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| Marion Cotillard in The Immigrant |
Life Itself sits in a good, if awkward position, since its early release means that many journalists, bloggers, voters, and industry have seen and embraced the film long before nomination day. It’s an early favourite, especially in a category that increasingly recognizes life-affirming films. A nomination or two keeps it afloat, and the rollout of screeners (which distributor Magnolia Pictures usually does quite smartly) means that it’s bound to stand out in the pile of DVDs that accumulate in the weeks to come.
What other films could benefit from a reminder? This year
still seems relatively quiet on the awards contender front with only four legit
Best Picture players out in theatres—Boyhood,
The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Birdman—so there’s ample room for films
to be revived before the glut of Christmas releases.
Here are some distant contenders that could benefit from a
reminder:
The Immigrant:
Has the goods for: Best Picture, Best Director (James Gray),
Best Actress (Marion Cotillard), Best Original Screenplay (James Gray & Ric
Menello), Best Costumes (Patricia Norris), Production Design (Happy Massee),
and Best Cinematography (Darius Khondji).
The deal: The
Immigrant (review here) perfectly embodies my love/hate relationship with awards season.
This excellent film is the kind of bold, meticulously crafted, and gorgeously
mounted film that, in an ideal filmland, would be embraced by critics,
audiences, and industry types everywhere. However, when the film hit theatres
this summer—a full year after its well-received debut at Cannes—it barely made
a dent. It barely made it into theatres at all, actually, for it seemed as if
The Weinstein Company and Canadian distrib eOne were both ready to throw it
under the bus. (Much like they are now with Eleanor
Rigby, which isn’t even hitting Canadian theatres!) Some critics got behind
it and audiences voiced a demand, and the distributors did the right thing and
rolled it out slowly and it did okay with a $2 million-ish domestic box office take for a release that never went wider than 150 theatres. With
a few exceptional reviews from key sources like TheNew York Times and particularlygood notices for Marion Cotillard, The
Immigrant could conceivably get some life and recognition if critics get
behind it in the precursor awards like
they did with 2011’s utterly mishandled (and arguably inferior) Margaret. Cotillard, however, appears in
Belgium’s Oscar bid Two Days, One Night,
so she’s bound to be on the fringe of an increasingly competitive Best Actress
field, while Darius Khondji’s Oscar-worthy cinematography remains a
dark horse.
Tracks
Has the goods for: Best Actress (Mia Wasikowska), Best Cinematography
(Mandy Walker)
The deal: Tracks
(review here) joins The Immigrant as another
Weinstein title that probably shouldn’t expect to receive much attention on the
campaign trail. (It’s worth noting that neither Tracks nor The Immigrant
appears on TWC’s Academy screening schedule,
although Eleanor Rigby does, but this
might also simply be a product of their early release dates.) Tracks is a beautifully realized
emotional journey thanks primarily to Mia Wasikowska’s career-best performance
and to Mandy Walker’s warm lensing of the stirring Australian desert. Tracks isn’t doing too well at the box
office right now, which is strange since its inspirational story and favourable
critical reception seem to offer the right ingredients for crossover appeal
between mainstream and smart-house audiences. The film isn’t especially
well-publicized, though, and seems like it’s being swept away by the
yet-to-be-released Wild. The film has
some traction since Wasikowska nabbed a Gotham nomination for her performance,
but these indie awards aren’t exactly Oscar bellwethers. She and the film need
a few more shout-outs in the weeks to come.
Noah
Has the goods for: Best Visual Effects, Best Score (Clint
Mansell), Best Song (“Mercy Is”), Best Production Design (Mark Friedberg,
Deborah Schutt), Best Costumes (Michael Wilkinson), Best Sound Mixing and Best
Sound Editing.
The deal: Early releases don’t usually make it to the
Oscars. There are exceptions, sure, like Erin
Brockovich, Gladiator, and Crash, so a film really needs major love
and support to last through the year. The odd arts and crafts nominations,
however, sometimes sneak through, such as a pair of nominations for Costumes
and Visual Effects for Snow White and the
Huntsman or a make-up nomination for Norbit.
