It’s way too early to talk about Oscar frontrunners, but Steve McQueen’s “!2 Years a Slave” brought the house dawn at the Telluride Film Festival (and started an uncomfortable discussion pitting McQueen against Lee Daniels). The fact-based Antebellum drama stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender. Under the watchful eyes of “Shame” director McQueen, Ejiofor plays an African American freeman kidnapped from Upstate New York and sold into slavery. cue the trailer:
Yahoo!: Who will be the Oscar contenders of 2012-13? Brad Pitt or Leonardo DiCaprio? Viola Davis or Keira Knightley? Steven Spielberg or Kathryn Bigelow?
A slick Pitt returns for another date with Oscar in "Cogan's Trade"
Scan the upcoming 2012 movies and check out the gang’s-all-here vibe: Kathryn Bigelow, Viola Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Peter Jackson, Brad Pitt, Steven Spielberg, Christoph Waltz — and even last year’s go-to girl, Jessica Chastain — all have projects in the pipeline. What should you be looking forward to amid the March box-office doldrums?
“Cogan’s Trade”
Consider 2011-12 Brad Pitt’s warm-up year. Pitt reteams with writer-director Andrew Dominik (“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford“) to play a mob enforcer dispatched to clean up after a heist at a high-stakes poker game. And Pitt might be competing against himself, as the star of Marc Forster’s zombie thriller “World War Z.”
“The Surrogate”
Man in an iron lung wants to lose his virginity. It was hard to tell whether the plot was a spoof or a tragedy, but at Sundance I discovered that this movie is all about John Hawkes (“Winter’s Bone“) lying around, being wry, amusing, horny, and handicapped. Oscar contender? Slam dunk. And an education in physically challenged erotica!
[Related: Conspiracy Theories and Meryl Streep’s Best-Actress Upset]
“Brave”
Pixar blew a tire with “Cars 2” and was never in the Oscar running. But the perennial animation favorite will be back with the story of a girl-powered archer-princess (voice of “Boardwalk Empire’s” Kelly McDonald) struggling to rid her kingdom of a horrible curse. This is the one to beat in the category.
“Untitled International Thriller,” aka “Kill Bin Laden”
Kathryn Bigelow’s first project since she won the historic best-director award for “The Hurt Locker” has Oscar written all over it. Set for a prime awards season December 19 release date, it’s about the hunt for and capture of the al-Qaida leader, with a great cast bound for acting noms, including Kyle Chandler, Joel Edgerton, Chris Platt, and Chastain.
“Anna Karenina”
For those who thought Keira Knightley was robbed when she wasn’t nominated for her central turn in David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method,” it’s payback time. She’s the title character in this oft-adapted Leo Tolstoy classic (Greta Garbo nailed the role in 1935), opposite Jude Law as her inattentive husband and Aaron Johnson as the love of her life, Count Vronsky. Expect a gallery of tortured, passionate looks and longing sighs. Toss in “Atonement” director Joe Wright and a script from the great playwright Tom Stoppard, and we have ourselves an Oscar party.
[Related: ‘The Hunger Games’ Exclusive Clip Gives First Look at Lenny Kravitz’s Role]
“The Great Gatsby”
The critics emitted a nearly universal groan at the thought of yet another “Gatsby” adaptation — enough already! But it seems that every generation wants its own GG, and this one is irresistible Oscar bait, with Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan and Leonardo DiCaprio in the title role. With Australian Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge“) directing, expect this to be one passionate hothouse flower of a production — and a best-picture contender if he pulls it off.
“Lincoln”
So Steven Spielberg was snubbed this year, but wait until he pulls out this presidential biopic starring Daniel-Day Lewis as the lanky politician called the Great Emancipator. Oscar-winner Sally Field plays Mary Todd Lincoln and — spoiler alert — the North beat the South in the Civil War. Winning!
