The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association, or WAFCA, of which I’m a member, announced the winners of its 2011 awards this week. The Best Director prize went to a familiar name: Martin Scorsese. It’s unlikely to be the only accolade he gets this season for his latest film, “Hugo.” In fact, another critics group has just honored Scorsese, though it wasn’t for his work directing the 3-D film. Instead, it was for his lifetime’s body of work. The Broadcast Film Critics Association named Scorsese the second recipient of its Music+Film Award, which they’ll present to him Jan. 12 at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. The ceremony, the 17th annual, will air simultaneously on cable channel VH1.
The BFCA says the award “honors a single filmmaker who has touched audiences through cinematic storytelling, and has heightened the impact of films through the brilliant use of source and original music.” That certainly sounds like Scorsese. What other contemporary directors are known almost as much for their musical choices as their cinematic ones? Quentin Tarantino? He received the first Music+Film Award, presented this past January.