If Norbit can muster a nomination,
albeit in a season eight years past, then Darren Aronofsky’s spectacularly
waterlogged VFX art film Noah (review here) can
probably nab some of the technical nominations it deserves. The film hit the campaign trail early and it might remind voters of the impressive
visuals and production design that demands to be seen on the big screen. They
also have the Human Society praising the use of fake animals instead of real ones, which adds to the value of
Aronofsky’s vision. If Noah shows any
legs in the campaign trail, though, it might be vying to advance in the
relatively open Best Song category, since Patti Smith has been generating great exposure for her haunting ballad “Mercy Is” that appears in the end
credits. “Mercy Is” has a tough road to a nomination with “Lost Stars” from Begin Again and “Everything is Awesome”
from The Lego Movie already as
frontrunners, but it’s early so anything can happen.
Begin Again
Has the goods for: Best Original Song (“Lost Stars,” “Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home,” “A Step You Can’t Take Back,” “Like a Fool,” “ComingUp Roses”) and maybe more?
The deal: The Weinsteins have some decent back-up options if
anyone of their fourth-quarter films fail to gain awards momentum, and their best
early bird might be John Carney’s infectiously enjoyable Begin Again (review here). This sweet ditty has at least one Best Song nomination
in the bag for “Lost Stars,” but new rules state that only two songs from one
film may be nominated. (Past years saw the Best Original Song category
inundated with three songs from one film in the years of Dreamgirls and Enchanted,
although one can hardly argue against the merit behind those nominations.) Begin Again’s bubbly pop numbers appear
as musical performances in the film, so that generally gives them an advantage
against other songs like “Mercy Is” that appear in the final credits. If any
other Begin Again song could join
“Lost Stars,” it seems likeliest that a song like “A Step You Can’t Take Back”
could be the runner-up, since has the strongest narrative integration of the
remaining songs, plus a nifty visual hook in the scene where Mark Ruffalo
imagines the song coming to life with Keira Knightley on stage. Golden Globes
nominations could give the film an extra boost, especially Ruffalo who is
firmly in the conversation for Foxcatcher.
Snowpiercer
Has the goods for: Best Supporting Actress (Tilda Swinton),
Best Production Design, Best Make-up
Is Snowpiercer (review here) a
wild card in the Oscar race? The sleeper hit of the summer is also the first
screener out to Academy voters and it went extraordinarily early, which is
great because distributors seem to be behind on screeners, as only Sony
Pictures Classics has followed suit with Love
is Strange and Magic in the Moonlight,
according to an avid source that reports on the inboxes of Academy members. Snowpiercer is a wild card simply because it represents an extremely successful multi-platform release and sits outside the box office figures
that can cloud Oscar speculation. The release also ensures that many members of
its target smarthouse audience caught it at first sight and created an
explosion of buzz, which helped draw greater viewership. This release certainly
gives it a novelty—or makes it a point of interest—for leaders in the industry,
especially when distribution patterns are in flux. Snowpiercer itself isn’t really Oscar fodder, though, since weird,
dystopian, thinking-people’s action films don’t exactly win hardware. With that
being said, though, the visuals are undeniably spectacular and Tilda Swinton is
a total scene-stealer. Swinton’s not one to be a shoe and is getting onboard
the campaign train with a spot at a Hollywood Reporter round table at AFI with fellow Best Supporting Actress contender
Kristen Stewart (Still Alice).
Under the Skin
Has the goods for: Best Actress (Scarlett Johansson), Best
Score (Mica Levi)
The deal: I really don’t see this happening. It’s a great
film, ScarJo gives her most fascinating performance to date, and the music by
Mica Levi offers the most hypnotic chords one will hear all year, but Under the Skin (review here) is just too alienating
(no pun intended) for the Academy. Critical kudos seems inevitable and that’s
about it. (But it’s sometimes nice to be wrong!)
Chef
Has the goods for: Best Original Screenplay (Jon Favreau), Golden Globes
The deal: Chef is
scrumptious! (Review here.) Jon Favreau’s smart, funny comedy remains one of the winners for
counterprogramming this summer. Chef
boasts a respectable domestic box office of $30 million dollars,
which is impressive since it appeared at multiplexes crammed with the loud,
escapist superhero movies that Favreau usually directs. It’s easy to see Chef as a return to form for Favreau as
he gets back to basics, much like his character Chef Carl, and makes a film
driven by the basic home-cooked ingredients of film. Favreau credits word
of mouth for driving the success of the film, which worked nicely for My Big Fat Greek Wedding and could help
give it life at comedy-friendly awards like the Golden Globes. The film is so
popular that Favreau himself wantsto open a Chef-themed restaurant.
