Specials: David Brooks on "Munich." Plus, NY Online Critics' Awards, LA Critics' awards.

Filed under: Looking ElsewhereDavid BrooksFilm AwardsMunich

Sunday's specials:

David Brooks reviews Munich!


In Spielberg's Middle East the only way to achieve peace is by renouncing violence. But in the real Middle East the only way to achieve peace is through military victory over the fanatics, accompanied by compromise between the reasonable elements on each side. Somebody, the Israelis or the Palestinian Authority, has to defeat Hamas and the other terrorist groups. Far from leading to a downward cycle, this kind of violence is the precondition to peace.

The best, according to the New York Online Film Critics.

Best Picture The Squid and the Whale Best Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) Best Actress Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice) Best Director Fernando Meirelles (Constant Gardener) Best Supporting Actor Oliver Platt (Casanova) Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams (Junebug) Best Breakthrough Performer Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow, Crash, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Four Brothers) Best Debut Director Paul Haggis (Crash) Best Screenplay Paul Haggis (Crash) Best Documentary Grizzly Man

Best Foreign Language Downfall

Best Animated Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Best Cinematography March of the Penguins

In L.A., they're swinging a bit differently:

Best Picture: Brokeback Mountain Runner-up: A History of Violence

Best Director Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain Runner-up: David Cronenberg, A History of Violence

Best Actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Capote Runner-up: Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain

Best Actress Vera Farmiga, Down to the Bone Runner-up: Dame Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents

Best Supporting Actor William Hurt, A History of Violence Runner-up: Frank Langella, Good Night, and Good Luck

Best Supporting Actress Catherine Keener, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Capote, The Ballad of Jack and Rose, & The Interpreter Runner-up: Amy Adams, Junebug

Best Screenplay TIE between Dan Futterman, Capote and Noah Baumbach, The Squid & The Whale

Best Cinematography Robert Elswit, Good Night, and Good Luck. Runner-up: Chris Doyle, Kwan Pun Leung, Yiu-Fai Lai, 2046

Best Production Design William Chang, 2046 Runner-up: James D. Bissell, Good Night, And Good Luck.

Best Music Score Howl’s Moving Castle, Joe Hisaishi Runner-up: Tony Takatani, Ryuichi Sakamoto

Best Foreign-Language Film Cache, directed by Michael Haneke Runner-up: 2046, directed by Wong Kar Wai

Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film Grizzly Man, directed by Werner Herzog Runner-up: Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room directed by Alex Gibney

Best Animation Nick Park and Steve Box, Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

The nominations are in for the Broadcast Film Critics' Awards. Lots of interesting choices here.