Oscar Verdicts on Mirren, Clooney, Michael

By Steve Pond These days, Oscar is a waiting game. Most of the films that are in contention for the top awards have made the festival circuit or been screened around town; in the best-picture race, there’s probably not much left to see. But what is left is significant. Rob Marshall’s musical “Nine,” Peter Jackson’s “The Lovely Bones,” Clint Eastwood’s “Invictus” and James Cameron’s “Avatar” – those four films, none of which have screened to any significant degree, occupy four of the 10 slots on the majority of Os... (link)