Maybe he’ll cook up some Cuban sandwiches and brand the grill the letters FYC…
that’d be an effective campaign! Om nom nom!
The F Word / What If
Has the good for: Best Adapted Screenplay? Golden Globes?
Nothing?
The deal: I realize that I’m probably the only person who
really wants this to happen, but The F
Word (review here) really deserves some love. A film as smart, funny, and down to earth
as this one earns awards and nominations in Canada, but send it to the USA and
it gets lost in the shuffle. Maybe the fault simply lies in its August release,
since the film came on the heels of a summer packed with alternative fare. The
snappiness and authenticity of the screenplay by Elan Mastai deserves
consideration, as do the revelatory performances by Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe
Kazan. US distributor CBS Films seems more likely to get behind Pride as it expands theatrically in the
coming weeks, but several fans of The F
Word (or What If) are quick to note how refreshing the chemistry of the film revives the rom-com, and
that’s an invaluable card in a year with only one certifiable comedy contender
(The Grand Budapest Hotel). The F Word, at the very least, deserves to be savoured as a sandwich-themed double-bill with Chef.
A Most Wanted Man
Has the goods for: Best Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman), Best
Adapted Screenplay (Andrew Bovell)
The deal: Critics groups need to get behind this film in the
early stages if the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final lead performance in A Most Wanted Man (review here) stands
to gain a nomination. Hoffman’s mesmerizing turn as agent Günther Bachmann is
one of his best and even reserved reviews
of the film note that the power of his performance, especially in the film’s
final moments, chilling underscore the massive loss Hoffman’s death represents.
Posthumous nominations remain rare, for even James Gandolfini’s award-worthy
turn in last year’s Enough Said
missed the cut in a relatively weak field. This year’s Best Actor race,
however, already feels overcrowded with Michael Keaton, Benedict Cumberbatch,
and Eddie Redmayne leading the pack. It’s therefore a year in which aggressive
campaigning inevitably seems to be a factor—and probably needs to be when an
award-calibre performance appears in a comparatively cold film. Sentiment could
revive when Hoffman’s final role hits the screen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 in November and when the film
returns to the conversation with a release on home video just a few weeks before
that.
and...
Updated Oscar Predictions:
Best Picture:
Birdman
Foxcatcher
Interstellar*
The Theory of Everything
The Theory of Everything
Unbroken
Wild
Wild
Almost put: Still Alice
What about: American Sniper,* Big Eyes,
Fury, Into the Woods, Mr. Turner, Selma,
Whiplash
Best Director
David Fincher, Gone Girl
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman
Angelina Jolie, Unbroken
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game
Almost put: Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher
What about: Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel; Ava DuVernay, Selma; Mike Leigh, Mr. Turner; James Marsh, The Theory of
Everything; Rob Marshall, Into the Woods; Christopher Nolan, Interstellar*; Jean-Marc Vallée, Wild.
Best Actor
Ben Affleck, Gone Girl*
Steve Carrell, Foxcatcher
Steve Carrell, Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The
Theory of Everything
Almost put: Ralph Fiennes The Grand Budapest Hotel*
What about: Ellar Coltrane, Boyhood;
Philip Seymour Hoffman, A Most Wanted Man*; Oscar Isaac, A Most Violent Year; Tommy Lee Jones, The Homesman; Bill Murray, St.
Vincent; Jack O’Connell, Unbroken; David Oyelowo, Selma; Joaquin Phoenix, Inherent Vice; Timothy Spall, Mr. Turner; Channing Tatum, Foxcatcher; Christoph Waltz, Big Eyes.
Best Actress
Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything*
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything*
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Almost put: Emily Blunt, Into the Woods*
What about: Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year; Marion Cotillard, The Immigrant; Marion
Cotillard, Two Days, One Night; Hilary Swank, The
Homesman; Mia Wasikowska, Tracks.
Save it for the Screenies: Anne Dorval, Mommy; Julianne Moore, Maps to the Stars
Best Supporting Actor:
Miyavi, Unbroken
Edward Norton, Birdman*
Edward Norton, Birdman*
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
JK Simmons, Whiplash
Channing Tatum, Foxcatcher
Almost Put: Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
What about: Alec Baldwin, Still Alice; Josh Brolin, Inherent
Vice; Benicio Del Toro, Inherent
Vice*; Domhnall Gleeson, Unbroken
Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Meryl Streep, Into the
Woods
What about: Marion Bailey, Mr. Turner; Carrie Coon, Gone Girl*; Anna Kendrick, Into the
Woods, Emma Stone, Birdman, Tilda
Swinton, Snowpiercer.
Best Original Screenplay
Birdman – Alejandro
G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo
Boyhood – Richard
Linklater
Foxcatcher – E.
Max Frye, Dan Futterman
The Grand Budapest Hotel– Wes Anderson
Mr. Turner – Mike
Leigh
Almost put: Whiplash
– Damien Chazelle
What about: Chef - Jon Favreau; Interstellar - Christopher Nolan*; A Most
Violent Year, J.C. Chandor; Big Eyes
– Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski;
Best Adapted Screenplay
Gone Girl -
Gillian Flynn
The Imitation Game – Graham Moore
Still Alice -
Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland
The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten
The Theory of Everything – Anthony McCarten
Wild – Nick Hornby
Almost put: Inherent Vice –
Paul Thomas Anderson*
What about: Into the
Woods – James Lapine; A Most Wanted Man - Andrew Bovell; Unbroken –
Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Richard Lagravenese, William Nicholson
Best Film Editing:
Birdman
Interstellar*
Almost put: Unbroken
What about: Foxcatcher,
Fury, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game , Into the Woods
Best Cinematography:
Birdman
Interstellar*
Mr. Turner
Mr. Turner
Unbroken
Almost put: Wild*
Best Costumes:
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
What about: Belle,
Big Eyes, Exodus, Inherent Vice, Magic in the Moonlight
Best Production Design:
Into the Woods
Mr.
Turner
Almost put: The Imitation Game
What about: Big Eyes, The Hobbit 3, Inherent Vice, Interstellar
Best Score:
Gone Girl– Trent
Reznor, Atticus Ross
The Grand Budapest Hotel– Alexandre Desplat
The Imitation Game – Alexandre Desplat
Interstellar –
Hans Zimmer
The Lego Movie –
Marc Mothersbaugh
What about: Birdman,
The Judge, The Theory of Everything, Under the Skin
Sound Mixing:
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Unbroken
What about: Edge of Tomorrow, Fury, Get on Up, The Hobbit 3, Snowpiercer
Sound Editing:
Fury
Interstellar
Transformers 4
What about: The Lego
Movie, Snowpiercer, Unbroken
Visual Effects:
Guardians of the
Galaxy
Interstellar
What about: Dawn of
the Planet of the Apes, Noah, Snowpiercer, Transformers 4
Best Make-up
Into the Woods
Unbroken
What about: Foxcatcher, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Hobbit 3, Mr. Turner, Snowpiercer,
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Best Song:
“Rainbows,” Into the
Woods
“What is Love?,” Rio 2
What about: “Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home,”Begin Again, “Like a Fool,” Begin Again, “Coming Up Roses," Begin Again; "Mercy Is," Noah.
What about: “Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home,”Begin Again, “Like a Fool,” Begin Again, “Coming Up Roses," Begin Again; "Mercy Is," Noah.
Best Documentary Feature:
The Case Against 8
Finding Vivian Meier
Almost put: CITIZENFOUR*
What about: Sunshine Superman, Tales of
the Grim Sleeper, The Look of Silence
(will it be released this year?), Red
Army
Best Foreign Language Film:
Beloved Sisters -
Germany
Ida - Poland
Mommy – Canada
Two Days, One Night
- Belgium
Wild Tails – Argentina
Almost put: Force Majeure – Sweden
List of submitted films on Wikipedia.
*Please see The Film Experience for the best and most comprehensive coverage on
this category.
Best Animated Film:
Big Hero 6
Book of Life
The Boxtrolls
Tale of Princess Kaguya
Also eligible: Aunt Hilda!, The Boy and the World
Best Animated Short:
[awaiting shortlist for additional four films]
Best Live Action Short:
[awaiting shortlist]
Short Documentary Short:
Shortlist:
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Joanna
Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace
Joanna
Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace
The Lion’s Mouth
Opens
One Child
Our Curse
Our Curse
The Reaper (La Parka)
White Earth
White Earth