“Django Unchained”
Quentin Tarantino cooks up a spaghetti western with a Christmas 2012 release date that screams Oscar. Jamie Foxx plays a former slave turned bounty hunter who’s willing to break a few rules to reclaim his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington). Leonardo DiCaprio twirls his mustache as a villainous plantation owner, with Tarantino fave Christoph Waltz in a leading role as an established bounty hunter. Expect “Inglourious Basterds” on horseback with tumbleweeds and chains.
“Argo”
Ben Affleck (“The Town,” “Gone Baby Gone“) is back directing and co-starring with “Breaking Bad’s” Bryan Cranston in this espionage thriller hooked on the Iranian hostage crisis (when 52 Americans were held in Tehran for 444 days from 1979 to 1981). As U.S.-Iranian diplomatic tensions intensify — again — this movie could not be timelier.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Director Peter Jackson is always good for a best-picture nomination when putting J.R.R. Tolkien’s little men with hairy feet on camera. It’s been long enough since the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy (which took home 17 statuettes out of 30 Oscar nominations) that I’m actually hungering for a little Middle-earth magic. I doubt I’m alone.
Also potentially under consideration: David Cronenberg’s Robert Pattinson-starrer “Cosmopolis”; Viola Davis in “Won’t Back Down”; the George Clooney-Sandra Bullock thriller “Gravity”; “The Gangster Squad”; “Smashed”; “Les Miserables”; Derek Cianfrance’s “The Place Beyond the Pines”; and the Portuguese charmer, “Tabu.” Please chime in with movies that you think might join the list — and, remember, the 85th Academy Awards will be held in — eek! — early 2013.
A Catholic view on “The Tree of Life”
A fascinating analysis of Terrence Malick’s movie. It’s no wonder I had so much trouble trying to reduce the film to a Brad Pitt vehicle for Us Weekly readers.
Oscar’s Angels: Best Picture Roundtable 2012
Dujardin, Bejo: let them entertain you
OK, Angels, let’s do the best pic tango. Here’s my first look. Personal fave: The Descendants. Personal movie l least want to see: War Horse. At this point in the year, the wobble of identifying best picture is that so many of the biggies are yet to be seen. And, still, given that one of the Eastwood- or Spielberg-driven monsters may flounder, here’s my take on the viable top ten.
Of this list, I’ve actually seen six (starred below):
The Descendants *
War Horse
J. Edgar
The Help *
The Artist *
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Moneyball *
Midnight in Paris *
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy *
What’s your take, Susan?
Susan Wloszczyna: One topic that I haven’t seen discussed very much in terms of best picture: It’s unlikely an animated film will make the cut since Pixar released its weakest feature ever with Cars 2. And no one is bringing up an alternate title in the genre — although I guess The Adventures of Tintin might qualify and Rango has its fans.
Of the pre-fall releases I agree with Thelma that Midnight and The Help are more apt to sneak in than The Tree of Life.
Stone, Davis
Of the un-seens (at least by me), J. Edgar and Tattoo feel like they could be more vulnerable than War Horse. But then I remember I haven’t really been satisfied by a Spielberg-directed film since 2002 and you have to wonder.
Considering that Stephen Daldry has yet to not be nominated for one of his films, Extremely Loud would have to be a mess not to get in — and the trailer does not suggest that it is.
For some reason, as far as thrillers go, Tinker might be more to the academy’s liking than Tattoo. Of course, I am still mad that Zodiac was so mishandled by its studio so part of me is rooting for Fincher to make the cut.
THELMA: Zodiac was my favorite Fincher by far.
SUSAN: The certainties seem to be The Descendants, the current fave although some might consider a mature Payne to be a lesser Payne. And there is no way they will ignore The Artist.
My question: Is there something unexpected that could suddenly sneak in? What of Hugo and Tintin? [Read more…]
Oscar’s Angels: Best Supporting Actor Roundtable 2012
A low-key Hill peaks in Moneyball
This field remains WIDE OPEN. Here are the first five front-runners:
Christopher Plummer, Beginners; Albert Brooks, Drive; Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method; Nick Nolte, Warrior; and David Thewlis, Warhorse
There’s a big push for Plummer to get that lifetime achievement Oscar. Makes me wanna sing: “How do you solve a problem like Maria?”
