New York Film Critics and National Board of Review Awards "At our house we call this time of year "the convention," "Frances McDormand announced from the stage at the National Board of Review gala on Tuesday night. Addressing the assembled famous faces - the Clooneys and Rooneys, Tildas and Martys - Ms. McDormand, the Oscar-winning star of "Fargo," added, "You are going to be seeing a lot of each other." In politics and in Hollywood it is campaign season, when contenders make the rounds of receptions and meet-and-greets, intended to convince likely voters of their affability and depth. While it certainly doesn't have the stakes of the presidential race - except when it comes to bruised egos - the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does have its own version of Super Tuesday: Jan. 24, when the Oscar nominees are announced. While the ballots are due on Friday, and the Golden Globes ceremony is on Sunday, the many precursor groups have already announced their selections, which means that a crew of likely Oscar candidates has emerged. This week heralded several opportunities for them to strut their stuff, practicing the stump speeches that, should they be so lucky - so very, very fortunate! - may be heard at the Kodak Theater in a flush of emotions and apparent surprise. Of course no cool kid, least of all an artist, wants to be seen jockeying for peers" approval. "I don't campaign, the studio campaigns," said Alexander Payne, the director of "The Descendants." Mr. Payne, who also helped write the film, which earned a best adapted screenplay prize from the National Board of Review, was not protesting too much, he explained on the Board of Review red carpet. "I care," he admitted. It's super fun. But I just show up from time to time when they tell me to show up. Ditto George Clooney, named best actor for "The Descendants." Mr. Clooney, who came hand in hand with his girlfriend, the former wrestler Stacy Keibler, and patiently answered red-carpet questions about whether he prefers double dates with Brad and Angie or A-Rod and his latest girlfriend, Torrie Wilson, said recent changes to Academy rules meant there was less obvious campaigning. "There's no more kissing babies in acting," he said, "which I think is probably a good thing." But for showbiz veterans the effort and attention of awards season does appear amplified. "It seems like there's a thousand more things," said Albert Brooks, an Oscar nominee in 1988 for "Broadcast News" and a hopeful this year, as best supporting actor for "Drive." It just seems to me like it's a huge business. Mr. Brooks added that he thought Hollywood should take a lesson from Amazon and its "best books of the year so far" program. "I think they should give the "best movies so far," " he said. It would start every six months. And then in about five years it would be the "best movie this month" award. And then right before the apocalypse, it would be the Friday awards. Consider the following the Thursday awards, for best moments on the statuette circuit so far this week. New York Film Critics Circle There was higher-than-normal security at the New York Film Critics Circle awards dinner on Monday night, more barricades and earpieced guards: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were in the house. "Not that he shows me," she said, as he stood on the bar nearby. Mr. Pitt wound up giving one of the best speeches of the night - funny, personal and poignant. . He did his Robert De Niro impression, directly to Mr. De Niro. "You talkin" to me?" Mr. Dujardin said, doing the squinted eyes; the pursed, downturned lips; the little shrugs. Mr. DeNiro, after a long, weighty pause, responded. "Pretty good," he said, totally deadpan. Mr. Weinstein can rest easy; there was maybe the hint of a smile. Aaron Sorkin, co-writer of "Moneyball," and J. C. Chandor, who won best first feature for "Margin Call." Mr. Sorkin: " "Moneyball," I think you all know by now, was not an easy movie to make. There are easy movies, there are hard movies, there's 50 feet of" trash, "there's "Heaven's Gate," and then there's us." Mr. Chandor: "I never had a very good idea, actually, before this. I didn't know that until now. HONORABLE MENTION, TRUTH IN SHOWBIZ Meryl Streep, accepting her award for portraying Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady": "I'm proud of our attempt to get at something human in someone that we all thought was very weird." National Board of Review The salads were barely down on the tables at the National Board of Review dinner when Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer marched across the room. "They're going after Clooney!" someone at their table whispered incredulously. Ms. Spencer returned a few minutes later, triumphant after having met her crush. "I said, "I know you didn't know we were in a relationship, you and I," " she reported, adding, "He's so yummy." It was girl talk all around at the table for "The Help," where Ms. Spencer and Ms. Chastain were joined by their co-stars Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Ahna O'Reilly, Cicely Tyson and Sally Field, who introduced the cast for the best ensemble award. There were discussions about who was wearing what to the Golden Globes - Ms. Davis and Ms. Stone are both thinking burgundy; Ms. Spencer, might do gray or lavender - along with talk of baking and on-set antics. Ms. Spencer, who can't cook, needed a step-by-step fried chicken coach for one scene. Ms. Davis, who gave their acceptance speech, groused about having to be the designated spokeswoman again. "Of all the wonderful speakers on this stage," she said during the acceptance speech, as her co-stars lined up behind her, "they've thrown me into a den of wolves." THE TRUTHINESS IN SHOWBIZ AWARD Seth Rogen, presenting his friend Will Reiser with the best first screenplay prize for "50/50": "I am filled with resentment and jealousy for having to give Will this award. I hate this. I've written like 10 movies, and none of them get any recognition at all. THE TRUTH IN SHOWBIZ AWARD, PART 2 Rosie O'Donnell, on Lars von Trier's "Melancholia": "If I had the choice between giving birth to a flaming child on the floor of an igloo, or watching that film again, I would choose the birth of my child." THE TRUTH IN FASHION AWARD Ms. O'Donnell again: "This tablecloth I'm wearing cost $5,000." The ladies of "The Help" quoted this one back to one another for a while. THE BIGGEST LIE AWARD The always effusive Martin Scorsese, accepting his directing prize for "Hugo": "Look, I don't know what to say." He spoke for eight minutes. Shayla Harris contributed reporting.