Hollywood is Terrifying in David Cronenberg’s “Maps to the Stars”

You can also read this review (and other writings) at my column for 'The Whit' here

David Cronenberg isn’t a director known for complying with any sort of “norms” when it comes to making films; as a filmmaker, he has been referred to as, “the most audacious and challenging narrative director in the English-speaking world.” So it comes as no surprise then, that the director’s latest is a (very) black comedy-satire about the poisonous Hollywood lifestyle. The only surprise about the project, is that it’s come so late in Cronenberg’s career. 

Amy Adams & Christoph Waltz Battle Over Big Eyes

After it was announced that Julianne Moore has just about dominated the Best Actress race, I suppose it was inevitable that we'd get a look at Amy Adams (the presumed front runner until Moore surprised us all) in "Big Eyes". Directed by Tim Burton, the film looks to be anything but the types of films we've come to expect from the creepy auteur... and it leaves a lot to be desired.

A Most Violent Year Rears its Head

The buzz on director/writer J.C. Chandor ("Margin Call", "All is Lost") has been suspiciously low the last few months. Though there have been some "reports" about the film's acting being incredible (I wouldn't expect anything less from the new Meryl Streep, Jessica Chastain, but that cast is incredible; Oscar Isaac, Albert Brooks also star), nothing else about the film has been released. Distributor A24, though relatively new, is not really much of an awards player; though they did manage some critics' awards wins for James Franco last year, their Oscar pull is weak. That all could change, however; the trailer and a poster for the film has finally been released, and it's promising.

First Official Poster For Into The Woods; Meryl Front and Center

Disney's "Into the Woods" is largely a player in the Oscar race simply because of actress Meryl Streep, who plays the largely coveted role of The Witch in Rob Marshall's adaptation. The role has been played by veteran musical theater actresses Bernedette Peters and Vanessa Williams in the past on Broadway, so obviously Disney needed a huge name to put in the marquee role.

Though Meryl was nominated for a Golden Globe for her last musical project ("Momma Mia"), her performance outside of that lone nomination wasn't warmly embraced (the Globes nominate her more often than the Oscars do; she has a record 28 nominations). It's an easy call now to predict that she'll have 29 by the end of this year when the nominations are announced, but what is going on with Woods' Oscar chances?

Some Takeaways From TIFF & Telluride

Both the Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals have become feverishly important events in the Oscar race, especially in recent years. Though some winners peak early in the year (for example, 2011's Best Picture winner, "The Artist" premiered at the Cannes Film Festival), more and more often it seems that Telluride and (especially Toronto) are 2 of the biggest places to build buzz.

It should come as no surprise then, that in the near aftermath of these 2 festivals, several contenders have built enormous amount of buzz, buzz that should very well carry them over the finish line.

Though the People's Choice Award (Toronto Film Festival's highest honor) has yet to be announced, here are some things we've learned over the last few days as films have had their premieres:

Reese Witherspoon & Benedict Cumberbatch: Serious Oscar Threats

About a month ago when "The Imitation Game"'s trailer debuted, there were some that thought that the film was one to watch on the Oscar circuit. A film backed by Harvey Weinstein featuring the internet's hero (and recent Emmy nominee) Benedict Cumberbatch about WWII (the Academy's favorite topic) is certainly something to watch out for. 

However, after watching the trailer, I felt like the film was very "been there done that", in the same way that I felt "The King's Speech" was, especially since this year we have film's like "Birdman" and "Interstellar" and even Disney's adaptation of dark musical "Into the Woods" on the horizon; in comparison, the film is reductive, it doesn't seem to be any different from the numerous amount of films that covered this subject matter before it. Besides, we have Angelina Jolie's WWII epic "Unbroken" coming out, which seems to be as every bit of inspirational and uplifting as The Imitation Game. 

According to many of those who caught the film at the Telluride Film Festival this past week, however, the film is a major player, and a real threat at winning some top awards.