The Cannes Film Festival is the unofficial start to Oscar season; enough time has passed between the ceremony to begin murmuring about awards contenders, unlike Sundance which finds itself in the thick of awards season. However, success at Cannes rarely spells success with Oscar. Though there are those few that manage to maintain momentum throughout the year (Christoph Waltz from "Inglorious Basterds", Jean Dujardin and the team behind "The Artist") films that are favored by the Cannes jury don't align with Oscar's interests ("Blue is the Warmest Color, Kirsten Dunst in "Melancholia", etc).
However, this year's festival seems like it may be a little different; with so many films in competition, there are several that seem destined for Oscar glory, or at least a shot at it.
Let's take a look at some of the titles we could be seeing again come the end of the year.
Todd Haynes is one of the best working directors, and is criminally underrated. His masterful "Far From Heaven" remains one of the best movies I've ever seen, and even his less accomplished work (HBO's "Mildred Pierce mini-series) proves to be engaging and a step above the rest. That being said, "Carol" seems like another knockout, and based on the reviews from the festival, that inkling is correct. The usual raves for Cate Blanchett followed the screening, but it was actually Rooney Mara's performance that earned the spotlight, and the festival's coveted Best Actress award. Mara was expected to share the award with Blanchett, but surprisingly it was Emmanuelle Bercot for the film "Mon roi" that won alongside her.
Nonetheless, Blanchett hardly needs the exposure; hot off her second Oscar win for "Blue Jasmine" and the success of "Cinderella" it seems like a no brainer that she's back in the conversation, especially with Weinstein behind her. Mara, however, was probably less of a sure thing and this win at Cannes will no doubt help inspire interest in the performance. It seems she may be destined for a Best Supporting Actress campaign to make room for Blanchett's performance, but I really hope that Weinstein campaigns them both (rightly) in Best Actress. As for the film itself, if critics and voters are taken with it, we could see it present in categories like Picture, Director and Screenplay. The craft categories (costumes, production design) are always a no brainer with Haynes' work; his attention to detail is impeccable. It would seem foolish at this point to bet against "Carol", which may just be our frontrunner for the moment.
Potential Nominations: Picture, Director, Actress(2x?), S. Actress, Adapted Screenplay, Score, Cinematography, Costumes, Production Design, Editing
I have to admit, when I heard about this adaptation, I didn't have high hopes for it. There is very rarely a truly engaging Shakespeare adaptation that is deserving of awards consideration. As a Marion Cotillard fanatic, however, seeing her billed as Lady Macbeth was something I couldn't ignore; the role is an actress' dream. And after reading the reviews it seems that Cotillard, and team "Macbeth" knocked it out of the park.
Weinstein also being behind this film bodes well for its awards chances, and this is definitely something the actors of SAG and Oscar will get behind. Cotillard, after being ignored by Cannes and Oscar since her win for "La Vie En Rose" finally earned her second career nomination last year for "Two Days, One Night" after receiving virtually zero support from voting bodies, except the New York Film Critics Circle. Though she was once again passed over at Cannes in favor of other actresses, I imagine that won't stop her chances. And as for Fassbender, he also has the "Steve Jobs" biopic coming out this year. I imagine that will the be role that wins him a nomination, but it doesn't hurt to have two buzzy performances in two buzzed about films, especially with one of them being critically acclaimed and backed by Weinstein. I'm not sure if the film can make it to Best Picture or Best Director, but stranger things have happened.
Potential Nominations: Actor, Actress, Cinematography
Though the film itself reportedly divided the festival, those who love it, really love it, especially when it comes to the performances. Academy Award winner Michael Caine and Keitel won raves, but the one people walked away talking about is Jane Fonda.
The two-time Oscar winner has a very small amount of screen time in the film, reportedly around 5-7 minutes, however, she delivers a brutal monologue that tears into the industry sexism/ageism of Hollywood. It's a flashy, campy bit that could warrant a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the acting vet if campaigned properly. Distributor Fox Searchlight is definitely more than capable at doing that, having won back to back Best Picture trophies for "12 Years A Slave" and "Birdman" the last two years. Judi Dench won her only Oscar for a cameo appearance in "Shakespeare in Love", so it's not entirely unheard of. Plus, Fonda is headlining the new Netflix series "Grace and Frankie", so she has the exposure to stay fresh in voters' minds.
Potential Nominations: Actor (2x?), S. Actress (2x?), Original Screenplay, Production Design, Cinematography
Now, hear me out. Genre action films are not up Oscar's alley by any means and if you don't believe me, just ask "The Dark Knight". That being said, "Mad Max" has become something of a phenomenon over the past few weeks. The level of critical acclaim is off the charts, and it's a box office success. Not to mention it's the movie the genre needed in terms of breaking the restrictive barrier between the sexes. Many feel the film should have actually been in the festival's competition (it was shown out of competition along with Pixar's "Inside Out"), where I'm sure it would have found success with some sort of award win from the jury.
If handled properly (and perhaps if the critics remember it at the end of the year), I don't think awards recognition is totally outside the realm of possibility. Even if it's shut out of the Best Picture field, it could go to route of "The Dark Knight" and clean up in other categories.
Potential Nominations: Picture, Director, Editing, Cinematography, Costume Design, Score, Sound, VFX, Production Design
The film that won the festival's Grand Prix award (second place) got a lot of love from critics, many of whom actually thought it was going to win the top prize. Sony Classics will serve as the film's distributor, and while it's a no brainer for Best Foreign Language Film, love for the film could bleed into other categories, particularly Screenplay or Cinematography.
Potential Nominations: Cinematography, Original Screenplay, Foreign Language Film
Already a frontrunner for Best Animated Feature, "Inside Out", according to reviews, is Pixar's best film in years. It'll no doubt be a box office success. It remains to be seen if it can manage the same impact as "Up" or "Wall-E" (the former achieving a Best Picture nomination) and get attention in other categories. I wouldn't completely rule it out though; when Pixar is on fire, their films are incredible.
Potential Nominations: Picture, Original Screenplay, Score, Animated Feature
Though the film received some surprisingly tepid reception from the festival, I imagine it will be better received when it premieres in the states. Focused on the US governments war on drugs, it is said that this is Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro's best performance in years. And Blunt, who missed out last season for her hilariously energized performance in "Into the Woods", could finally earn her first career nomination here.
Potential Nominations: Actor, Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Production Design.
The Amy Winehouse documentary received rave reviews after premiering during the festival. Hard to imagine it not playing to the documentary branch, but could it be too commercial in its reach? I can't imagine such a high profile project being snubbed, but then again..
Potential Nominations: Documentary
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