"Brooklyn" Is Old School Hollywood Magic

Author Colin Toibin wrote in his novel, "Brooklyn" that his protagonist Ellis Lacey and her family could, "do everything except say out loud what they were thinking." In the film adaptation of that same novel, Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan makes this aspect of her character incredibly clear through her incredibly textured performance. Over the course of the movie's near two hour running time, we see the evolution and growth of a young woman in an unfamiliar land play out beautifully across her expressive face.

"Carol" Is A Gorgeous, Quietly Intense Love Story

"Carol," is a lot of things. It's an adaptation of the brilliant Patricia Highsmith novel "The Price of Salt." It's masterpiece in the purest sense of the word; It's Todd Haynes most handsome, affecting work to date. It's a showcase for Cate Blanchett, and evidence that she is truly the best actress working today. How she manages to still surprise us all film after film is a thrilling mystery. More important than all of that, is that it is one of the greatest love stories ever committed to film.

"Room" Review

Life for 5-year-old Jack (newcomer Jacob Tremblay) and his ‘Ma’ (Brie Larson from “United States of Tara” and “21 Jump Street”) doesn’t extend outside of the 11-by-11 foot interior of a sealed, sound proof shed. They’ve been held captive for several years by a man only named as ‘Old Nick’. To Jack, this shed (aptly named, Room) is the whole world— at least that’s what his Ma has raised him to think. The truth of the situation is too much for anyone to bear, let alone a young child. 

A Competitive Year for Best Actress

The Oscar race for Best Actress in a Leading Role hasn’t been exciting since 2010, when Natalie Portman won for her performance in “Black Swan.” Since then, the category has been incredibly predictable. Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett and last year’s winner Julianne Moore had essentially been crowned long before the season had even begun, with little to no competition standing in their way of winning. 

This year, however, looks to change that. With the announcement that Alicia Vikander from, “The Danish Girl” will be campaigned in Supporting Actress, that leaves all five potential slots wide open for anyone to grab. Another pleasing bit of news is that this looks to be not only the most competitive race, but interesting in terms of roles. Many of the films in contention this year are female driven, which is a nice change of pace from the testosterone fest that was last year’s Best Picture race. 

Of the films that have premiered thus far, it’s a safe bet to say that Brie Larson is in the best position of landing a nomination, which would be her first ever. “Room” was something of a phenomenon after its incredible premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, where it won Best Picture. Larson has been on the bubble of breaking out for awhile, but given the large campaign that distributor A24 plans to mount in support of the film it seems like this will finally be her year. Her performance has been lauded as “astonishing,” and “remarkable,” and with the film being a strong contender in several other categories, seeing her miss here would be a surprise. Winning, however, is a different thing altogether. A24 has, unsuccessfully, tried entering the Oscar game before with films like “Spring Breakers” and “A Most Violent Year” so hold the applause until “Room” begins to expand to its theatrical release to see if it has strong word of mouth and box office performance. 

Larson’s strongest competitor, of the films that have been seen, is Saoirse Ronan whose performance in “Brooklyn” has been making waves since Sundance. Ronan, a previous nominee for 2007’s “Atonement,” has been receiving career best notices from the likes of The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, with the film’s Rotten Tomatoes score sitting pretty at 100%, calling her performance “outstanding.” The film’s central theme of coming of age is synonymous with Ronan’s own career as an actress. After winning acclaim as a child, she has since struggled with finding projects that suit her. “Brooklyn” seems to give the actress something to work with, and it’s pretty clear from the trailer that her maturity is showcased. This is another film  that will be a strong contender in several categories, including Picture, and the period element is something I predict Academy members will respond positively to. 

