I always find Sundance coverage rather difficult to follow from a distance — critics there seem to talk much more about what they’re seeing next than what they just saw, leaving me more aware of titles than actual movies. Still, two films generated enough buzz to permeate my consciousness, and as it happens they both emerged as prizewinners on the weekend: the rapturously reviewed “Beasts of the Southern Wild” took the Grand Jury Prize for dramatic features, while “The Surrogate,” an acclaimed performance vehicle for John Hawkes and Helen Hunt, took both an Audience Award and a Jury Prize for its cast. Both have been acquired by Fox Searchlight, and some are already whispering the O-word. I just can’t go there, but I’m glad we’re allowed to like Hunt again. Greg Ellwood has the full list of winners. [Awards Campaign]

Andrew O’Hehir picks out the titles to watch from this year’s festival. [Salon]

Surprise SAG winner Jean Dujardin celebrates his victory with a few bars of “La Marsellaise.” Because, you know, he wasn’t already charming enough. [YouTube]

Even if you’re not as thrilled as I am by Dujardin’s win, Jeffrey Wells’ prolonged sulk about this year’s Oscar race makes for highly enjoyable theater. [Hollywood Elsewhere] 

Struck by the obvious inspiration “The Descendants” takes from “Tokyo Story?” Me neither, but Oscar-nominated editor Kevin Tent explains. [Thompson on Hollywood]

Why “The Descendants” settles on resignation as man’s answer to living in a “post-macho world,” whatever that may be. [The Guardian]

George Clooney and Stephen Daldry join three of this year’s Best Director nominees for a round-table discussion. (You can guess which two are absent.) [LA Times]

Mark London Williams talk to FX man Erik Nash, something of a surprise Oscar nominee for “Real Steel.” [Below the Line]

Still stumped by that wild Best Picture nod for “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close,” Michael C. suggests the film was actually helped by its bad reviews. [The Film Experience]