Awards Season is On

It's been a busy couple of days on the awards circuit, the Gotham Independent Spirit Awards revealing themselves last night, the  New York Film Critics announcing their year end picks as well, and today the West Coast Independent Spirit folks put out their list of nominees.   Put it all together and what have you got: well, The Artist, certainly.  A big hit at Cannes, but playing only an extremely limited run (four theaters so far) here at home, this film is a serious critical darling but hasn't yet had a chance to prove itself among regular folks.  Another small film, Take Shelter, got attention from these organizations, both for Best Picture and for lead actor Michael Shannon.  But Take Shelter is a dark story with an ambivalent ending, an unlikely film to get mixed up in the big leagues, although Shannon could get a nod for acting.   Brad Pitt got noticed by the New York film Critics for his performance in Moneyball; this relatively small crowd of writers also chose Meryl Streep as Best Actress in Iron Lady.  Neither one of these films would get noticed by the Independent Spirit folks, who leave any big studio film out of their considerations, but certainly this is a clue that Pitt and Streep will get attention from Oscar (and the Screen Actors Guild, and the Golden Globes).  Jessica Chastain also got some love for her performances in (take your pick) Tree of Life, Take Shelter and The Help.  She has had a busy year, and will no doubt have a lot of red carpet walks in the next few months.


But, award hopes aside, all these picks and nominations can provide some film going direction. In the next month, there should be some high quality movies at the multiplex.  Look for Iron Lady, and The Artist, although The Artist is more likely to show up in art houses.  Spielberg's War Horse, a World War I story, is getting lots of buzz (it is a Spielberg film) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo should make a splash, although it's bound to be a brutal, bloody one.  Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy, a thriller based on a John LeCarre novel, is getting positive reviews from the handful of critics who have seen it,  and Young Adult, a story about a morally ambivalent woman (Charlize Theron) who returns to her high school reunion determined to rip her old boyfriend away from his wife and family, is generating some good acting kudos. Extremely Loud and Terribly Close, based on a novel about a boy whose father died in the Towers on 9/11 and left a mysterious key behind, is getting a lot of buzz even though no one (really, no one) has seen it yet.  Some  bold prognosticators are even calling it for Best Picture.  Back in the real world, look for The Descendants, whose Oscar hopes are rosy because of its solid box office and loving critical reviews.  It's also a good film and still in theaters.  My Week with Marilyn is also getting attention for Michelle Williams' performance.  Too soon to tell how any of these will fare come awards times, but they should provide some good movie going entertainment.  More awards insight and prognosticating as the story unfolds.