Also in contention is Lily Tomlin, who is experiencing something of a career resurgence with Netflix’s “Grace & Frankie” and her performance in the indie “Grandma.” Though reviews have been luminous, it remains to be seen if Tomlin can win awards attention for such a small film. Similarly, can Charlotte Rampling, who has never been nominated for an Oscar, translate career best reviews for “45 Years” into Oscar success despite the film’s small size? Controversy aside, “Suffragette” has previous nominee Carey Mulligan leading the female led cast towards the Oscars, but I’m not sure if the film can overcome the horrific press tour it’s been having. Cate Blanchett will have to face competition between her two performances in “Carol” and “Truth,” and though the internet wants Charlize Theron to be recognized for “Mad Max,” I’m not sure the Academy is ready to go all out for a genre film. It sounds crazy, but they’re more likely to embrace it in Best Picture or Best Director. 

Waiting in the wings to shake things up, however, is Hollywood’s favorite It Girl Jennifer Lawrence. Though you may have laughed at the idea that her Oscar submission this year was a biopic about the creator of the Miracle Mop, Lawrence and director/writer David O. Russell are clearly pulling out all the stops. This marks Lawrence’s third collaboration with O.Russell, the previous two being “Silver Linings Playbook” (which won her an Oscar) and “American Hustle” (which saw her almost winning another Oscar).

The trailer, which was cut to resemble a Scorsese movie, sparked a huge question of whether Lawrence would be in the running this year or not. But after the film’s secret screening last week, it’s clear she’s back, and stands a good chance of running away with the whole race… at least that’s what I’m hearing. Erik Anderson of awardswatch.com was lucky enough to be present at this screening, and called the film: 

“David O. Russell’s best film since ‘Three Kings… It’s such a director’s film and I think a culmination of everything from DOR’s career so far plus more… 100% Jennifer Lawrence show- in every scene. Could easily win… such a rich, complex story that, I think, doesn’t hold the audience’s hands.” 

The film does not premiere until Christmas Day, and will not screen at any high-profile festivals or events before then, so it’s important to take things like this with a grain of salt. But the fact that Lawrence is an Academy favorite at such a young age, and is assured to be in another box office success this year with the final “Hunger Games” film is something foolish to bet against; It’s the same formula that won her the award in 2012. 

I, for one, do not consider myself foolish, so I won’t be saying Lawrence is going to miss for this one. However, I don’t think this is going to be the cakewalk it was for her back in 2012. On the contrary, if Lawrence wants that second Oscar, she’s not going to be able to coast on simply a good performance, she’s going to have to campaign for it. And hard. 

Category Fraud Runs Amok Through Oscar Season

It seems that with each passing Oscar season, incidents of category fraud grow more common, and the conversation around it growing louder.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the  term, "category fraud" is when an actor or actress is campaigned for awards in the wrong category. It's usually done to avoid "internal competition", which is campaigning two performances from the same movie, or simply a case of the studio going with the less competitive category.

"Room" Wins Big & Surprises at TIFF

The People's Choice Award (the Toronto Film Festival's Best Picture Award) has been given to films such as "Silver Lining's Playbook", "12 Years A Slave" and "The Imitation Game" to name a few. To say this award isn't an indicator of Oscar success (whether you're nominated for Best picture or actually win the whole thing) is foolish.

In a festival full of high-profile films such as "Spotlight", "Brooklyn" (the crowd pleasers), "The Danish Girl" (awards-bait) and other buzzy films such as "Our Brand Is Crisis", "Freeheld" and "Black Mass" (just to name a few), it's easy to lose track of all of the films attempting to make a splash.

Eddie Redmayne is Front and Center on "The Danish Girl" Poster

We're still on the fringe of Oscar season, but all of the contenders are beginning to fall in place. Eddie Redmayne, our most recent Best Actor winner, is already predicted by many experts to be our frontrunner.

Redmayne's back with another transformative performance, this time as Lili Elbe. Elbe was the first recipient of sex reassignment surgery in the 1920s after being a stand in for a female model in one of her wife's paintings.

