Letters has 14 reviews on Metacritic, half of them are 100s.

Also up to 94% on RT.

Dreamgirls isnt even on your top 10 and you whore it out like nobodies business.

With 16 reviews, Iwo Jima has a 96, the highest score for a movie since the site started 7 years ago and the 4th highest overall, behind Citizen Kane, Superman II (?) and Dr. Strangelove.

United 93 has 19 100s, but 1 score of 40, 2 scores of 70, and 3 scores of 75 are enough to bring its weighted average down to 90. Letters is currently on pace to have 20 or more 100s and only one 75 so far. Whether it will get a bad score from COTC people is the question.

Pan's Labyrinth, in the mean time, sits at 88 with 6 reviews. It is at 97% at RT with 8.1 average and just entered IMDb's top 250. I really think this is now the front runner for best foreign film.

Though it may be out of the awards race, The Good Shepherd is on a respectable number of top ten lists and should end up with decent reviews.

Letters is probably my most anticipated of the rest of the year (and I still haven't seen a lot of stuff).

Anything that caters to my Japaneseness, really, I'm a sucker for.

Just thought I'd mention. I know everybody cares.

I think Letters is now numero uno in the Best Picture race, unfortunately.

At this point I just hope Scorsese holds on to Best Director. Hope.

Letters is gaining fast. I can't say I'm entirely surprised, as Eastwood is an excellent filmmaker. If it's a hit with audiences, it's a lock for Best Picture.

But really, as much as I loved Flags of our Fathers and as deep as my respect for Clint Eastwood goes, I will be pissed beyond words if Martin Scorsese doesn't win for The Departed, which is destined to become a classic.

Which is why I'm doubting it as a frontrunner right now. I really don't think that the Academy can afford to award Best Picture to a little-seen film for two years in a row. If Letters is as big a hit as Flags and wins Best Picture, I believe it will be among the least successful (if not THE least successful) winner at the box office.

Sounds encouraging given your grade for Letters was a full letter grade higher than that of Flags.

Hell no! If Departed doesn't take it I hope LMS sneaks in for the win. I don't know when Eastwood went from being the Hollywood Outsider to being Hollywood's Posterboy, but he's ready for a break.

And fans agree. Even in limited release it had a pretty palty opening pta. It by the time Oscar noms come in, it'll already be bowing out of theatres, and by the time the final ballots are cast it'll be forgotten. Maybe it'll get some noms because these things are so much more about marketing at this point (Dreamgirls started a year ago, yikes) than they are about the movies (critical or public reception) but its not winning anything.

It would be incredible if LMS swept!

EW chimes in with their Top 10 lists. Lisa went for Clint:

http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1572 ... 0_,00.html

Owen went for Bond:

http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1572 ... 0_,00.html

Go Owen!

WHY ISN'T THE DEPARTED THE FRONTRUNNER?

I don't understand. No one will truly like Letters. It'll be that film people pretend to like, similar to M$B. You know, it's "pretty" and "quiet" or whatever. Fuck that. Clint doesn't deserve any awards for jealousy.

The Departed is best picture material. It's got a classy director, a classy cast, and a classy crew. It's not controversial, but it's not shallow, either. Audiences loved it. Critics loved it.

It's enjoyable, but it's also beautiful. WHY IS IT NOT THE FUCKING FRONTRUNNER? WHY ARE WE EVEN GIVING LETTERS A CHANCE?

Christ, this race is so stupid. In a perfect world, films like Letters would not exist, because they have "disguised profound" messages that have already been said 1027292x before.

Dude take a

I think Loyal is right to say that Letters scares him.

There are many things working against it for a win but I think it's just that good that it could SOMEHOW sneak in and of course, it's all cuz of Clint.

Dreamgirls is 76% with a 7.2 average, after 95 reviews.

This isn't Chicago. Even with super box-office, I kind of see it having a hard time with a director nomination, and a hard time challenging Departed/Letters for the BP win. Should get a nom though.

