Blog Posts by Tim Grierson

Magnolia PicturesBecause the New York Film Critics Circle doesn't formally announce a list of runners-up, we couldn't help but wonder what films and performances just missed out on getting awards at today's vote. But thanks to one of NYFCC's members, we now know how close "The Artist" got to not winning Best Picture. Turns out it was pretty close -- and it could have lost to a movie that's its complete tonal opposite, Lars von Trier's "Melancholia."

Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Relativity MediaIt's been less than two weeks since Steven Soderbergh walked away from "The Man From U.N.C.LE." and there's been much speculation about what he'll do instead. Never mind that he's got "Magic Mike" and the Liberace HBO project to complete and "Haywire" on the way in January: Ever since he claimed he'd be retiring soon, every creative decision he makes is now treated with a hushed reverence by bloggers who usually mock the fanatical devotion of Comic-Con fanboys. (For a lot of us, Soderbergh is our Kevin Smith or Jon Favreau.) Well, today we learned what his "U.N.C.L.E." substitute will be: It's a little something called "The Bitter Pill."

Sony Pictures ClassicsThe most valuable part of the Film Independent Spirit Award nominations is that it helps crystallize what "indie" films "everybody" loves. We put those two words in quotes because, really, what exactly in an "indie" film anymore -- and who's this "everybody," anyway? Nonetheless, the Spirit Award nods serve the useful purpose of highlighting the five or six indie films that have the best chance of making a concerted push deep into Academy Award season. Of today's top nominees, "Take Shelter" and "The Artist," that's helpful in very different ways. For "Take Shelter," it helps build a little momentum for a small, great film that had seemingly been forgotten. As for "The Artist," it's just more ammo for a campaign that's seemingly firing on all cylinders.

The Weinstein CompanyWhen we saw "The Artist" back in September at Toronto, we were hesitant about its Best Picture chances. Sure, it was charming and well-liked, but could a silent movie with no stars made by a largely unknown French director acquire the visibility necessary to attract Oscar voters? Well, if there was any question about its Oscar odds now, the New York Film Critics Circle definitely helped them out today: The group named "The Artist" as its best film of the year.

Screen GemsOne of the mini-trends of 2011 was how romantic comedies worked very hard to pretend that they weren't romantic comedies -- or, at least, like the romantic comedies you normally see. Whether it was "No Strings Attached" or "Crazy, Stupid, Love.," rom-coms this year wanted to remind you that they knew that you knew that the genre conventions were lame. So the hope was to make love stories that seemed hipper and more realistic than your usual Garry Marshall product. Unfortunately, those efforts mostly resulted in movies like "Friends With Benefits."

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagicIt's funny how people have softened on director Tony Scott over the years. When Scott, the younger brother of "Alien" and "Blade Runner" filmmaker Ridley Scott, first came onto the scene in the mid-'80s with movies like "Top Gun" and "Beverly Hills Cop II," he was slammed for being all flash, no substance. His high-octane style has been criticized ever since, but along the way he's also started to win over critics by making adult action-thrillers that rely less on CG and more on good ol' fashioned suspense. By the time last year's "Unstoppable" came out, some reviewers treated him like a wise old elder whose action films ran rings around those young whippersnappers'. Stick around long enough, and people will eventually like you.

If we had to pick our favorite Tony Scott film, it might very well be "Crimson Tide," his 1995 thriller with Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. His next movie may be somewhat similar.

Focus FeaturesWhether it's sports or awards, there's something deeply unsatisfying about a tie. On one hand, sure, you get more than one winner -- which means fewer losers -- but on the other, hey, there can only be one "best," right? Well, last night's 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards don't care what you think, and for the first time ever they had a tie for Best Feature. Your winners are "Beginners" and "The Tree of Life." Those are two very different movies.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

• It's been hard to avoid Jared Harris of late, whether on TV ("Mad Men" and "Fringe") or the big screen ("The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and the forthcoming "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"). Now he's going to be one of the heroes of the Civil War, playing General Ulysses S. Grant in Steven Spielberg's star-studded "Lincoln." We're thrilled for him, although we confess there's a part of us that just thinks he makes a better bad guy. [Variety]