Awards Coverage: L.A. Critics Association

Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima received its second notable honor this week when it was named best film of 06 by the Los Angeles Critics Association. It was previously selected by The National Board of Review to receive a similar honor during its awards ceremony. Needless to say, Letters continues its run toward becoming the most sudden of Oscar front runners while early buzz favorites like the heavily hyped Dreamgirls see their prospects dim after being passed over completely by yet another major organization. These groups are known to have very different opinions, though, and Oscar picks can often come out of nowhere. Las year's Best Picture winner, Crash, was minimally recognized elsewhere before winning the top film award of the year.