Movies

Oscar Watch: No Awards Happyness for Smith, Sony Or ‘Seven Hundred Pounds of Schmaltz’

Among those regulars not gracing the red carpet at January’s Golden Globe awards on Jan. 11 will be Nicole Kidman (“Australia”), Keira Knightley (“The Duchess”) and … Will Smith, who also didn’t make the HFPA cut with Sony’s faltering stealth Oscar contender, “Seven Pounds.” This diabetes-inducing reunion with director Gabriele Muccino (“The Pursuit of Happyness”) also didn’t score any nods from the easily persuaded Broadcast Film Critics Association, not to mention any awards from the L.A. or New York film critics (there were lots of snickers when somebody jokingly nominated Smith at yesterday’s NYFCC meeting, which gives you an idea of the critical reception “Seven Pounds” is likely to receive when it opens, wide, a week from tomorrow). Sony has reportedly embargoed all reviews, even those in the trades, until opening day, supposedly to protect the “mystery” of the fractured narrative. I received some criticism on other blogs for supposedly revealing “spoilers” in our year-end wrap-up in The Post on Sunday, but really, as some commenters on those same blogs pointed out, I wasn’t giving away anything that couldn’t be deduced from looking at the trailers or a careful consideration of what the title “Seven Pounds” is actually referring to. Even with the world’s biggest star, “Seven Pounds” is going to be a very tough sell without nominations or good reviews — it didn’t even make uber quote-whore Shawn Edwards’ 10-best list, which includes “The Express,” “Miracle at St. Anna” and “The Secret Life of Bees” — and an ending … well, I’ll let you figure it out for yourself. I’ll have a review next week.