Round-up: Davis and Clooney are EW's Oscar cover stars

Posted by · 7:53 am · January 5th, 2012

Also: Farewell to Hoberman, and Hollywood’s fear of gay sex

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Black Film Critics Circle taps 'The Help' best of the year

Posted by · 6:13 pm · December 20th, 2011

The Black Film Critics Circle has chosen “The Help” as the best film of the year. The film won four other awards, including Best Actress for Viola Davis. “Pariah” director Dee Rees won Best Director, one of three awards for the film. And Albert Brooks added yet another honor to his mantle.

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Women critics like 'The Help,' 'The Iron Lady' and 'The Whistleblower'

Posted by · 5:31 pm · December 20th, 2011

The Women Film Critic Circle has come out in strong favor of “The Help,” “The Iron Lady” and “The Whistleblower.” The association has made selections that feel generally in line with the films and performances one would imagine ought to be be highlighted in this year’s landscape. Though I will confess their choices are seasoned with one or two surprises.

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Off the Carpet: Setting the field with the precursors so far

Posted by · 11:41 am · December 19th, 2011

In just three weeks we’ve gone from zero to a hundred on the circuit as the film awards landscape has been sculpted into a bit of a consensus in these waning moments of 2011. Let’s see what that consensus appears to be.

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'Descendants,' 'Drive' win big at Satellite Awards

Posted by · 7:52 am · December 19th, 2011

After nominating any and everything under the sun, the International Press Academy (Satellite Awards) has tapped “The Descendants” as this year’s Best Picture of the year. The group, however, gave “Drive” a field-leading four wins, and overall, it’s a unique set of superlatives.

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'The Tree of Life,' Woody Harrelson honored by African American Film Critics Association

Posted by · 11:41 am · December 12th, 2011

The African American Film Critics Association has joined the massive role-call of year-end superlative-dishing. They went their own way in a number of areas and tapped “The Tree of Life” as the year’s best film.

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Indiana critics like 'The Artist,' Paul Giamatti, Elizabeth Olsen

Posted by · 8:07 am · December 12th, 2011

The Indiana Film Journalists Association has, like many before it, given its the Best Picture prize to “The Artist.” But there were a few notable singular choices throughout their list, particularly in the acting races.

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Octavia Spencer to receive Breakthrough Award at Palm Springs

Posted by · 9:09 am · December 8th, 2011

It’s never too late to be recognized as a “breakthrough performer”: 15 years after making her screen debut, “The Help” supporting star Octavia Spencer has been honored with the Breakthrough Performance Award at the Palm Springs festival.

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The Long Shot: Vehicle trouble

Posted by · 5:11 pm · December 7th, 2011

Many Oscar-watchers are describing this year’s Best Actress race as “weak,” a pejorative that has less to do with the fine performances in play than the iffy films many of them happen to find themselves in. But does it have to be that way?

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Santa Barbara fest to honor Viola Davis as 'Outstanding Performer of the Year'

Posted by · 11:29 am · November 30th, 2011

Viola Davis gets a nice feather in her cap on her march to an Oscar nomination for her work in “The Help.”

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Oscarweb Round-up: Sneaking 'Zoo'

Posted by · 7:03 am · November 28th, 2011

In today’s round-up, Cameron Crowe’s “We Bought a Zoo” screened for the public, Ralph Fiennes talks his directorial debut, “Coriolanus” and THR rounds up this year’s actress hopefuls.

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Oscarweb Round-up: 'The Help' is no laughing matter, says HFPA

Posted by · 5:31 am · November 17th, 2011

Hey, has there been a more hilarious performance all year than Viola Davis’s wackily oppressed, zanily bereaved maid in “The Help?” There has, you say? Whatever. Anyway, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is with you, as they’ve barred DreamWorks’s planned strategy to campaign the film in the Musical/Comedy races at the Golden Globes. The Globes […]

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The Long Shot: Big enough for the both of us

Posted by · 3:48 pm · November 9th, 2011

“The Help” star Jessica Chastain is just one of 2011’s strong Oscar hopefuls needing to wrestle attention away from a more heavily hyped co-star: an annual dilemma in the awards race.

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Off the Carpet: Streep and Davis head up a tight but lacking pack of Best Actress contenders

Posted by · 12:09 pm · October 10th, 2011

Moving on to the lead actress contenders today, we dig in on who’s looking good, who’s lacking and who could spoil.

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