Oscar 2013 Nomination Predictions: 'Zero Dark Thirty' Extends Hold on Frontrunner Position with Wins in Boston and NY; 'Amour' Surprises in LA

During the past weekend Boston, New York and Los Angeles critics picked their best films of the year. Three committees agreed on the same film, Zero Dark Thirty while Los Angeles decided on Amour as the best film of the year.

The critics circles which sometimes affect the race for the best picture Oscar have put Zero Dark Thirty as the frontrunner while Amour looks headed to win the best foreign film award.

Zero Dark Thirty went home with the Boston Society of Film Critics, Boston Online Film Critics and New Online Film Critics best film. The film was on a winning streak after winning New York Film Critics and the National Board of Review. However the Los Angele Film Critics ended its winnings by picking Amour. Still Zero Dark Thirty continues to be the frontrunner unless it somehow misses major guild nominations, all of which will be announced in the coming month. The film could also lose steam if other critics circles pick against it, but the current streak does not favor that outcome.

The two Boston societies and New York Film Critics also chose Kathryn Bigelow for Best Sirector while Los Angeles gave the award to Paul Thomas Anderson for The Master. Bigelow is still the frontrunner but the win for Anderson could help The Master regain momentum after having virtually been ignored for the last few weeks.

In the Best Actress category the critics continued to select different actresses. Jessica Chastain won her second award at the Boston Online Film Critics while Emanuelle Riva took home the award for the Boston Film Critics, New York Online Film Critics and Los Angeles Film Critics. The LA Critics also chose Jennifer Lawrence who at one time was said to be the frontrunner for Best Actress. But after this weekend it is clear that there is no frontrunner and that this award is still up for grabs.

The Best Lead Actor award seemed to solidify Daniel Day-Lewis' frontrunner position as he won three out of the four awards; he has already won five awards. Joaquin Phoenix won at the Los Angeles Film Critics, building some momentum for his performance that had lost steam with pundits.

The supporting actor categories divided critics. Anne Hathaway built momentum winning both the New York Online and Boston Online Film Critics. Sally Field won the Boston Film Critics and Amy Adams picked up her first award at the Los Angeles Film Critics. The three actresses now look to be the three who will fight for the award for Best supporting actor.

If the supporting actress was divisive, the supporting actor looks even more ambiguous. Tommy Lee Jones won at the Boston Online and New York Online Film Critics but Ezra Miller surprised at the Boston Film Critics. Dwight Henry also surprised when he won at the LA Film Critics. While the latter two actors seem like wild cards for Oscar nominations, the one thing that was confirmed by all these critics is that this category is not defined.

The full list of winners below:

Boston Online Film Critics

BEST PICTURE: ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST DIRECTOR: Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST ACTOR: Daniel Day-Lewis, LINCOLN

BEST ACTRESS: Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Tommy Lee Jones, LINCOLN

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway, LES MISERABLES

BEST SCREENPLAY: Tony Kushner, LINCOLN

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: OSLO, AUGUST 31ST

BEST DOCUMENTARY: HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE

BEST ANIMATED FILM: PARANORMAN

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins, SKYFALL

BEST EDITING: William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor, ZERO DARK THIRTY

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Jonny Greenwood, THE MASTER

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST: MOONRISE KINGDOM

THE TEN BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR:

1.ZERO DARK THIRTY

2.BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

3.LINCOLN

4.MOONRISE KINGDOM

5.DJANGO UNCHAINED

6.OSLO, AUGUST 31ST

7.HOLY MOTORS

8.THE MASTER

9.ARGO

CLOUD ATLAS

Boston Film Critics

Best Film-Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director-Kathryn Bigelow-Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor-Daniel Day-Lewis-Lincoln

Best Actress-Emmanuelle Riva-Amour

Best Supporting Actor-Ezra Miller-Perks of being a Wallflower

Best Supporting Actress-Sally Field-Lincoln

Best Ensemble Cast-Seven Psychopaths

Best Foreign Film-Amour

Best Animated Film-Frankenweenie

Best Screenplay-Tony Kushner-Lincoln

Best Documentary-How to Survive a Plague

Best Cinematography-Mihai Malaimare-The Master

Best Editing- William Goldenberg & Dylan Tichenor-Zero Dark Thirty

Best Use of Music-Moonrise Kingdom

Best New Filmmaker-David France-How to Survive a Plague

LA Films Critics

Best Film-Amour

Best Director-Paul Thomas Anderson-The Master

Best Actor-Joaquin Phoenix-The Master

Best Actress-Jennifer Lawrence-Silver Linings Playbook and Emanuelle Riva-Amour

Best Supporting Actor-Dwight Henry-Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Supporting Actress-AmyAdams-The Master

Best Animated Film-Frankenweenie

Best Documentary-The Gatekeepers

Best Screenplay-Chris Terrio-Argo

Best Score-Benh Zeitlin-Beasts of the Southern Wild

Best Cinematography-Roger Deakins-Skyfall

Best Production Design-Jack Fisk-The Master

Independent Experimental film-Leviathan

New York Online Film Critics

Best Film-Zero Dark Thirty

Best Director-Kathryn Bigelow-Zero Dark Thirty

Best Actor-Daniel Day-Lewis-Lincoln

Best Actress-Emmanuelle Riva-Amour

Best Supporting Actor-Tommy Lee Jones-Lincoln

Best Supporting Actress-Anne Hathaway-Les Miserables

Best Documentary-The Central Park Five

Best Foregin Film- Amour

Best Ensemble Cast-Argo

Best Cinematography-Claudio Miranda-Life of Pi

Best Screenplay-Mark Boal-Zero Dark Thirty

Best Use of Music-Mary Ramos-Django Unchained

Best Debut Director-Benh Zeitlin-Beasts of the Southern Wild

Breakthrough Performance-Quenzhane Wallis-Beasts of the of the Southern Wild