A Serious Man (movie)

CANNES, France — Whatever its commercial fortunes when it opens in the U.S. this December, "Inside Llewyn Davis" already has won the acclaim sought so ardently by the fictional folk singer of its title, the latest charismatic loser in a long,...

Brutal and often very funny, "Seven Psychopaths" is writer-director Martin McDonagh's answer to "Barton Fink," a crimson yarn that, like that Coen brothers film, imagines what happens in a worst-case-scenario when a Hollywood scribe comes down with...

A terrific deadpan chronicle of father and son Talmudic scholars beset by an escalating bureaucratic screw-up, Joseph Cedar's" Footnote" sets the tone for the battles to come in its opening sequence. The son, a well-liked backslapper by the name of Uriel...

Being first out of the gate often matters a lot in the Oscar derby. "Frozen River" and "Little Miss Sunshine" reaped top nominations in 2008 and 2006, respectively, after being the first DVDs shipped to academy members. This year, that distinction goes to...

The 82nd Academy Awards followed the script set down by pundits, as the front-runners for all of the major Oscars won Sunday night. "The Hurt Locker" led with six Oscars, including best picture and best director for Kathryn Bigelow, who became the first...

Never mind its handicapping by many gurus of gold as an odds-on Oscar front-runner heading into Sunday evening. The downsizing drama "Up in the Air" was completely excluded in all six categories for which it was nominated, including nods for George...

Sure, you could go out and see each and every one of the 10 Oscar nominees for best picture (up from five last year). But seriously, isn't that a tad extreme? There's a faster, easier, less expensive way to protect yourself against tiresome outbursts ("...

Those seeking a quick primer on Film Independent's Spirit Awards need only YouTube Mickey Rourke's acceptance speech at last year's ceremony. The "Wrestler" star began his address -- which clocked in at an Oscar-unfriendly six minutes -- by imploring the...

A scene from "Wings," which received the Production Award at the very first Oscars. This year, the Oscars return to an industry- and, presumably, ratings-friendly strategy of selecting the best pictures of 2009 from a nomination list of 10 films,......

The Motion Picture Sound Editors have decreed their award winners, which usually foretell the equivalent Oscar champs. Considering its two guild victories, "Avatar" now seems like a good bet to win the academy's kudo for best sound editing, maybe mixing...

We asked these notable pundits to predict the top contest at the Oscars: Marshall Fine (Star Magazine, Hollywood & Fine), Pete Hammond (Notes on a Season, The Envelope), Sasha Stone (Awards Daily), Jeff Wells (Hollywood Elsewhere), Susan Wloszczyna (USA...

This year, 19 of the 20 SAG acting nominees are contending at the Academy Awards. The only one not to make the cut was SAG supporting actress contender Diane Kruger ("Inglourious Basterds"), who was replaced on the Oscars ballot by Maggie Gyllenhaal ("...