Okay, so you’ve probably got the message by now that we love “Margaret” around these here parts. So any word from the film’s embattled writer-director Kenneth Lonergan is something we’re going to seize upon, even if it’s a fairly brief Q&A with Variety’s Christy Grosz, recorded in the presence of his lawyer. Sadly, the film’s continuing legal problems mean he can’t cut loose on his desired edit (or indeed the one that we’ve seen), but he offers some nice insights on the writing process and what the eponymous Gerard Manley Hopkins poem means to him. Finally, he describes the #TeamMargaret phenomenon as “astonishing and wonderful.” Right back atcha, sir. [Variety]  

2010 Best Actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence will announce this year’s Oscar nominations with Tom Sherak on January 24. I hear she has a movie coming out soon. [Reuters]

With the ASC set to announce their nominees today, Jack Egan spotlights the remarkable work of Manuel Alberto Claro in “Melancholia.” [Below the Line]

Joe Utichi claims detractors of “The Artist” are now “breaking their silence” — and then quotes Jeff Wells, who hasn’t shut up about it for months. [The Guardian] 

Chin up, Spielberg. You may not have scored with the DGA, but Armond White still loves you. The cranky critic’s Better-Than list is typically, well, typical. [CityArts]

Glenn Whipp on the widespread theory that David Fincher’s surprise DGA nod amounts to a mea culpa for Tom Hooper’s win. Guys, it’s not as if every DGA member voted for Hooper last year. [Los Angeles Times]

Meanwhile, Steve Pond offers a Guild scorecard in the wake of the DGA, sorting the contenders that can rest easy from those that should be worried. [The Odds] 

Melena Ryzik talks to Max von Sydow, the last awards hope (and honestly, not much of one) for “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.” [The Carpetbagger]

Which under-the-radar 2011 films are potential cult classics? Michael C. considers “Submarine,” “The Guard” and “Bellflower.” [The Film Experience]