Movie chase advanced accessible advanced of key awards week

LOS ANGELES – Independently-made Iraq war cine "The Hurt Locker" won a additional key blur critics accolade on Monday in a anniversary abundant with nominations that are acceptable to set the date for the Oscars.

The New York Blur Critics Amphitheater called "The Hurt Locker" -- about U.S. bomb auctioning experts in Iraq -- its blur of the year and gave Kathryn Bigelow her additional administering accolade in two days. Bigelow and the cine additionally won ceremoniousness on Sunday from the Los Angeles Blur Critics Association.

George Clooney was called best amateur by the New York amphitheater for his roles in both "Up In The Air" and for articulation assignment in activated cine "Fantastic Mr.Fox". Veteran Meryl Streep was a abruptness best for best extra arena television chef Julia Child in "Julie and Julia".

Some of the best affecting choices will appear on Tuesday this anniversary with the Golden Globe nominations, and on Thursday back the Screen Actors Guild announces its account of contenders for the top movies and performances of 2009.

Until now, best nominations and awards accept been best by U.S. critics and absolute cine groups, and accept apparent little ample accord advanced of the coveted Oscar race.

"It is all over the abode this year. We don't accept an accessible advanced agent yet," said Tom O'Neil, of Hollywood awards armpit www.TheEnvelope.com.

O'Neil saw Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" and the Fellini-inspired agreeable "Nine" arch the backpack at the Golden Globe nominations on Tuesday afterwards they both got 10 nods from the Broadcast Blur Critics Association (BFCA) on Monday.

He said both movies could do able-bodied at Oscar time. Oscar nominations are appear by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in aboriginal February and handed out on March 7.

"One affair Oscar loves is a cine arranged with A-list stars and 'Nine' and 'Inglourious' both accept that," O'Neil said.

WIDE OPEN OSCAR RACE

"Up in the Air", with Hollywood admired Clooney arena an controlling who fires bodies for a living, has featured consistently on aboriginal critics lists.

But critics accept additionally broadcast their acclaim over movies and performances like "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push" by Sapphire", "An Education", Disney-Pixar's activated cine "Up" and artist Tom Ford's administering admission "A Single Man".

Dave Karger, a chief biographer with Entertainment Weekly, anticipation "Up in the Air", "Hurt Locker" and "Precious" would do able-bodied at the Globes and SAG but agreed that the chase was still advanced open.

"This division feels like a animation of beginning air. It seems like we are absolutely activity to accept a race," Karger said.

Karger saw "Avatar" as a agrarian agenda afterwards antecedent skepticism over the cher 3-D chance gave way to analytical praise. "It is now article of a force to be reckoned with and a audible amateur at the Golden Globes," he said.

The BFCA, the better cine critics' accumulation in the United States and Canada, on Monday included Sandra Bullock and Irish jailbait Saoirse Ronan in their best extra nominees for roles in "The Blind Side" and "The Lovely Bones," respectively.

Elsewhere, the African-American Blur Critics Association on Monday called its favorites of 2009 with "Precious" called best film, Morgan Freeman best amateur for "Invictus" and Nicole Beharie best extra in "American Violet."

One blur that had ample in the Oscar coursing beforehand this year, "The Road", the post-apocalyptic account of a ancestor and son, has bootless to accretion abundant absorption so far either at the box appointment ($4 actor worldwide) or in the awards race.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte )