Film Festivals
Venice And Telluride Film Festivals Reveal Awards Season Contenders
For some, Labor Day signals a Monday off from school and work, the final hurrah of the summer and college football games galore.
But for Oscar watchers, the three day break heralds the beginning of the Awards Season with film festivals being held at Venice (Sept. 2 – 12) and Telluride (Sept. 4 – 7).
Getting a shot in the arm from the weekend festivals were SPOTLIGHT, STEVE JOBS, BLACK MASS and THE DANISH GIRL. Below is a sampling of the films in play this awards season that screened over the busy holiday weekend.
THE DANISH GIRL (Nov. 27)
Synopsis:
Based on the book by David Ebershoff, The Danish Girl is the remarkable love story inspired by the lives of Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener (portrayed by Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne [The Theory of Everything] and Alicia Vikander [Ex Machina]), and directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables). Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer. Trailer
From Venice, Guy Lodge (Variety) says of Alicia Vikander performance in THE DANISH GIRL, “Toggling sensuality and sensitivity, with a latent streak of anger throughout, Vikander plays her half beautifully: It’s not as tonally exciting as her “Ex Machina” turn, and a little more limpid than her current career peak of “Testament of Youth,” but with a fair wind for the film itself, it’s the stuff that best actress campaigns are built upon.
Jessica Kiang (Indiewire) says, “Tom Hooper’s “The Danish Girl” is so inarguably Oscar-ready.”
Alonso Duralde (The Wrap) writes, “Redmayne fully inhabits the character, and it’s interesting to watch an actor going through his processes as part of the work; Einar himself must learn to navigate the world as a woman, and when we see him duplicating a lady’s subtle hand gestures, or learning how to walk in her shoes, it provides a glimpse into what must have been Redmayne’s own preparation for the role. For her part, Vikander adds smoke and shading to a character who could have easily veered into being just one thing, or at least just one thing at a time; she juggles pride and anguish, affection and disappointment, and longing and empathy with great skill.”
SUFFRAGETTE (Oct 23)
Synopsis:
Inspired by the true story of the women who inspired the world. Starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw and Meryl Streep as Emmeline Pankhurst. SUFFRAGETTE is the first ever feature film to tell the inspirational story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement who risked everything in the fight for equality.
Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) says in her review, “Produced, written, directed by and starring women, this isn’t one the Oscars can pass by and sleep easy at night. The direction is unpredictable, moody and never goes for the easy emotional cheat.”
Stephen Farber (The Hollywood Reporter) proclaims, “Gavron has directed a couple of small British films, but this picture should take her career to a new level.”
As to its overall Oscar hopes, Scott Feinberg (THR) adds, “My suspicion is that Academy members will receive Suffragette like other recent British period piece social dramas, such as 2010’s Made in Dagenham and 2014’s Pride: with applause for having been made, but no major awards recognition, with the possible exception of some support for Mulligan.”
HE NAMED ME MALALA (Oct 2)
Synopsis: HE NAMED ME MALALA is an intimate portrait of Malala Yousafzai, who was wounded when Taliban gunmen opened fire on her and her friends’ school bus in Pakistan’s Swat Valley.
The then 15-year-old teenager, who had been targeted for speaking out on behalf of girls’ education in her region of Swat Valley in Pakistan, was shot in the head, sparking international media outrage. An educational activist in Pakistan, Yousafzai has since emerged as a leading campaigner for the rights of children worldwide and in December 2014, became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Stephen Farber (The Hollywood Reporter) writes HE NAMED ME MALALA is “a gripping story, eloquently told.”
Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) says Davis Guggenheim’s documentary is, “a film made not for masterpiece-hungry critics but rather for everyone else, particularly teachers and students who know that learning more about Malala can inspire us in immeasurable ways, perhaps most importantly in awaking American school children and their parents to the idea that education is to be prioritized, valued, and made more easily accessible.”
BLACK MASS (Sept 18)
Synopsis:
Three-time Oscar nominee Johnny Depp (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Finding Neverland,” the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films) stars as notorious mobster Whitey Bulger in the drama “Black Mass,” directed by Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”).
The film also stars Joel Edgerton (“The Great Gatsby,” “Zero Dark Thirty”) as FBI Agent John Connolly; Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Imitation Game”) as Whitey’s brother, Billy Bulger; Rory Cochrane (“Argo”) as Steve Flemmi, another member of the Irish mob; Jesse Plemons (TV’s “Fargo”) as Whitey’s longtime partner in crime, Kevin Weeks; and Kevin Bacon (“Crazy, Stupid, Love.” TV’s “The Following”) as FBI Agent Charles McGuire.
In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger (Depp) to collaborate with the FBI and eliminate a common enemy: the Italian mob. The drama tells the story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement, consolidate power, and become one of the most ruthless and powerful gangsters in Boston history.
