Washington Area Film Critics pick Coen Brothers movie

The Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) today announced its selection of the gritty thriller No Country for Old Men as Best Film of 2007. In total, the Miramax/Paramount Vantage film won four awards including Best Director for Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Best Acting Ensemble and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem.
Earning his first accolade from WAFCA, George Clooney was named Best Actor for his intense portrayal of an ethically challenged lawyer in Warner Brothers’ Michael Clayton, while Julie Christie was awarded Best Actress for her heartbreaking turn as an Alzheimer’s patient in Lionsgate’s Away From Her.
“In the year of the big-budget sequel, The Coen Brothers, Clooney and Christie proved a well-written, expertly directed and amazingly acted movie is just as important to filmgoers as special effects and loud explosions,” said Tim Gordon, president of WAFCA.
In other categories, Disney/Pixar’s uproarious and inspiring Ratatouille was named Best Animated Feature, and Paramount’s macabre tale of vengeance, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, was honored for Best Art Direction.
Amy Ryan walked away with Best Supporting Actress kudos for her show-stopping performance in Gone Baby Gone. Meanwhile, Juno’s Ellen Page was awarded Best Breakthrough Performance for her acerbic portrayal of a pregnant teen in Juno.
The Washington, DC Area Film Critics Association is comprised of thirty-nine DC-based film critics from television, radio, print and the internet. Voting was conducted from December 8 – 9, 2007.
Best Film: No Country for Old Men/Miramax & Paramount Vantage
Best Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men)
Best Actor: George Clooney (Michael Clayton)
Best Actress: Julie Christie (Away From Her)
Best Ensemble: No Country for Old Men/Miramax & Paramount Vantage
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone)
Best Breakthrough Performance: Ellen Page (Juno)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin (Charlie Wilson’s War)
Best Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody (Juno)
Best Animated Feature: Ratatouille/Disney & Pixar
Best Foreign Language Film: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly/Miramax
Best Documentary: SiCKO/The Weinstein Company
Best Art Direction: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street/Paramount