Who voted for the tire from Rubber?

December 19, 2011 11:39 AM

Christopher Plummer, playing a man who comes out of the closet in his 70s, might have won Best Supporting Performance, but at least four people voted for a dog. The results for the crazy free-for-all that is the Indiewire Annual Survey, which polled 168 critics this year, came out today. The Tree of Life swept Best Film and Best Director, but the choices that only got a handful of votes are often the most interesting, including three different cast members from The Three Musketeers for Best Supporting and a vote for Transformers: Dark of the Moon for Best Film. You can see the complete results and links to all of the critics ballots here.

A few individual critic's ballots of note (I'd recommend also reading the critics' statements, if provided): Richard Brody, Jamie N. Christley, Alt Screen [previously] and Film Comment's Paul Brunick (who voted Justin Bieber: Never Say Never for Best Documentary and that honey badger video as Best Undistributed Film), Mike D'Angelo, Roger Ebert, Jim Emerson, Bilge Ebiri, J. Hoberman, Daniel Kasman, Gabe Klinger, Ryland Walker Knight, Robert Koehler, Karina Longworth, David Phelps , Jonathan Rosenbaum, Michael Sicinski, R. Emmet Sweeny, Amy Taubin, Gina Telaroli (who voted for a Rick Perry ad), and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky. Also, the Best Undistributed Film category (won by Alex Ross Perry's The Color Wheel) is always a good list of things to watch out for in theaters next year.

posted by alexoscar (24 comments total)

There's also "Goat, Le Quattro Volte 4 (votes)"

Yes, that is an actual goat. http://www.indiewire.com/film/le_quattro_volte
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:44 AM on December 19, 2011

and a vote for Transformers: Dark of the Moon for Best Film.

The bigger surprise is that it isn't Armond White.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 11:45 AM on December 19, 2011 [3 favorites]

Okay, wait, who was the dog? I can't find the dog on the list!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:51 AM on December 19, 2011

Okay, wait, who was the dog? I can't find the dog on the list!

Uggie, the dog from The Artist. Apparently, because so many voters wanted to make him a write-in candidate for the BAFTAs, the movie's PR reps sent out the following message:

“Regretfully, we must advise that as he is not a human being and as his unique motivation as an actor was sausages, Uggie is not qualified to compete for the BAFTA in this category. We thank you on his behalf for your support and will pass your compliments along to him.”

The Indiewire Survey, though, is ALL WRITE-IN.
posted by alexoscar at 11:54 AM on December 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I can't believe I came in here to make the Armond White joke 15 minutes after the FPP and it's already too late.
posted by escabeche at 11:54 AM on December 19, 2011

Okay, wait, who was the dog? I can't find the dog on the list!

I believe that would be the "Rottweiler, Go Go Tales," though I am also pleased that "Tire, Rubber" also made the list.
posted by Panjandrum at 11:55 AM on December 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Ugh. Rubber was terrible. A pretentious Euro trash film that attempts to lampoon Hollywood films but only manages to be boring and uninspired. It's like listening to a 90 minute rant from a French teenager about why mainstream movies suck.
posted by PostIronyIsNotaMyth at 11:56 AM on December 19, 2011 [4 favorites]

Ugh. Rubber was terrible.

Still, you have to admit that tire did a great job.
posted by alexoscar at 11:59 AM on December 19, 2011 [2 favorites]

You have perfectly encapsulated exactly why I liked it. So terrible, so spectacularly terrible.
posted by Panjandrum at 11:59 AM on December 19, 2011

Jebus, don't scare me like that! I read the first half-sentence of this post and thought it was another obit.

/huge Christopher Plummer fan
posted by darkstar at 12:07 PM on December 19, 2011

I can't believe I came in here to make the Armond White joke 15 minutes after the FPP and it's already too late.

It was too late to make Armond White jokes fifteen minutes after he began writing film criticism.
posted by mightygodking at 12:08 PM on December 19, 2011

No offence to Christopher Plummer, who at best was measured and believable in the movie, I'd have voted for the real show stealer in the movie
Plummer merely directed his elderly dude persona into portraying an individual closeted for his wife and kid; the dog suppressed his fox-hunting reflexes into being cute. I invite you folks to muse on which is a greater thespian endeavour.
posted by the cydonian at 12:12 PM on December 19, 2011

Regretfully, we must advise that as he is not a human being and as his unique motivation as an actor was sausages, Uggie is not qualified to compete for the BAFTA in this category.

Right, because human actors' motivations are so much more worthwhile and transcendent. For fuck's sake, we're talking about a species that gets up and thanks its agents and publicists at award ceremonies. A great performance is a great performance, be it human or canine.
posted by FelliniBlank at 12:18 PM on December 19, 2011

No offence to Christopher Plummer, who at best was measured and believable in the movie, I'd have voted for the real show stealer in the movie.

oh my god it's a real live Snowy
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:22 PM on December 19, 2011

Yes, but does the actor need to know that he or she (or it) is performing?
posted by Naberius at 12:22 PM on December 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Plummer merely directed his elderly dude persona into portraying an individual closeted for his wife and kid...

I am perfectly happy with Plummer being given awards more-or-less for lifetime achievement. Having seen his elderly dude persona in The Tempest in the flesh, and as a result being covered in Plummer's elderly dude spittle, I am A-OK with any one of his elderly dude movies being rewarded as representative of the greater whole.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:31 PM on December 19, 2011

Plummer should have gotten a little something for his Mike Wallace 12 years ago (in the actualbest picture of 1999) but Caine's win helped to bring Caine back into our lives so I can't really complain.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 12:46 PM on December 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

Is Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy ever going to get a wide release in the US? Because it's complete bullshit that there isn't a date yet.
posted by nushustu at 12:58 PM on December 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

It was a delightful surprise, getting to see Melancholia on cable. I almost wish they'd do that with all those smaller-budget films. I'm impatiently waiting for any news on a wide release of Shame and A Dangerous Method.
posted by heatvision at 2:18 PM on December 19, 2011

There's also "Goat, Le Quattro Volte 4 (votes)

Actually, the title is Le Quattro Volte, which translated from Italian mean's 'The Four Times'. A goat is in the film but not in the title.

But more interestingly it is listed TWICE in the poll.

Once, correctly, as Le Quattro Volte at #26 with 17 votes and once, incorrectly, as La Quattro Volte and tied for #72 and 1 vote.
posted by Rashomon at 2:23 PM on December 19, 2011

I won't defend Rubber as any kind of a "good" movie, but it did make me set my popcorn on the floor and nudge it away with my foot. That's some fourth-wall breaking right there.
posted by whuppy at 2:48 PM on December 19, 2011

Actually, the title is Le Quattro Volte, which translated from Italian mean's 'The Four Times'. A goat is in the film but not in the title.

I know... I listed the "actor" nominated for best supporting actor, the title and the # of votes just like in the first link. I copy/pasted even.

Goat must've given one hell of a performance.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 2:56 PM on December 19, 2011

I haven't seen The Artist, but I'll bet that dog has nothing on the horse from War Horse.
posted by pashdown at 6:50 PM on December 19, 2011

Orlando Bloom was the best thing in The Three Musketeers. Which isn't saying much, because that movie is so bad there are parts where mis-aligned tracking shots somehow made it on screen, but still.
posted by thecjm at 8:21 PM on December 19, 2011