Scott Foundas (Variety) writes in his BLACK MASS Venice review, Johnny “Depp hasn’t been this tamped down in a movie since he played second fiddle to Al Pacino in “Donnie Brasco”; even his Oscar-nominated J.M. Barrie in “Finding Neverland” seems a whirl of outsized tics and mannerisms by comparison. Even great actors (Nicholson and Pacino being among the perfect test cases) can fall back on indulgences and bad habits when they feel they’re giving the audience what it wants to see. But Depp is fully restored here to the daring, inspired performer of his early Tim Burton collaborations and “Dead Man,” knowing he is so deep inside the role that, whatever he does, we will come to him.”
Alonso Duralde (The Wrap) says, “Ultimately, this is Depp’s show all the way, featuring his best dramatic performance since another organized-crime movie, 1997’s “Donnie Brasco.” If this is the milieu we need to keep him this focused as a thespian, then get out those pinky rings, Hollywood, and make Depp more offers he can’t refuse.”
Depp “oozes a cadaverous anti-charisma,” writes Robbie Collin (Telegraph), although “you long for him to roll his sleeves up and grasp the character’s shape and soul himself, ideally without the aid of those distracting prosthetics.”
ROOM (A24 will open ROOM in New York and Los Angeles on October 16th. Nationwide November 6th)
Director: Lenny Abrahamson, Based on the novel by Emma Donoghue
Stars Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, Sean Bridgers, William H. Macy
Synopsis: Both highly suspenseful and deeply emotional, ROOM is a unique and unexpectedly tender exploration of the boundless love between a mother and her child under the most harrowing of circumstances. Teaser
Kris Tapley’s (In Contention, Variety) look at ROOM, he says, “Tremblay takes the character from a feral understanding of the outside world through a stage of slowly absorbing it. The impact, particularly seen through the eyes of his mother, is immense, and the arc of this character is incredibly profound as a result. Dare I say he should be part of any idle supporting actor chatter this season.”
STEVE JOBS (Oct 9)
Synopsis:
Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.
The film was shown as a “work in progress” at the Telluride Festival, according to BBC News.
British director Danny Boyle is expected to premiere the completed version at the New York Film Festival on October 3. The film will also close the London Film Festival on October 18.
Todd McCarthy (THR) writes, “hardly any of this would matter without a dynamic actor at the center of things nailing the part of Jobs, and while Fassbender doesn’t closely physically resemble the man, he fully delivers the essentials of how we have come to perceive the man: Along with intellectual brilliance and force of personality, the actor also taps into the man’s frequently unreachability, power to inspire, unswerving faith in his own instincts, attention to the smallest detail, utter lack of sentimentality and the certitude that can come from occupying a different, loftier realm. Most of all, you get the strong sense from Fassbender of a mind that is always several steps beyond everyone else’s, one that allows him to shift gears without taking a breath.”
“This is not a story that sugar coats his past,” notes Sasha Stone (The Wrap). “Jobs suffered no fools. He is, in many ways, a monster who feeds on ego.”
SPOTLIGHT (Nov. 6)
Synopsis: SPOTLIGHT tells the riveting true story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that would rock the city and cause a crisis in one of the world’s oldest and most trusted institutions. When the newspaper’s tenacious “Spotlight” team of reporters delve into allegations of abuse in the Catholic Church, their year-long investigation uncovers a decades-long cover-up at the highest levels of Boston’s religious, legal, and government establishment, touching off a wave of revelations around the world. Directed by Academy Award-nominee Thomas McCarthy.
In her SPOTLIGHT review, Sasha Stone (Awards Daily) says, “This is a film that has no big Oscar-y scenes. There is humility before these unforgivable crimes. It is a carefully written screenplay, honored by a harmonious ensemble of actors at the top of their game. The standouts are Michael Keaton, of course, as the longtime Globe editor and Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Walter Robinson. Mark Ruffalo as Michael Rezendes has perhaps the most notable scenes. Liev Schreiber shows once again that he is yet another great actor Hollywood has not figured out what to do with yet. Rachel MacAdams gives an authentic portrayal as Sacha Pfeiffer.”
Dave Calhoun (Time Out London) says, “Mark Ruffalo is perhaps the loudest presence: nervy, energetic and prone to the odd outburst in a film otherwise mercifully lacking those moments.” He adds, “It’s that all-too-rare beast: a movie that’s both important and engrossing.”
Justin Chang (Variety) writes,“As he demonstrated in films like “The Station Agent” and “The Visitor,” McCarthy has always had a nicely understated touch with actors, and his ensemble here is a model of low-key excellence. The heftiest roles go to Keaton, who presents Robinson as a flawed but strong, soul-searching leader, and Ruffalo, whose passionately committed Rezendes gets to display the most energy and emotional range (including one of the film’s few excessively histrionic moments). McAdams imbues Pfeiffer with sensitivity and grit, while D’Arcy James brings understated shadings to Carroll, a hard-working family man who’s alarmed to learn that a suspected perpetrator is living in his neighborhood.”
