With apologies to any die-hard fans of “About Time,” we’re not exactly in a golden age for romantic comedies right now. Big-screen romance, however, is another matter: from “Before Midnight” to “Her” to “The Spectacular Now” to “Blue is the Warmest Color,” 2013 was a rich year for films about love in its many complicated forms. Alexander Huls wonders if change is afoot: “It may be optimistic to declare the synchronous timing of these movies to be a new emerging status quo … Still, I like to think prevalence could maybe mean change. Cinema, like nature, can abhor a vacuum. With no romantic-comedy revival in sight, and audiences” ability to occasionally adapt, there”s a chance a different kind of romance could ascend. Or romantic comedies could at least evolve to adapt these characteristics.” [The Atlantic]
Willa Paskin thinks “American Hustle” is the year’s flashiest, emptiest Best Picture nominee. I don’t think anyone has written this before. [Slate]
Alex von Tunzelmann, meanwhile, examines the film from a historical standpoint: it doesn’t really measure up, but she’s not too mad at it. [The Guardian]
Yours truly joins Nathaniel Rogers, Nick Davis and Katey Rich to discuss DGA, Sundance and fantasy Oscar ties on the Film Experience podcast. [Film Experience]
Animators Tommy Pallotta and Femke Wolting will work with Richard Linklater on his upcoming Warner Bros. fantasy “The Incredible Mr. Limpet.” [Screen Daily]
Undanted by the fact that they have zero chance of winning, DreamWorks is really campaigning the hell out of “The Croods”: it was the subject of an exhibition at the Pacific Design Center last week. [Variety]
Melena Ryzik notes some of the stealth Oscar campaigning that took place at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. [The Carpetbagger]
The Guardian Film Awards pick the 10 best scenes of 2013. [The Guardian]
Mike D’Angelo revisits the 2003 Best Supporting Actress race. I don’t think I’ve read kinder words for Renee Zellweger’s Oscar-winning turn in “Cold Mountain.” [The Dissolve]