'Winter's Bone' celebrated at pre-Oscar party

[February 25, 2011]  WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (AP) -- Far from the urban desperation of "Biutiful" or the meth-riddled rural life of "Winter's Bone," stars of those two Oscar-nominated films celebrated their good fortune at a private penthouse party at one of the city's newest hotspots.

Oscar nominees Javier Bardem, Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes celebrated alongside "Winter's Bone" writer-director Debra Granik and "Biutiful" writer-director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Thursday at Soho House, a new membership-only club home to a flurry of Oscar-related events this week.

With sweeping views of Los Angeles and the homey-yet-elegant feel of a family library heavy on leatherbound books, the new spot will also house Oscar parties for Swarovski, Lacoste, Women in Film and Mercedez Benz.

Thursday's fete, sponsored by Roadside Attractions, was simply celebratory. Guests including David O. Russell, nominated for best director for "The Fighter," and last year's best director Kathryn Bigelow mingled with the studio's Oscar nominees.

"Biutiful,"which tells the story of a dying man trying to leave a legacy for those he loves, is up for best foreign-language film. Bardem, its star, is nominated for best actor. "Winter's Bone," about a girl unraveling the mystery of her father's disappearance in the rural Ozarks, is nominated for best picture and best adapted screenplay, along with first-time acting nods for Lawrence and Hawkes.

[Associated Press; By SANDY COHEN]

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.