They like it. They really, really like it.

This is a major week for the Oscar season. LA Film Critics Awards were announced yesterday. New York Film Awards announced today as did the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Tomorrow the Golden Globe nominees are announced. And Thursday the SAG nominees are announced. Not to mention Boston (and many other cities) and the AFI group have announced their years best as well.

One thing seems to be pretty consistent. The Social Network is the unanimous pick for the Best Film of the Year. LA, New York, National Board of Review, Boston, Southeastern Film Critics, New York Film Critics online, Indiana Film Journalists have all called the film the best of the year. I think it's safe to say it may be the frontrunner for Best Picture in the race.

Let's breakdown what happened in LA and NY.

LA:

PICTURE:

* “The Social Network”
* Runner-up: “Carlos”

DIRECTOR:

* Olivier Assayas, “Carlos,” and David Fincher, “The Social Network” (tie)

ACTOR:

* Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech”
* Runner-up: Edgar Ramirez, “Carlos”

ACTRESS:

* Kim Hye-ja, “Mother”
* Runner-up: Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone”

SUPPORTING ACTOR:

* Niels Arestrup, “A Prophet”
* Runner-up: Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

* Jacki Weaver, “Animal Kingdom”
* Runner-up: Olivia Williams, “The Ghost Writer”

SCREENPLAY:

* Aaron Sorkin, “The Social Network”
* Runner-up: David Seidler, “The King’s Speech”

No suprise that The Social Network did well here. Colin Firth picks up some steam with his first big win. Kim Hye-ja takes the award from Jennifer Lawrence, who could really have used the win to make her become a serious contender in the race and not just a member of the pack. I don't expect Hye-ja to really factor in the race as LA always throws out some seriously obscure picks in acting races that never factor beyond the day that LA announces its awards. Think Vera Farmiga in 2005 for Down to the Bone and last years winner Yolande Moreau for Seraphine. Again LA goes obscure for Niels Arestrup for a film that was nominated in last year's foreign film race and is ineligible this year. Jacki Weaver picks up her second major award (she won NBoR) last week and cements herself as a definite contender in that race.

New York:

Best Film:
The Social Network

Best Director:
David Fincher, The Social Network

Best Screenplay:
The Kids Are All Right

Best Actress:
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right

Best Actor:
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Best Supporting Actress:
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Best Supporting Actor:
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right

New York also goes for The Social Network and seems to have shown a lot of love to The Kids Are All Right. Colin Firth picks up his second major win and solidifies himself as the definitive man to beat in the Best Actor category. I am very surprised to see Natalie Portman lose this particular award to Annette Bening. Black Swan is so New York and I thought that the critics would recognize the city where this amazing performances takes place. Last week I kept saying "No one will beat Natalie." While I still believe this, I think the category is a little tighter than I would have thought. Ruffalo is definitely picking up a nod for his work in TKAAR, despite my thoughts that he might get edged out of the top five. And fantastic character actress Melissa Leo takes her first big award for The Fighter. I think this might actually make her the front runner.

Also today The BFCA nominations came out:

BEST PICTURE
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The King’s Speech
The Social Network
The Town
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges – “True Grit”
Robert Duvall – “Get Low”
Jesse Eisenberg – “The Social Network”
Colin Firth – “The King’s Speech”
James Franco – “127 Hours”
Ryan Gosling – “Blue Valentine”

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening – “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman – “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence – “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman – “Black Swan”
Noomi Rapace – “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Michelle Williams – “Blue Valentine”


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Christian Bale – “The Fighter”
Andrew Garfield – “The Social Network”
Jeremy Renner – “The Town”
Sam Rockwell – “Conviction”
Mark Ruffalo – “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush – “The King’s Speech”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams – “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter – “The King’s Speech”
Mila Kunis – “Black Swan”
Melissa Leo – “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld – “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver – “Animal Kingdom”

I think most of these lineups will match most of the Oscar line ups. Black Swan leading the nomination list is a very good thing as most of the buzz seemed to be about Natalie and not the film up to this point. The Social Network, The King's Speech, The Kid's Are All Right, The Fighter and True Grit are also well represented here. It seems as though buzz for Another Year and Lesley Manville is slowly dying. It's also definite that Sally Hawkins or Miranda Richardson will not factor in this year's race for Made in Dagenham. I would have seen some love for John Hawkes and Dale Dickey here, but perhaps SAG will make up for it. I have to say also that the most inspired nomination here is Noomi Rapace, who was excellent in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This is probably where her mild Oscar buzz will die, but it's nice when a group like the BFC rewards excellent work that deserves to be rewarded.

Golden Globes tomorrow will solve a lot of mysteries in this race. Can't wait.