Though we've discussed why Redmayne's casting over actual Trans actresses is problematic, there's no doubt in my mind the Academy will take notice. Again, Redmayne won an Oscar just a few months ago, which means a buzzy role like this is likely to provide an 'afterglow' nomination. Not to mention that the film is being directed by Academy Award Winner Tom Hooper.

The film also stars Alicia Vikander, who is being poised as the newest it girl; hot off her success with "Ex-Machina", she will also star in the newest installment of the "Bourne" series. It's also possible she will follow in Felicity Jones' footsteps and land a nomination for playing Redmayne's wife.

Take a look below at the poster for the film, which will screen at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival before being released on November 27.

"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.

Jennifer Lawrence Trades the Bow & Arrow for a Shotgun in "Joy" Trailer

Love them or hate them, Jennifer Lawrence and David O.Russell are back for their third collaboration. After the success of "Silver Linings Playbook" (which won Lawrence the Oscar for Best Actress) and "American Hustle" (which almost won Lawrence the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress), it would only make sense the two would pair up again. This time, O.Russell has cast Lawrence as Joy Mangano (otherwise known as the inventor of the Miracle Mop) and cast her alongside past co-stars Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro.

Based on her success with not only the Academy, but box office wise, it would be foolish to bet against Lawrence's Oscar chances. Though the trailer is light on dialogue, it would seem there's a lot for the actress to sink her teeth into. I'm sure Lawrence will also find a way to put her signature quirky spin on the character as she's done with past O.Russell creations.

While I think Best Actress is too crowded this year for the usual favorite to sneak in, the fact she has one more "Hunger Games" film being released a month before this film may pole vault her into the awards race. It's still too early to tell, but you can make your mind up about the film's teaser, which you can watch below.

"Joy" will be released in theaters everywhere Christmas Day.

Saorsie Ronan Stuns in the Gorgeous, Affecting First Trailer for "Brooklyn"

I have to admit, as intrigued as Saorsie Ronan's involvement in director John Crowley's film "Brooklyn" made me, I wasn't that excited about the film to put it on my must see list. Ronan, Oscar-nominated for her understated work in 2007's "Atonement", hasn't really had a great film since "Hanna", but as an actress, she's a knockout. Even in mixed bags like "The Lovely Bones" she finds ways to elevate dull material with her expressive eyes.

However, watching the first trailer, the ecstatic reaction the film received after its bow at Sundance makes me need to see the film. This might be the gold Ronan needed to ascend to true leading lady status, and an Oscar doesn't seem too far out of her reach.

Based on the novel by Colom Tóbín, Ronan plays Ellis, a young woman who immigrates from Ireland to New York City during the 1950s in search of work, and a better life. After finding a job and a home (run by a strict landlady, played by Julie Walters, she meets Tony, a young Italian plumber. The two are instantly smitten, but when her sister passes away, she's called back to Ireland to help her family. Her past life disrupts the beautiful dream she's made for herself in America, and suddenly, Ellis is torn between her love in America, and her love back home.

Ronan, being front and center, spells good things for the film's awards chances. It seems like a very naturalistic, yet complex, role, and after last season being so male-dominated, it's refreshing to see a woman's story at the front of the awards contenders, and handled with such sensitivity.

Distributed by Fox Searchlight, the film will be released on November 6, aka, the perfect time for Oscar contenders.

Watch the trailer below.

Meryl Streep Enlists Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham-Carter in "Suffragette" Trailer

After the very short teaser we received a few months ago, team "Suffragette" is back with an undeniably powerful trailer.

The trailer does an amazing job at introducing the main players (Bonham-Carter, Mulligan, Annie Marie Duff, among others) while hinting at Streep's turn as Feminist legend Emmeline Pankhurst. There's a gorgeous reworking of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" towards the end, and a very affecting line by Carey's character: "War is the only language men listen to."

If you were underestimating the potential of "Suffragette" in the Oscar race, think again. Methinks this will be a very strong play for Mulligan, Bonham-Carter, Streep and the film itself.

