This lot don’t have a logo. Hell, their winners aren’t even going to influence who wins an Oscar on March 2nd. But this makes an incredibly amusing read. Skip down to their Hall of Shame – it’s an absolute peach.
The only thing I’ll say is that their recognition of Onata Aprile is a wonderful thing. As for the rest, I’m not so sure…
Check out the full list of winners below:
BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN:
PHILOMENA
Runner-up: MOTHER OF GEORGE
BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN:
ENOUGH SAID
Runner-up: INCH ALLAH
BEST WOMAN STORYTELLER (SCREENWRITING AWARD):
Julie Delpy – BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Runner-up: Nicole Holofcener – ENOUGH SAID
BEST ACTRESS:
Judi Dench – PHILOMENA
Runner-up: Barbara Sukowa – HANNAH ARENDT
BEST ACTOR:
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Runner-up: Michael B. Jordan – FRUITVALE STATION
BEST YOUNG ACTRESS:
Onata Aprile – WHAT MAISIE KNEW
Runner-up: Waad Mohammed – WADJDA
BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS:
Melissa McCarthy – THE HEAT
Runner-up: Greta Gerwig – FRANCES HA
BEST FOREIGN FILM ABOUT WOMEN:
WADJDA
Runner-up: INCH ALLAH
BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE:
PHILOMENA
Runner-up: GIRLS IN THE BAND
WORST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE:
THE BLING RING
Runner-up: MACHETE KILLS
BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE:
Chiwetel Ejiofor – 12 YEARS A SLAVE
Runner-up: James Gandolfini – ENOUGH SAID
WORST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE:
ONLY GOD FORGIVES
Runner-up: OUT OF THE FURNACE
BEST THEATRICALLY UNRELEASED MOVIE BY OR ABOUT WOMEN:
PHIL SPECTOR
Runner-up: PUSSY RIOT
BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES:
BEFORE MIDNIGHT
Runner-up: ENOUGH SAID
BEST ANIMATED FEMALES:
FROZEN
Runner-up: THE CROODS
BEST FAMILY FILM:
THE WIND RISES
Runner-up: BLACK NATIVITY
WOMEN’S WORK (BEST ENSEMBLE):
GINGER & ROSA
Runners-up: WINNIE MANDELA, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
BEST DOCUMENTARY BY OR ABOUT WOMEN:
STORIES WE TELL
Runner-up: GIRLS IN THE BAND
MOMMIE DEAREST WORST SCREEN MUM OF THE YEAR AWARD:
Kristin Scott Thomas – ONLY GOD FORGIVES
BEST SCREEN COUPLE:
Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke – BEFORE MIDNIGHT
BEST SONG:
Would You Bleed For Love – WINNIE MANDELA (Jennifer Hudson)
SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Emma Thompson – for her eclecticism in switching from period films to fantasy genre, to contemporary settings. And embodying all kinds of women with raw and pure interpretations
ACTING AND ACTIVISM AWARD:
Charlize Theron – for her work for The Global Fund, and for starting the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project. Which educates young people about HIV/AIDS
COURAGE IN FILMMAKING:
Laura Poitras – for bringing the Edward Snowden NSA revelations to light and driven into exile in Germany for doing so. And currently making a documentary about it
ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD:
AUGUSTINE – for a film that most passionately opposes violence against women
Runner-up: LOVELACE
JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD:
12 YEARS A SLAVE – for best expressing the woman of colour experience in America
Runner-up: GO FOR SISTERS
KAREN MORLEY AWARD:
WINNIE MANDELA – for best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity
Runner-up: WADJDA
COURAGE IN ACTING:
Soko, AUGUSTINE – taking on unconventional roles that radically redefine the images of women on the screen
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN AWARD:
Sandra Bullock, GRAVITY – performance by a woman whose exceptional impact on the film dramatically, socially or historically, has been ignored
JUST KIDDING AWARD:
BEST MALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE:
LAST VEGAS
WFCC HALL OF SHAME:
[Please Note: The WFCC Top Ten Hall Of Shame represents the ‘don’t tell me to shut up’ sidebar contribution of individual members, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Circle. Or may even dissent from an awarded nomination. Also, members may be objecting to particular characters in a film, and not the entire movie.
Clarification: If an aspect of the movie is intentionally negative to make a point, rather than offensive, that is not under consideration for this category.]
THE CANYONS – women depicted as powerless and manipulative. Plus, the acting is horrid.
SPRING BREAKERS – no depth, little plot and a pitiful depiction of today’s college kids. Gratuitous in nothing more than flesh and violence. A grossly and dangerously skewed depiction of young women and their values in today’s America
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS – the whole might of the USA coming down on 3 starving Somalis?! Repulsive. When the obscenely beefy SEALS arrived and the audience started to cheer, I felt I was watching a ‘macho’ director brainwash audience members into blindly accepting the worst stereotypes of jingoistic male behavior.
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR – I went in knowing almost nothing except general buzz but I hated the sex scenes which were way too long and midway thru I couldn’t wait to flee the theater. Coming out I read how many takes Kechiche required and I was thoroughly repulsed. Who was this for? Then I read the graphic novel and discovered that critical plot points were deleted. Like the fact that Adele’s parents find her in bed with Emma which is why she has to move out — and I was enraged. A three-hour movie, and Kechiche is so busy salivating over his actresses that he can’t bother telling a coherent story. Hype for this film makes me nauseous!
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR – it’s so obvious a dude with a fetish directed this, it’s not only unappealing, it’s creepy. His overcompensating hubris isn’t worth the praise this is receiving
BASTARDS, LES SALAUDS – all of the women in this film are depicted as complicit in their own oppression and exploitation. Though it’s a patriarchal system that they exist within, they refuse to fight for themselves or each other, even when a minor is involved. The indictment then is not of the men but of the women. I found this problematic and disappointing from Denis
GRAVITY – the women in this group make meaningful choices each year so they speak for me in these areas, the lone exception being Sandra Bullock’s performance in GRAVITY. She’s a fine actress, but I found the character to be whiny, cowardly, and full of the wrong stuff – a damsel in distress who needed a man (even if it was just her imagination) to pull her out of danger. I can hardly believe they’d send someone so panicky into space. Give me Sigourney Weaver any day
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB – shame on DALLAS BUYERS CLUB for completely ignoring the LGBT as a group who drove the fight against AIDS to the forefront. The only time gays were mentioned was to let Matthew McConaughey’s homophobic redneck character get a laugh at the expense of Jared Leto’s transsexual character. The film made it seem as if the whole AIDS community stood on the shoulders of Ron Woodroof when in fact, groups like Act Up were starting the war for proper testing and more drugs way before Ron entered into the picture. It completely demeaned the backdrop DALLAS BUYERS CLUB was utilising for their own characterising “hero” agenda. Also the film took an extreme opinion against the AZT drug in favour for a plot line when in fact it was helping some patients. The only saving grace was Jared Leto’s fantastic performance but unfortunately it wasn’t enough
ENOUGH ALREADY – why is it that when actresses and even screen goddesses hit a certain age, they’re all cast as nags and shrews. No matter how accomplished any of these films may be, the tally of older actress shrewish nags on board is really high this year, as usual. Including Oprah Winfrey in LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts in AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins in BLUE JASMINE, June Squibb in NEBRASKA, Kristin Scott Thomas in ONLY GOD FORGIVES and Julianne Moore in CARRIE. Refreshing exceptions being Judi Dench in PHILOMENA, Yolonda Ross in GO FOR SISTERS and Mary Steenburgen in LAST VEGAS
