New Contenders Slip in Under the Wire It's been two days; has the state of the race changed? Wouldn't you know it, yes! The conventional wisdom that had "Argo," "Lincoln" and "Silver Linings Playbook" at the top of the best-picture heap was a bit shaken with the arrival of two late entrants to the field, "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Les Misérables." Both eagerly awaited and helmed by Oscar-winning filmmakers, they were finished just this month, barely squeaking into the Academy's shortened nominations window. "Les Misérables," directed by Tom Hooper in his first effort since "The King's Speech," has taken the blitzkrieg promotional route, doing well-publicized screenings and cast Q&As in Los Angeles and New York, where the audience was stocked with theater buffs who applauded after every number. "I have rarely been in a space that was so electric with energy," Annette Insdorf, the Columbia University film professor who led the question session after the first screening here, told the Bagger. Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and supporting players like Eddie Redmayne got high praise for their performances. Still, it remains to be seen how the film will fare with a nonhand-picked crowd, especially one that hasn't given a best-picture prize to a musical since "Chicago" in 2003. "Zero Dark Thirty," from Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal, the director-writer team behind "The Hurt Locker," is a tense drama about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. It is already earning Ms. Bigelow some glowing reviews ("Les Misérables" has a review embargo) and, because of the controversy surrounding the reporting that Mr. Boal did to write the script, some high-profile interviews. They appeared on "Nightline" recently, defending themselves from charges that they received classified information. Early screenings left audiences hushed - in a good way - and eagerly discussing the film afterward. The star, Jessica Chastain, has emerged as a likely best-actress candidate, already vying for the top spot with the seeming frontrunner, Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook"). And there's more! Word is that Quentin Tarantino just finished his cut of "Django Unchained," trimming it down from a three-hour running time and fine-tuning the sound. Also in the wings is "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," which begins screenings this week. Peter Jackson's epic may not seem like Oscar fare, but his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy earned best-picture nominations each go-round. Standby for more shaking up.