Is the Artist a certainty for Best Picture?

from the Associated Press

Ever since the Artist picked-up award season momentum late last year, it has quickly became one of the frontrunners for the Best Picture Oscar.  Now, its chance may have become a certainty.

Along with winning the Golden Globe for BP-Musical or Comedy and the Critics choice for BP, the French modern day day silent film has won numerous awards from numerous film societies and critics.  Today, producer Thomas Langmann took home the Producers Guild top prize.  It beat out the other lead Oscar contender, The Descendants, as well as a few other films who still had a slim chance of winning the big prize like The Help, Hugo, and Midnight in Paris.

This year is truly the year of nostalgia, with throwback themes and period set films like Hugo, Midnight in Paris, The Help, My Week with Marilyn, and War Horse.  No film has this nostalgia factor more than the Artist, however, and it is fully poised to win the Oscar this year.

Although my early predictions, for what it's worth, is that the Artist could be put into a rare field in Oscar awards:  out of the biggest award, it could only win Best Picture.  It is almost assured it will also win Best Original Score, but the Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross score for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo could pick up momentum.  I don't see Jean Dujardin beating out George Clooney from The Descendants.  Nor do I see Bérénice Bejo beating out Viola Davis from The Help.  Michael Hazanavicious could easily take home Best Director, but by no means would I count out Alexander Payne from The Descendant's or Martin Scorsese from Hugo.

The Academy Award nominations are announced Tuesday on ABC near 8:30 am.  The Artist is currently playing in limited release.