NYFCC: "Zero Dark Thirty" is the Best Film of 2012

The New York Film Critics Circle has given its Best Film of 2012 award to "Zero Dark Thirty," Kathryn Bigelow's intense procedural detailing the decade-long CIA operation to hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden. Bigelow also named Best Director.  Cinematographer Greig Fraser (who shot the glorious "Bright Star") also took top honors for "Zero Dark Thirty," giving Sony's suddenly insurgent Best Picture contender a huge foot forward in the Oscar race.

Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Field both won for Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," as did Tony Kushner's adapted screenplay, giving the hugely beloved blockbuster biopic some serious love. Best Supporting Actress winner Field should consider this a good omen for her Oscar chances; a win for "Lincoln" would be her third. She won in the same category for "Forrest Gump" (1994), and some 30 years ago for Best Actress in "Norma Rae," and lets not forget that infamous acceptance speech in which Sally Field made sure to remind the Academy, "You like me! You really, really like me!"

Best Actress went to a surprise left-field pick, Rachel Weisz for her acclaimed work in Terrence Malick's "The Deep Blue Sea." Weisz has been mentioned by many critics and Oscar-watchers as a long shot contender since the film opened last spring, so it'll be interesting to see whether she remains a dark horse or picks up steam in the race with more love from critics groups. David Edelstein, New York magazine's chief film critic (and an NYFCC member), says Weisz gives the "film performance of the year," period.  "The Deep Blue Sea," a stylized, noir-ish period romance about a judge's wife who becomes locked in a dangerous affair with a young pilot, is available on Netflix and headed straight to the top of my instant queue.

Matthew McConaughey got the biggest boost in the Oscar race from the NYFCC, winning Best Supporting Actor for his splendid work in both "Magic Mike" and "Bernie." The surfer dude/Southern charmer hunk has long been disregarded as a bad actor, but he's recently showed some surprising range and 2012 is certainly his breakout year as a serious actor. McConaughey's unbelievable performance in William Friedkin's shocker "Killer Joe" won him an Indie Spirit nod for Best Actor. If McConaughey does manage to score an Oscar nomination, it'll be for "Magic Mike."

Michael Haneke's "Amour" was named best foreign film, while Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie" was chosen as 2012's best animated film. The nonfiction film award went to "The Central Park Five," and another documentary, "How to Survive a Plague," was named best first feature.

The NYFCC announcement marks the official kickoff of Oscar Season, and from here until Academy Award nominations are announced in the wee a.m. Jan. 10, I'll try my best to keep up with posting the state of the race.