New York Film Critics Circle are first off the block

Is the NYFCC indulging in crass self-promotion by rushing to be the first critics society to present its 2011 awards. Are they, as some people such as blogger David Poland insist, a "business call. not a show call," putting their impact on the film industry (i.e., the Oscars) above their responsibility to disinterestedly weigh the merits of the year's movies? It doesn't matter: they're already underway. So far they've announced three winners: "Margin Call" for Best First Film, "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" for Best Nonfiction Film (no help here; it doesn't qualify for Oscar consideration), and Jessica Chastain and her performances in "Tree of Life," "The Help," and "Take Shelter" for Best Supporting Actress. Whatever your opinion on the matter, it will still be fun to follow the real time blow-by-blow announcements on the NYFCC's twitter feed.