Scott Feinberg (THR) poses Oscar viability for actor Michael Keaton in his analysis. “From an awards perspective, that may make it difficult for any individual to receive an Oscar nom — for point of reference, neither of All the President’s Men’s leads, Dustin Hoffman nor Robert Redford, were nominated for that film, but Jason Robards, Jr. won and Jane Alexander was nominated in their respective supporting categories. Keaton, a bridesmaid last year for Birdman, has the strongest chance of being Spotlight’s Robards.”
Other films in the mix from over the weekend were CAROL and 45 YEARS.
CAROL (Nov. 20)
Synopsis: From the author of The Talented Mr. Ripley and acclaimed director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, I’m Not There, Mildred Pierce) comes a powerful drama about a married woman who risks everything when she embarks on a romance with a younger department store worker. Starring Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett and Academy Award-nominee Rooney Mara & set against the glamourous backdrop of 1950s New York, Carol is an achingly beautiful depiction of love against the odds.
Having screened in May at the Cannes Film Festival (in competition), CAROL received rave reviews, thus prompting the Oscar talk. Todd Haynes’ film had its North American premiere on Friday and prior to the start of Telluride, star Rooney Mara was among three (the other two – director Danny Boyle and documentarian Adam Curtis) to receive tributes at the festival.
Rebecca Keegan (LA Times) reports, “Mara said she initially wasn’t interested in “Carol,” which was in development for over a decade, but became persuaded when Haynes came aboard the project. “I didn’t see myself in it at all,” Mara said. “Sometimes if you can’t see yourself in it, it means you shouldn’t do it, and sometimes it means you’re afraid of it.”
Synopsis:
Kate Mercer (Charlotte Rampling) is planning a party to celebrate her 45th wedding anniversary. One week before the celebration, however, a letter arrives for her husband, Geoff (Tom Courtenay), containing news that reawakens troubling and long-hidden memories.
Though Kate continues to prepare for the anniversary, she becomes increasingly concerned by Geoff’s preoccupation with the letter and the ensuing revelations about his past. By the time the party comes round, there may not be a marriage left to celebrate.
Anchored by sensational performances from Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay, 45 Years is an intimate, moving and beautifully restrained portrait of a marriage shaken to its core by things left unspoken. Winning Best Actor and Best Actress awards at this year’s Berlinale Film Festival, Andrew Haigh’s (Weekend, Looking) 45 Years is British filmmaking at its very best.
Kris Tapley (In Contention, Variety) interviews 45 YEARS director Andrew Haigh. “The film’s stars, Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling, won Silver Bear honors for their performances — beautiful, naturalistic turns that deserve even more accolades as we charge into the season.”
Tim Robey (Telegraph) says in his recent review, “Charlotte Rampling has never been better.”
In Charles Gant’s (Variety) Berlin Film Festival review, “Haigh’s casting choices for the two lead roles pay rich dividends: Courtenay is so apt as the soft-spoken and rather private Geoff that even modest changes in his aspect, including his discombobulated return to cigarette smoking, register vividly. A wiry Rampling, youthful in her trim physique and sleek wardrobe choices, brings Kate’s whirling emotions to the screen with similar economy.”
The Toronto International Film Festival, another harbinger of the upcoming awards season, will begin on September 10 with Jean-Marc Vallée’s DEMOLITION, followed by Ridley Scott’s highly anticipated THE MARTIAN on Sept. 11.
DEMOLITION:
Academy Award nominees Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts star in this headlong plunge into the depths of human emotion from Dallas Buyers Club director Jean-Marc Vallée. Audaciously offbeat yet profoundly heartfelt, Demolition is a film about the need to take apart everything in one’s life in order to build it anew.
New York investment banker Davis Mitchell (Gyllenhaal) is sleepwalking through a life of easy success when a horrible car crash wakes him with a start. His lovely wife, Julia, is killed. Friends and family gather round to console him, but Davis seems to feel nothing. Seemingly unfazed by his loss yet preoccupied by his inability to retrieve a candy bar from a hospital vending machine, Davis takes to writing absurdly protracted — and increasingly confessional — letters of complaint to the Champion Vending Machine Company. Those letters are answered by Karen (Watts), a mysterious, eccentric Champion employee. Davis’ letters somehow resonate with Karen. As Davis finds himself undertaking a campaign of random acts of destruction, dismantling everything from household appliances to an office washroom stall, he and Karen forge a strange and beautiful alliance. Both put their own interests at risk — but what they discover in the aftermath may prove far more valuable.
THE MARTIAN (Oct 2):
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “the Martian” home, while his crewmates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible rescue mission. As these stories of incredible bravery unfold, the world comes together to root for Watney’s safe return. Based on a best-selling novel, and helmed by master director Ridley Scott, THE MARTIAN features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Peña, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.
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