Atlanta review: "Mud" (****½)

Tye Sheridan, Matthew McConaughey and Jacob Lofland star in "Mud"

Filmmaker Jeff Nichols has made a name for himself crafting nuanced stories that capture the Southern experience in whatever form it may take. In 2011, Nichols and his stars, Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, received a myriad of honors for "Take Shelter" (including the coveted #10 spot on my year-end list). His latest feature, "Mud," debuted at Cannes to acclaim from critics and audiences alike– setting off on an impressive buzz ride leading up to its theatrical release next month.

AJFF Review: "Lore" (****½)

Saskia Rosendahl stars in "Lore"

Nele Trebs, one of the young stars of "Lore," was on hand for the film's east coast premiere last week at the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival. Visiting the United States for the first time, the young actress was as astute and well-spoken as I imagined she would be after watching her thoughtful performance in this beautiful film. When asked about the difference between working with male and female directors– such as "Lore" director Cate Shortland, Trebs' delightful response rendered the question almost irrelevant. "Directors don't differentiate themselves from one another based on their gender, but through their artistic vision." And it is quite the artistic vision that Shortland showcases here. "Lore" is an undeniably beautiful film about an undeniably brutal piece of history.

My dream Oscar ballot, 2012

The 84th Academy Awards are this Sunday and though you've already seen my top 20 films of 2011, I also want to share what I would've nominated in other categories. While my ten Best Picture nominees are my top ten films; my other 'nominees' have shifted a lot in the past couple of months since I've been able to revisit certain films, catch some that I missed earlier and really get to see certain players make their case on the press circuit. It's a fun time of year, but I'm looking forward to some resolution on Sunday. Anyway, here is my 'dream Oscar ballot.'

"The Tree of Life" dominates first ever Georgia Film Critics Awards

"The Tree of Life" won 6 awards out of 8 nominations.

You can now add Georgia to the list of states and cities around the country that boast their own film critics groups and award presentations. The Georgia Film Critics Association released their slate of nominees for their inaugural awards last week and just this evening announced the winners. Although both "The Tree of Life" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" led the way with eight nominations each, the former received the lion's share of prizes with a total of six. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was awarded Best Ensemble. "War Horse" won Best Score out of six nominations and both "Moneyball" and "Certified Copy" took home two awards each.

Brad Pitt won both Best Actor (for "Moneyball") and Best Supporting Actor (for "The Tree of Life"), while Juliette Binoche won Best Actress (for "Certified Copy") and newcomer Jessica Chastain was awarded prizes for Best Supporting Actress (for "The Tree of Life") and Breakthrough. Chastain bested fellow "The Tree of Life" star Hunter McCracken, British actor Tom Hiddleston ("Midnight in Paris," "Thor" & "War Horse"), as well as actors-turned-filmmakers Josh Radnor ("Happythankyoumoreplease") and Richard Ayoade ("Submarine") in the Breakthrough category.

Other awards went to "The Adventures of Tintin," "Midnight in Paris," "The Muppets," the Georgia-made "Sahkanaga" and racing documentary "Senna."

See the full list of winners and nominees after the jump.