THE LIVES OF OTHERS, GARAGE AND SAOIRSE RONAN TRIUMPH IN DUBLIN FILM CRITICS CIRCLE POLL
The Dublin Film Critics Circle, a body representing established print and broadcast reviewers, has named Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s The Lives of Others as the best film of 2007. The gripping thriller, a tale of intrigue in the former East Germany, has been lauded throughout the world and last year picked up the Oscar for best foreign language picture.
A slightly more surprising result came with the DFCC’s selection of best Irish film. Garage, Lenny Abrahamson’s follow-up to Adam and Paul, just pipped Once, John Carney’s much admired musical romance, to the title. In a comparatively strong year for Irish film, the Circle also greatly admired Niall Heery’s Small Engine Repair and Tom Collins’s Kings.
Showing their independence, the critics named four pictures in their top five that, though eligible for the big gongs, have so far been largely ignored in the continuing
Awards season. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, This is England, Zodiac and I’m Not There joined The Lives of Others in the shortlist.
The top acting awards went to the late Ulrich Mühe for The Lives of Others and Julie Christie for her performance as a woman with Alzheimer’s Disease in Away from Her.
The busiest actor in the list must, however, be young Saoirse Ronan. The Carlow resident, who picked up the best breakthrough award for her head-turning performance in Atonement, has finished two further pictures and will be seen in Peter Jackson’s The Lovely Bones next year.
The full list of award can be found below.
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM
1. THE LIVES OF OTHERS
2. THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
3. THIS IS ENGLAND
4. ZODIAC
5. I’M NOT THERE
BEST IRISH FILM
1. GARAGE
2. ONCE
3. KINGS
4. SMALL ENGINE REPAIR
5. SHROOMS
BEST DIRECTOR
1. DAVID FINCHER - Zodiac
2. FLORIAN HENCHKEL VON DONNERSMARCK – The Lives Of Others
3. TODD HAYNES - I’m Not There
4. PAUL GREENGRASS - The Bourne Ultimatum
= SHANE MEADOWS - This Is England
BEST ACTOR
1. ULRICH MUHE - The Lives Of Others
2. VIGGO MORTENSEN – Eastern Promises
3. JAMES McAVOY – Atonement
= PAT SHORTT – Garage
5. CASEY AFFLECK - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
BEST ACTRESS
1. JULIE CHRISTIE – Away From Her
2. MARION COTILLARD – La Vie En Rose
3. CATE BLANCHETT – I’m Not There
4. AMY ADAMS – Enchanted
5. KEIRA KNIGHTLEY – Atonement
= ANGELINA JOLIE – A Mighty Heart
= NAOMI WATTS – Eastern Promises
= MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL – Sherrybaby
BREAKTHROUGH AWARD
1. SAOIRSE RONAN – Atonement
2. SHIA LaBEOUF – Transformers/Disturbia
3. JOHN CARNEY – Once
4. FLORIAN HENCKEL VON DONNERSMARCK – The Lives Of Others
5. SETH ROGEN -Knocked Up/Superbad
= EMILE HIRSCH – Into The Wild
