Double-/triple-duty actors honored at NYFCC Awards

Is Brad Pitt "Money" in the bank this time around? He seems pretty sure about his chances.

Brad Pitt is enjoying a renaissance of sorts with his current slate of released films. Appearing in both Bennett Miller’s (Capote) Moneyball, based on Michael Lewis’s book of the same name, and Terrence Malick’s experimental epic The Tree of Life, the acclaimed veteran star won the New York Film Critics’ Circle Award for “Best Actor” due to his work in both films. Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, with their sharp screenplay, were the other Moneyball winners. Michel Hazanavicius and his film The Artist were awarded “Best Director” and “Best Film,” respectively.

Rising star Jessica Chastain needed no "Help" in garnering her first award -- surely one of many to come.

Pitt’s The Tree of Life co-star Jessica Chastain is quickly rising not only to her peer’s “star” status, but also to the acclaimed one. She won the “Supporting Actress” award for her role in Malick’s indie, but also for her roles as a naive, enthusiastic Marilyn Monroe-esque Southerner in The Help and for her stint as wife to a tortured man in Take Shelter. With an astounding 9 films prepped for release, Chastain’s storming the film industry with her prowess and talent. Speaking of talent, we also got our first look at what is sure to be Meryl Streep’s dominant awards campaign all the way to Oscar glory. The 77th edition of this small but very prestigious set of awards saw her walk away with the “Best Actress” trophy. Her role as former British PM Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady makes her the clear frontrunner right now. Just beware, there could easily be a Sandra Bullock waiting in the wings to make the glory all her own. I’m looking at you, Viola Davis and Kirsten Dunst.

Beginners “dominates” 21st Annual Gotham Awards

Ewan McGregor, right, as Oliver shaving his elderly father Hal, played by Christopher Plummer

Terrence Malick's "Tree of Life," starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, shared the top prize with "Beginners"

A domination took place yesterday during the 21st edition of the Gotham Independent Film Awards. The domination — if you can call it that — occurred courtesy of Beginners, a 2010 comedy-drama directed and written by Mike Mills and starring Ewan McGregor. McGregor heads the stellar cast as Oliver, a man coping with the death of his parents who begins a ominous relationship with a French actress named Anna (Mélanie Laurent of Inglourious Basterds). Christopher Plummer appears as Oliver’s gay father Hal. Out of the sparse 6 awards handed out, Mills’s American film took home 2 — perhaps the 2 biggest, “Best Feature” and “Best Ensemble Performance.” Terrence Malick’s epic Tree of Life triumphed through the hype and tied Beginners for the “Best Feature” prize. Alexander Payne’s George Clooney vehicle The Descendents and up-and-coming star Elizabeth Olsen were some of the night’s bigger losers. The night’s four other winners appear after the break.