New York Film Critics choose ‘Milk’ as best picture

Here’s the winners’ list:

Best picture: “Milk”
Best director: Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Best actor: Sean Penn, “Milk”
Best actress: Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Best supporting actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”
Best supporting actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Best screenplay: Jenny Lumet, “Rachel Getting Married”
Best cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best animated film: “WALL-E”
Best foreign film: “4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days”
Best documentary: “Man on Wire”
Best first film: Courtney Hunt, “Frozen River”

Best Picture: “Milk” won on ballot four with 29 points. “Rachel Getting Married” had 25 points while both “Happy-Go-Lucky” and “Slumdog Millionaire” had 20 points. LA champ “WALL-E” had to settle for a win as best animated picture.

Best Director: Mike Leigh (“Happy-Go-Lucky”) won on ballot four with 31 points. LA winner Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) had 30 points and David Fincher (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”) had 26 points. (Ballot two had Boyle ahead by two and ballot three had Fincher up by one.)

Best Actor: LA pick Sean Penn (“Milk”) won on ballot four with 59 points. Mickey Rourke (“The Wrestler”) had 50 points and Clint Eastwood (“Gran Torino”) had 17 points.

Best Actress: LA champ Sally Hawkins (“Happy-Go-Lucky”) won on ballot two with 39 points. Melissa Leo ( “Frozen River”) had 32 points while Anne Hathaway (“Rachel Getting Married”) and Kate Winslet (“Revolutionary Road”) each had 22 points.

Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin (“Milk”) won on ballot three with 33 points. LA winner Heath Ledger (“The Dark Knight” ) had 26 points and Robert Downey, Jr. (“Tropic Thunder”) had 24 points. (On ballot two, Brolin, Ledger and Eddie Marsan (“Happy-Go-Lucky”) were tied with 29 points each.)

Best Supporting Actress: LA victor Penelope Cruz (“Vicky Christina Barcelona”) won on ballot two with 40 points. Viola Davis (“Doubt”) had 31 points and both Rosemarie DeWitt & Debra Winger (“Rachel Getting Married”) had 28 points.

Best Screenplay: Jenny Lumet (“Rachel Getting Married”) won on ballot four with 44 points. LA winner Mike Leigh (“Happy-Go-Lucky”) had 38 points and Robert Seigel (“The Wrestler”) had 19 points.

Best Cinematography: “Slumdog Millionaire” won on ballot three with 37 points.”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” had 28 points and “The Dark Knight” had 16 points.

Best Animated Picture: LA best pic “WALL-E” won on ballot one with 17 points over LA animated pic “Waltz with Bashir” with 11 points.

Best Foreign Film: “4 Months, 3 Weeks, Two Days” won on ballot four with 45 points. Two French films followed – “A Christmas Tale” had 34 points and “The Class” had 23 points.

Best Documentary: LA pick ” Man on Wire” won on ballot two with 45 points. “Waltz With Bashir” had 25 points and “Trouble The Water” had 22 points.

Best First Picture: “Frozen River” won on ballot two with 39 points. “Ballast” had 26 points and “Reprise” had 18 points.