have tapped the popular zeitgeist since perhaps Avatar.

Now wait, are we having this discussion, or is it all a dream?

From member Brandon Fibbs:

Shortly before the release of his film Signs, Time magazine heralded writer/director M. Night Shyamalan as “the next Spielberg,” a moniker that has proved to be something of a millstone about the neck of an artist whose films since then have met with nothing but exponentially mounting contempt. Taking a break from his twist-prone suspense thrillers (and the critical drumming that followed wherever they went), Shyamalan turned for the first time to an established and beloved quantity—the Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender. But like gravity, the law of diminished returns is nearly unassailable. I sincerely wish it weren’t so, but the only thing I see is a career whose promise was long since spent.

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From member Robert Denerstein:

There are two possible audiences for the Twilight movies: the unsuspecting and the legion of fans who are intensely devoted to the books by Stephenie Meyer. Fans of the books bring their own judgments to the theater, and if the response of the teen and tween audience at a preview screening means anything, Eclipse – the third of the Twilight movies – contains enough oohs, aahs and applause points to keep the faithful happy.

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From member Christian Toto:

Consider the latest “Twilight” sequel another wasted chance to draw non-Twihards into the fold.

“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” suffers from the same problems plaguing the past two films.

Stiff acting. Hokey special effects. Theatrics ripped from an Afterschool Special.

Did I mention the lousy acting?

There’s still that palpable bond between Bella and Edward, and the story’s willingness to treat sex with dignity makes the franchise worth respect.

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From member Christian Toto:

‘Lady in the Water” wasn’t an accident. Nor was “The Happening.”

They were warning signs, neon indicators that M. Night Shyamalan’s directorial bag of tricks was empty.

“The Last Airbender” merely puts an exclamation point on the matter.

Based on the popular animated series, “Airbender” is a grinding bore, a messy attempt at franchise construction that looks like the work of an in-over-his-head hack, not “the next Spielberg.”

The joyless “Airbender” begins badly and never lets up.

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