Watch the trailer below. "Suffragette" will open the London Film Festival and will be released in the states on October 23.

First Trailer for "Macbeth": Intense, Dark and Beautiful

Justin Kurzel's "Macbeth" was a big surprise coming out of the Cannes film festival, being better than previously anticipated. Though stars Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender won acclaim for their performances as the infamous plotting couple, Kurzel's direction and the film as a whole were praised.

Ultimately, I do fear if the film gets any awards attention (it is being distributed by Weinstein after all) it'll center around Fassbender and Cotillard. But after watching the new trailer, I see what a shame that would be, because it looks gorgeously rendered. There are a number of "money shots" to pull from the short teaser, and the overall tone is incredibly morose and intense, in the best way possible. Here's to hoping the film can find some success outside of the performances come awards season.

Watch the trailer below. "Macbeth" is scheduled to be released later this fall.

Meryl Streep Rocks Out in 'Ricki and the Flash' Trailer

Meryl Streep continues to wow us all with each new role she takes; after breaking her own incredible record for the most Oscar nominations by an actor/actress last year with her memorable performance in "Into the Woods", she's back again. This time, she's teaming up with "Juno" screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Jonathan Demme ("Rachel Getting Married" and "Silence of the Lambs"). 

If I Had A Ballot: My Academy Award Nominees (Acting)

I will never understand how the driving topic of the past year was how weak of a year it was for actresses. There must've been a thousand think pieces published by dozens of outlets on how embarrassingly dry the respective actress categories were as opposed to the men's.

But I would argue, that this was a marvelous year for actresses, that is, if you were able to look past Oscar's own playing field, which leaves little to be desired for what they determine to be Oscar-worthy roles/performances. Once you open your surroundings, you'll find a wealthy field of contenders, each with a more interesting, complex turn than the last. I think it's fair to say that the industry failed women, not so much Hollywood.

This year, we watched Scarlett Johansson as a silent alien seductress, Jennifer Aniston as a pill popping, chronic pain victim suffering from depression, Anna Kendrick as a modern and complex princess Cinderella, and Reese Witherspoon traveling the P.C.T. finding her long-reported missing inner leading lady along the way. And that's only scratching the surface of what women did this year, I did't even mention Rosamund Pike's unforgettable Amazing Amy, or Meryl Streep's incomparable Witch.

And despite that male-centric Best Picture field, there were also deeply moving, enjoyable projects either made by a woman, or told women's stories. An honest, refreshing look into abortion ("Obvious Child"), a critique of the music industry and the selling of sex and the 'female pop star' ("Beyond the Lights"), a period piece starring a woman of color in the title role ("Belle")... the list goes on.

Not to say that it wasn't a great year for the boys, because who will be able to look back and not remember Michael Keaton in "Birdman" or David Oyelowo in "Selma"? Two of the greatest performances in recent history that will most definitely be discussed and studied for years to come. But a lot of the celebrated turns by men this year, I found, to land pretty flat. I loved Eddie Redmayne in "Les Miserables" as much as everyone else, and sure, his transformation into Stephen Hawking was brilliant... but it left him little to no room to actually turn in a performance.

But I digress, I've procrastinated long enough. My choices in the acting contenders are:

Reese Witherspoon Finds Herself on the PCT in "Wild"

It's been somewhat of a rocky road for Reese Witherspoon ever since she won her Oscar for 2005's "Walk the Line". Though she's found box office success with films like "Four Christmases", she hasn't done anything that's lived up to the immense promise she showed in films like "Election" and "Legally Blonde". Not to mention that whole D.U.I. fiasco.

But if there's anything fallen actors/actresses have taught us in recent years, it's that comebacks are possible. Witherspoon smartly moved away from center stage and took supporting roles in the critically adored "Mud" and this year's much discussed "Inherent Vice", and worked behind the scenes as a producer to get "Gone Girl" made. All of this, led to the inception of Witherspoon's own personal project: the big screen adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's memoir "Wild", the story of Strayed's 1,100-mile journey on the Pacific Coast Trail.