Some more top tens from the last couple days:

Jack Matthews (NY Daily News)
1. Happy Feet
2. Pan's Labryinth
3. Letters from Iwo Jima/Flags of Our Fathers
4. Babel
5. Borat
6. The Departed
7. Casino Royale
8. Dreamgirls
9. The Queen
10. A Prairie Home Companion

Stephen Holden (NY Times)
1. Babel
2. Pan's Labryinth
3. Heading South
4. The Queen
5. Letters from Iwo Jima
6. United 93
7. The Death of Mr. Lazerscu
8. Volver
9. A Prairie Home Companion
10. Little Miss Sunshine

AO Scott's(NY Times):
Letters From Iwo Jima
Pan's Labyrinth
L'Enfant
Days of Glory
Little Miss Sunshine
Three Times
51 Birch Street
Volver
Little Children
A Prairie Home Companion

Manohla(?):
Army of Shadows
Letters From Iwo Jima
INLAND EMPIRE
Our Daily Bread
L'Enfant
Children of Men
Three Times
Miami Vice
Brand Upon The Brain
Borat

Anne Thompson (Hollywood Reporter):
1. The Lives of Others
2. Pan’s Labyrinth
3. Little Miss Sunshine
4. United 93
5. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
6. Babel
7. Little Children
8. The Departed
9. Children of Men
10. The Queen

Engin is still sick according to his site.

James Berardinelli's Top 10 Performances of 2006:

Abbie Cornish, Candy
There were a lot of "drug" films this year and a lot of good performances in those movies. Many will be citing Ryan Gosling for his work in Half Nelson, but I found both the movie and the performance (while good) to be overrated. The one interpretation of an addict that really got to me was Abbie Cornish's portrayal of the title character in Candy. Maybe it's Cornish's girl-next-door good looks or maybe it's that she embraced the degradation of her character without reservation, but Cornish's acting stuck with me long after many of the particulars of the film faded away. Her co-stars (Heath Ledger, Geoffrey Rush) are good as well, but both worked in her shadow. Her appearance in A Good Year, while forgettable, allows viewers with an interest to sample her range. It hardly seems to be the same actress.

Zooey Deschenal, Winter Passing
The movie was mediocre, but the performance was not. I wrote the following in the review: "Winter Passing is a classic example of a pedestrian motion picture being lifted out of mediocrity by an arresting lead performance. Zooey Deschanel doesn't just elevate Winter Passing; she carries it." Having re-watched the film, I feel the same. It's amazing to see an actress do so much with so little. The subtle (and at times unsubtle) ways in which she expresses deep, hidden pain make the viewer believe this is a real person, not the joint construct of a writer, a director, and an actress. I have always like Deschanel. This is her best work to-date but there are hopefully better things to come. (I await the Janis Joplin bio-pic with baited breath.)

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
2006 represented the year the pretty boy finally made good. DiCaprio has always had screen presence and charisma. The Departed, much more than his previous would-be "serious" movies (Gangs of New York, The Aviator), has elevated him to a new level. This is real acting. What's more, it's powerful, gut-churning acting. Throw in his work in Blood Diamond and this year has allowed DiCaprio to turn a corner. At last, he may be able to put the long, deep shadow of Titanic behind him.

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stranger Than Fiction
Maggie Gyllenhaal has been all over the cinematic map this year, mostly playing supporting roles. Based on reports, potentially her best performance came as the lead in Sherrybaby but, since IFC only opened it in New York and Los Angeles and was stingy with screeners, I haven't been able to see the movie (yet), so I can't comment upon it. However, while Gyllenhaal was fine in Who's the Man and World Trade Center, the performance in which she shines came in Stranger than Fiction. She steals every scene she's in, pilfering them from a surprisingly generous Will Ferrell. She is radiant in a movie too few people have seen with a performance fewer will acknowledge. She is one of today's finest young actresses, surpassing with consistency and talent the likes of higher-profile stars like Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman.

Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
From fallen Idol to potential Oscar winner, Jennifer Hudson has taken the movie world by storm, flipping a big middle finger in the direction of the judges and voters of American Idol. The thing that makes Hudson's performance memorable isn't just that she's got the voice to do justice to "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," but she's more than solid in the non-singing department. Whether or not Hudson takes home the little gold statue, she has opened eyes and her future on the big screen (should she desire one) is cemented.

Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
It's difficult for a member of an ensemble cast to stand out, but Rinko Kikuchi manages it. She is the star among stars in Babel, a film that is in some ways more about plot than character. Her performance is brave and heartbreaking. She's the only individual in this brilliant film who touched my heart, at times bringing me close to tears. She's that good - pushing the likes of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett into the background. Prior to Babel, she appeared in smaller Japanese films. This represents her first major international exposure; it will hopefully not be her last.

Helen Mirren, The Queen
All hail the queen! Even at this early date, I don't think anyone doubts that Helen Mirren will walk home with the Oscar for her work for director Steven Frears. The competition will likely be weak, and Mirren's performance is so amazing that everyone else will start writing consolation speeches the moment their nominations are announced. Not since Charlize Theron in Monster has so much acclaim been so deserved for a female nominee. And when you consider Dame Helen's entire body of work, it's hard to argue that there isn't a better choice out there.

Jack Nicholson, The Departed
Sometimes with Nicholson, it's tough to say whether it's a good performance or just "Jack being Jack." In The Departed, there's no question in my mind that Nicholson is acting his butt off, not just showing up, flashing his teeth, and picking up a paycheck. His performance is volcanic without crossing the line into camp. He injects energy into the proceedings without forcing the movie to be all about him. Maybe it takes a strong director to reign in an actor with this kind of personality. Whatever the case, Nicholson has given one of his most memorable performances of the last 14 years in The Departed.

Peter O'Toole, Venus
This will likely be Peter O'Toole's swansong as a screen performer, and what a way to go out! He hits all the right notes, reciting Shakespeare and spewing profanity, providing moments of great humor and equally great pathos. Considering all the work he had done over a long and fruitful career, it's astounding to realize that O'Toole has never won an Oscar (although he got an honorary one a few years ago - something he considered to be a cheat). Venus may be his last chance (rumor has it that his health is in a steady decline). Irrespective of whether or not the Academy honors him, his portrayal of randy old Maurice deserves a spot alongside Lawrence of Arabia, Henry II, and Arthur Chipping.

Ellen Page, Hard Candy
Forget her small appearance in the third X-Men movie. If you really want to see what Ellen Page can do, check her out in this disturbing thriller that goes places where not even Chris Hanson has journeyed. Hard Candy isn't graphic but it is profoundly disturbing, and a lot of that has to do with the way Page plays her role as an avenging high school girl who's not as innocent as she first appears to be, but may not be as tough as we are led to believe at other times. There are a lot of layers to this character, just as there are a lot of layers to the movie. For Hard Candy to work, Page has to be phenomenal, and she is.

Honorable Mentions: Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), Jackie Earle Haley (Little Children), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Kate Winslet (Little Children)

http://reelviews.net/reelthoughts.html

At this point I can't see Letters winning BP regardless of how many critics try to force it down the academy voters throat. The BO gross is putrid at the moment and I can't see this movie making more then 25-30 million. What american film goer actually wants to feel sorry for the enemy for goodness sakes? I like to see other points of view in history but to annoint this a BP winner would be pretty crazy imo. Let's just worship the heroism of Nazis and Pol Pot and Mao while we're at it. I can't wait for those future films. The Departed should have BP sewn up. I can't see the members essentially spitting in the face of Scorcese after going with Clint over him in 2004.

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu seems to be this year's...I don't know...but that small film that no one's seen that gets on a bunch of critics' top tens.

With 20 reviews and 13 100s, Pan's Labyrinth now has a 98 on Metacritic and is the third highest rated movie of all time on Metacritic, behind only The Godfather and Superman II.

http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/panslabyrinth

And on RT it has 99%/8.4 and 100%/8.7 Cream of the Crop.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pans_labyrinth/

Ladies and gentlemen, I present the final nail in Volver's coffin, the new potential lone director nominee and my most anticipated film of 2007.

This is crazy, crazy, CRAZY! The grades are simply incredible.

Um, wow.

I think it would be funny if Pan's Labryinth beat Letters from Iwo Jima at the Globes for Best Foreign film. Should be close.

I don't get how it only got an 86 from BFCA, when the other major averages (RT, MC, NSFC) are all consistent with, if not better than, The Queen, Letters, and United 93.

Volver is in real trouble now, yeah...