“The Artist” waltzed away with its first wins of Hollywood’s awards season.
The black-and-white ode to the silent-film era directed by Michel Hazanavicius led winners with four honors at Thursday’s 17th annual Critics’ Choice Awards, which are presented by the 250 members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association.
“The Artist” took the evening’s top prize, best picture, as well honors for best score, costume design and director.
“I made a silent movie,” French director Hazanavicius joked in English while accepting the award for best picture. “I don’t like to speak so much.”
“The Help,” the adaptation of Kathryn Stockett’s best-selling novel about black maids speaking out about their white employers during the civil-rights movement, followed behind “The Artist” with three wins in the ceremony’s acting categories: Viola Davis as best actress, Octavia Spencer as best supporting actress and the film’s cast as best acting ensemble.
“I absolutely knew I wanted to be an actor because I wanted to be somebody,” an emotional Davis said accepting her award. “I wanted to dream big and make a mark somehow. That’s something absolutely that Aibileen was not afforded. I considered it my honor to pay homage to these women at this time period who were not allowed to dream and not allowed to find their purpose.”
Others who accepted trophies at the lavish Hollywood Palladium ceremony included George Clooney as best actor for “The Descendants,” Christopher Plummer as best supporting actor for “Beginners” and Thomas Horn as best young actor for “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.”
“Frankly, I didn’t even imagine I would get this, but I have,” beamed a surprised Horn.
Funnymen Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel hosted the ceremony, which was broadcast live on VH1.
Other winners included “Bridesmaids” as best comedy movie, “Drive” as best action movie, “Rango” as best animated feature, “Midnight in Paris” as best original screenplay, “Moneyball” as best adapted screenplay, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” for best editing and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” for best makeup and best sound.
Apple and Google Face UK Investigation Into Mobile Browser Dominance
Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said Friday in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker's tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. Apple does this by restricting progressive web apps, which don't need to be downloaded from an app store and aren't subject to app store commissions, the report said.
"This technology is not able to fully take off on iOS devices," the watchdog said in a provisional report on its investigation into mobile browsers that it opened after an initial study concluded that Apple and Google effectively have a chokehold on "mobile ecosystems."
The CMA's report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers "the clearest or easiest option."
And it said that the a revenue-sharing deal between the two U.S. Big Tech companies "significantly reduces their financial incentives" to compete in mobile browsers on Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones.
Both companies said they will "engage constructively" with the CMA.
Apple said it disagreed with the findings and said it was concerned that the recommendations would undermine user privacy and security.
Google said the openness of its Android mobile operating system "has helped to expand choice, reduce prices and democratize access to smartphones and apps" and that it's "committed to open platforms that empower consumers."
It's the latest move by regulators on both sides of the Atlantic to crack down on the... Read More