Critics, Globes & SAG: What Do They Tell Us?

I can't remember the last time an Oscar race was so unpredictable; though "Boyhood" is the "critical favorite" of this year, I don't know if it's our Best Picture winner yet. "Birdman" is the film that's getting the most notices in many of the other craft categories, while "The Theory of Everything" and "The Imitation Game" are playing well for Academy members, and showed surprising strength over more ensemble-like fair such as "Into the Woods" with the Screen Actors Guild. Then there are critical favorites like "Nightcrawler" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel" that are winning traction outside of the categories they were originally predicted in. Waiting in the wings, is Ava Duvernay's MLK biopic, "Selma", which is poised to one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, not to mention, it's Academy friendly material that appeals to the zeitgeist. In other words, it's a real toss up.

Let's see who is up and who is down after the busy week.

Theory of Everything is too Conventional for its Own Good

Both Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne have been on the brink of career breakthroughs for several years now. Jones won acclaim for her naturalistic performance in 2011's "Like Crazy", which failed to nab her substantial awards attention, and any success with meaty roles. Redmayne has been apart of several high profile projects, namely 2012's "Les Miserables" which, I believe almost nabbed him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

So, it makes no sense then that 2 actors on the verge of mainstream success team up in a buzzy, high-profile biopic detailing the relationship between the brilliant Stephen Hawking and his incredibly strong (now ex) wife Jane. Directed by James Marsh, the film has enjoyed much acclaim, especially for Redmayne's performance. which requires a vast amount of physical commitment from the young actor.

But despite the Oscar buzz, "Theory of Everything" is far from relevatory, and in fact, is just an ordinary biopic.

Dear Oscar

Dear Oscar,

I know that awards season can get really crowded with so many high profile films and contenders vying for your attention. It must get tricky being able to remember films from the beginning of the year when several presumed juggernauts don't even premiere until the end of December. Yes, it must get hard when you have actors losing weight, or donning prosthetics in flashy biopics. Yes, I know it's hard, but before the endless onslaught of awards movies, I ask you to hear me out.

I'm sure you've heard how Rosamund Pike is fantastic in David Fincher's "Gone Girl", a film that has crossed $100 million in just 3 weeks since premiering, and I'm sure a Best Actress nomination would seem fitting as a reward for that film. I'm also sure you've heard Julianne Moore, Jessica Chastain, Reese Witherspoon, Felicity Jones, and Amy Adams are all great in their respective films. It must be hard to see past all of these flashy, very familiar names; some of these women are past winners, or multiple time past nominees. But I'm asking you to look past those names for a moment, to consider Marion Cotillard's groundbreaking work in James Gray's, "The Immigrant".

Gone Girl Review (SPOILER HEAVY)

For those of you who haven't already read the book or seen the movie, I encourage you stay away from this review until you do both. However, if you can't help yourself, then at least I can say you were warned.

Into the Woods' Dilemma: The Case of the 3 Women

Disney's "Into the Woods" is arguably the biggest question mark in the Oscar race right now, next to J.C. Chandor's "A Most Violent Year". The Rob Marshall directed musical has the prestige to at least be on the Oscar radar (Marshall directed "Chicago", another musical which won 8 Oscars including Best Picture), several Oscar nominated actors in its very starry cast (Meryl Streep, Anna Kendricks and Johnny Depp) and is based on an acclaimed stage play by Stephen Soundheim, who penned the likes of "Sweeney Todd" (the film adaptation was nominated for 3 Oscars, including Best Actor for Depp). But the buzz on the film has been questionable at best; there were those early reports that the source material was facing "conservative changes", later reported to be false by Soundheim himself. Then there was the report that Streep's new song made special for her and the film itself, was cut, following rumors of a month of reshoots.

All this drama has me wondering about A.) The potential quality of the film and B.) The film's role in the Oscar race.