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Earlier this afternoon, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences welcomed awards hopefuls to its annual luncheon, where nominees are free to mingle with both colleagues and competitors in a low-pressure environment, enjoy a delicious meal, and generally bask in the glow of their potential Oscar glory. Perhaps infected with the giddy spirit of cautious optimism spreading through the industry following the new round of rumors about an impending, Oscars-salvaging deal between the WGA and AMPTP, today's event seemed like little more than a high-wattage nice-off to see who could offer the most vigorous reacharound to his or her peers, according to the LAT:

Naturally, the nominees had lots of nice things to say about each other. "Michael Clayton" writer-director Tony Gilroy said of his star George Clooney: "He's better at the job of being a movie star than anyone who's ever done it — working the ropes, maintaining his dignity, having a political view that doesn't get too preachy. He really is the Michael Jordan of movie stars."

Clooney himself sang the praises of "There Will Be Blood" star Daniel Day-Lewis, while "Juno" director Jason Reitman doted on his leading lady Ellen Page: "I'm in love with her, and my wife knows it. And she's cool with it. ... She's an actress incapable of a dishonest moment."

Clooney said of Page that "she's too smart" for him to even consider offering advice on how to manage her newfound fame.

As for his own coping skills during awards season, Clooney said the cocktail chatter at these affairs doesn't usually get too dry.

"A lot of stars are star-struck," he said. "It's not like you go out and have drinks with these famous people all the time. ... Mostly, it's just exciting."

Despite the prevailing lighthearted mood at the luncheon (Julian Schnabel wore purple pajamas!), the show's producers still had to carry out to the event's main purpose: the official issuing of threats about the grotesque physical punishments that await any winner who dares exceed his or her allotted acceptance speech time. The near-constant din of laughter quickly faded as Gil Cates, casting a lingering glance at the table of Best Actor nominees, described in chilling detail what might happen to an "overly wordy" awards-recipient's testicles if they "accidentally" found their way into a green room vise following a boring, orchestra-truncated litany of thank-yous.

[Photo: Getty Images]