"Room": Brie Larson's Best Actress Play?

I've been waiting for Brie Larson to break out since her time on the criminally underrated "United States of Tara". She came very close in 2013 with "Short Term 12", delivering a performance that warranted serious Oscar attention.

After laying low for a bit, she's coming back with one of the buzziest projects of the year. "Room" (based on the novel of the same name) has been picked up by distributor A24, and is directed by Lenny Abrahamson ("Frank") and written by the novel's author Emma Donoghue.

The film's premise revolves around a woman (Larson) who has been held captive in a room with her five-year old son for an undetermined amount of time. I haven't read the novel, but it was critically acclaimed back in 2010 when it was released. The trailer leaves the perfect amount of mystery, and creates enough tension while making it clear this will be a great vehicle for Larson's tremendous acting talents. It's hard to remember the last time a trailer was so effective in generating interest in a film.

Though A24 has yet to nab an acting nomination for actors in their movies (they came close last year with Jessica Chastain in "A Most Violent Year"), I think with enough support from critics, Larson could crack be the first. It'll be tough though, as veterans like Lily Tomlin and Meryl Streep all have movies coming out this season.

Nevertheless, the trailer seems very promising (which you can watch below). The film also stars Academy Award nominees Joan Allen and William H. Macy, and will be released on October 16th after its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

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.