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By Scott Mendelson

As is often the case, the last weekend of the year is basically a repeat of last weekend, both in general ranking and numbers, as the holiday weekend tends to keep drops low, if often absent. Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol led the pack of major Christmas and holiday releases that actually went up from last weekend. The Brad Bird spy thriller earned $31 million over Fri-Sun, with an eye towards a likely $40 million four-day holiday weekend. At the end of its third weekend, the first of which was IMAX-exclusive, the crowd-pleasing Tom Cruise vehicle will have grossed $140 million by Monday, which means it has already outgrossed the $134 million-grossing Mission: Impossible III.

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By Sean O’Connell

Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” led the Online Film Critics Society’s year-endvoting with seven nominations, so it’s no real surprise that his meditative drama emerged victorious when the group tallied its votes.

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The following list and remarks reflect my personal opinions and do/will not in any way impact my projections or analysis on this site, wherein I strive above all else to correctly forecast what will happen, not what I believe should happen.

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By Sean O’Connell

The London Critics’ Circle split their attentions between two films when announcing their year-end honors: one very British in “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy;” and another that’s positively American in “Drive.”

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This story originally appeared in the The Hollywood Reporter.  

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By Sean O’Connell

While the L.A. crix were busy announcing their year-end selections, the New York Film Critics Online were gathered on the opposite coast handing out its annual awards. They mirrored the BostonFilm Critics, going with “The Artist.”

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By Sean O’Connell

The Los Angeles Film Critics’ Association are revealing their year-end selections Sunday afternoon, handing out Best Picture honors to Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants.” The director has had a ton of success with the LAFCA over the years, so the win comes with little surprise. At least it wasn’t a clean sweep for “The Artist,” which picked up wins in Boston and New York on Sunday. Is this year’s Best Picture race a two-horser?

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By Sean O’Connell

The New York Film Critics’ Circle has convened in Manhattan and named Michel Hazanavicius’  “The Artist” as the year’s best film. The full list of winners can be found below.

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By Sean O’Connell

Oscar trackers will tell you that a series of relatively smaller victories for a film can build momentum and add up to one big win at the Academy Awards. So Monday, from an Oscar perspective, was a successful day for Terrence Malick’s meditative “The Tree of Life,” which added two notches to its awards belt as it hopes to generate buzz heading into the thick of Oscar season.

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This story first appeared in the Nov. 25 issue of The Hollywood  Reporter magazine.

 ANIMATED

1. The Adventures of Tintin The Steven Spielberg-Peter Jackson film has tremendous reviews, but will the Academy deem its motion-capture “animated” enough to qualify for the category?

2. Rango It opened way back in March, but solid reviews and nearly $250 million in worldwide box office have kept it in the thick of things ever since.

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