So Plummer has a lock on the deserving geezer slot. Brooks may be hurt that there is no Drive juggernaut, same with Nolte and Warrior. In the first case, it’s Brooks playing against type, in the second it’s an actor humanizing a type he’s played before. I like both performances. And then there’s Viggo: we’ve yet to see the general reaction to Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method, but Mortensen’s is a wily performance and he keeps his clothes on and cravat tied. (Does one tie a cravat?). I’ve yet to see Thewlis in Warhorse, and there’s no reason to rush to judgment. He was good in Harry Potter — a movie that’s bursting with supporting actor roles. Say, hey, didn’t we all want more Alan Rickman? But it’s almost like you’d have to string his performance end to end to get the meat of it.
What about throwing out some new names: Vincent Cassel, short but sweetest in A Dangerous Method; Jonah Hill, Moneyball; will see Kenneth Branagh with My Week with Marilyn; hearing great buzz on Hugo, which makes Sir Ben Kingsley rise and yet and yet; freakish hope for Rob Brydon in The Trip, and his endlessly supporting role to Steve Coogan. And, let’s see, Jim Broadbent, Potter alum, playing Mr. Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.
What does our brain trust think? C’mon down, gf’s.
Susan Wloszczyna: Next to Clint Eastwood, Capt. Von Trapp is just about the sexiest octogenarian still making movies. He was great in The Insider and fine in The Last Station, but there is a reason he has gone Oscar-less this long: His career in movies pales next to his stage work. True, they gave Helen Hayes a gold guy late in life. But it isn’t the same as Glenn Close never winning.
But he does have an ace in the hole beyond his terrific role in Beginners: What can be a killer role as the family elder haunted by his long missing daughter in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Is he a shoo-in to win, though? Not necessarily.
One could argue that Albert Brooks should have won for Broadcast News — Sean Connery won because he acted his age minus the rug. So this could be a makeup to him, even if the movie is less than loved by the general public.
I would have given it to Viggo for A History of Violence, but he wasn’t even nominated. He makes for a wily Freud and love how he fondles his cigars, but I don’t think it is strong enough for a win. A nom? Perhaps.
I love the idea of Jonah Hill being nominated as much as seeing Melissa McCarthy go for it — can’t imagine anyone else being such a fine low-key foil to Brad Pitt in Moneyball.
I can’t see anyone from the Potter film making the cut. But Branagh getting back in the awards game would be sweet to see — especially since he was supposed to be the new Olivier long ago.
Nick Nolte? Another nice comeback and a nearly subtle performance for him, but first someone has to watch the film.
But without having seen J. Edgar, Tattoo, War Horse, Extremely Loud, Hugo, etc., it is hard to guess at such a ill-informed stage.
Sasha Stone: Supposedly Max Von Sydow is great in Loud and Close and if so, he’ll walk away with it. Albert Brooks has made it known on Twitter that he wants to win (he was probably joking). There is probably a reason Christopher Plummer hasn’t yet won on screen, like there was a reason Lauren Bacall never did. He’s such a good actor. If he’s ever going to win one, though, he’ll win for Beginners, don’t you think?
Jonah Hill
Christopher Plummer
Albert Brooks
Nick Nolte
Max Von Sydow
Von Sydow wins. Best guess right now.
SUSAN: I would give it to Max, too, performance unseen. He should have gotten one for Hannah and The Exorcist let alone his Bergman classics.
Oh, and Mr. Brooks wants to win. He even stuck a fork in it.
THELMA: Sasha’s right: in this category, we still have too many gaps in knowledge, although I think we’ve covered pretty much what we’ve seen so far in 2011. Is there a problem when an actor wants the Oscar so badly — you should look like you want it, and shake every old Academy member’s hand, and yet be humble, and praise every body else. It’s such an act — and Colin Firth nailed it last year. [Read more…]
