Christopher Nolan Reaches for the Stars in Interstellar

Sci-Fi is enjoying something of a resurgence at the moment, one that began last year with Alfonso Cuaron's brilliant "Gravity". Though undoubtedly one of the most popular genres out there, these stories have always felt anything but human; the familiar themes that we are exposed to in other genres (such as love, jealousy, grief) always bat second to the eye-popping visual effects employed throughout, a serious case of style vs. substance.

What was so special about "Gravity", was that despite being a film filled with revelatory, groundbreaking technology, at its center was an all too familiar theme: survival. Though faced with a lack of oxygen and metal hurtling at dangerous speeds, Dr. Ryan Stone (played superbly by Sandra Bullock in the best performance of her career) had a bigger challenge facing her; believing in herself enough to find her way back to Earth. Cuaron may have placed us all in an unfamiliar setting, but the story was one everyone could relate to.

So it should come as no surprise then, that the man who redefined the superhero genre is one to continue this Sci Fi renaissance. As he did with "The Dark Knight", director/writer Christopher Nolan brings a gritty, emotional realism to an almost outlandishly cartoon-like genre.

Interstellar Could Be Christopher Nolan's (Oscar) Breakthrough

"The Dark Knight snub" is a term that many Oscar pundits and fanboys alike have attributed to the expansion of the Best Picture field; when "The Reader" was nominated over The Dark Knight in 2008, many took it as a flat out snub. It was one of the most (if not the most critically acclaimed film of the year), and received 8 other nominations, including a win for Heath Ledger's now iconic performance as the Joker. Nolan himself was also left out of the Best Director lineup, even though he received a nomination from the Director's Guild, and other major critical precursors.

After the expansion of the Best Picture category (from 5 to 10 films), his follow up film "Inception" received a nomination, but Nolan was once again snubbed from the directors in the Academy, despite once again being recognized by his fellow directors at the DGA.

Based on the early reports and first trailer, it seems that Nolan is bringing a level of A-game we haven't yet seen from him; Interstellar looks to be Nolan's most visually, and thematically cohesive project yet, and a the new trailer confirms that this is going to be the film that may just finally get him that elusive Oscar nomination.

Interstellar Trailer

I had the privilege of not only seeing "Godzilla" last night, but the new trailer for Christopher Nolan's upcoming Sci-Fi film, "Interstellar" starring Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway.

Well, That's A Wrap!

Truly, this is my favorite picture from last night... I can't take my eyes off of her, she's divine. One of the best, most deserving, and most Oscar winners we've had in awhile. 

It seems like we've been following the 2013 awards season forever, hasn't it? Though last year was one of the best years in film we've had in awhile, this Oscar season seemed much longer than the others. What was shaping up to be a competitive year settled into a somewhat predictable horse race. On some levels, I'm okay with it, and on others, not so much.

Links Links Links

• Sasha Stone of Awards Daily explains 5 different ways the BAFTA's can change the Oscar race, most notably in Best Picture & Actor. Do Gravity and Matthew McConaughey really have this all tied up? 
• Speaking of changing tides, doesn't it feel like Amy Adams is having a last minute charge to the podium over frontrunner Cate Blanchett? Jeffs Wells of Hollywood-Elsewhere certainly seems to think so.
• Probably the most talked about piece of news, Oscar nominated Actress Ellen Paige (Juno, Inception) came out the other night. Watch her beautiful speech at the HRCF's Time to Thrive conference here. The Film Experience's Nathaniel Rogers seems to think that this is going to open up phase 2 of her very promising career as an actress. 

More stories below.

What Could the BAFTA's Do For the Oscar Race? My Predictions

The BAFTA's are the last precursor award we hear from before the Oscars. Unlike the past few years where Best Picture has been prematurely decided before we even hear from the first voting body. 2010 was The King's Speech, 2011 was The Artist, and 2012 was Argo. This year, 3 films have been clearly in the lead: 12 Years A Slave, Gravity and American Hustle, with Her and Captain Phillips nipping at their feet.

Gravity and 12 Years A Slave, however, have the most heat, with American Hustle lurking in the background, looking to swoop in. As I've discussed before, Gravity has the box office and star power, 12 Years A Slave has the prestige and the "important" narrative, with American Hustle having not only the actors behind it, but the fact it's a "lighter" choice than the others.

Here is a breakdown of the last few months in terms of awards (in case you haven't been looking at my awards tally tab):

Toronto Audience award- 12 Years A Slave
New York Film Critics- American Hustle
National Board of Review- Her
Los Angeles- Her & Gravity
Southeastern Film Critics- 12 Years A Slave
Golden Globes- 12 Years A Slave
Critics Choice- 12 Years A Slave
Producers Guild- 12 Years A Slave & Gravity
Screen Actors Guild- American Hustle
Directors Guild- Gravity
Eddies- American Hustle & Captain Phillips
Writers Guild- Captain Phillips & Her
Scripters- 12 Years A Slave

Where will the BAFTA's figure in to all of this?

What the Oscar Nominations Tell Us

Here are some takeaways from this morning's Oscar Nominations (if you're interested in what I think)

Playing Catch Up: Dallas Buyers Club & Enough Said

I went to the movies this weekend! Well.. sorta

Enough Said and Dallas Buyers Club are 2 films that had been alluding me for quite some time (both were never playing in my area when I finally had the time to sit down and watch them), but luckily, I was able to catch up with them both in a sort of double feature. Of the 2, Dallas Buyers Club is the one with the chances at Oscar glory; the film itself, Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, and possibly other [deserving facets] will get nominated.

Enough Said, however, is a film that deserves much more acclaim than it has won (and it's won quite a bunch). It isn't easy territory, but the trio of director/screenwriter Nicole Holofcener, and stars Julia Louis Dreyfus and James Gandolfini elevate what could have very well been a simple "rom com" to a greatly touching, memorable and mature film.

Christopher Nolan's Interstellar lands its First Trailer

That's right everyone, after his epic conclusion to The Dark Knight Trilogy, Christopher Nolan has assembled an all-star cast lead by Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine, and Ellen Burstyn.

Though the trailer isn't big on details (which it more than makes up for with gorgeous cinematography, and a voice-over by McConaughey), the official synopsis released by Paramount and Warner Bros states:

"When a wormhole (which hypothetically connects widely-separated regions of spacetime) is newly discovered, a team of explorers and scientists embark on a voyage through it to transcend previous limitations on human space travel."

The Hollywood Reporter said in addition to the official synopsis, "The plot is believed to involve time travel and alternate dimensions, but other details are being kept under wraps."

The film is slated for a November 7, 2014 release, which puts it smack dab in the middle of the Oscar race. Inception racked up some major nominations back in 2010, and The Dark Knight should've been a Best Picture Nominee was snubbed for Best Picture and Best Director, though it landed some major wins and nominations (including a win for Heath Ledger as The Joker). 

Could it be just a commercial thing though? Or will it actually play into the circuit. McConaughey, Hathaway, and Chastain's involvement doesn't hurt, and Nolan has been close to a Director nomination for quite some time. Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity could lessen the "sci-fi" bias that's existed within the Academy for so long now, as it's a top tier contender this year. 

You can watch the trailer below. 

Precursor Buzz: Could Scarlett Johansson get an Oscar Nomination for "Her"? & Other Recipients.

Scarlett Johansson has had an interesting career ever since her she burst onto the scene. She gained indie cred and acclaim with roles in "North" and "Ghost World", but her breakout role in Sofia Coppola's "Lost In Translation". She unexpectedly won the BAFTA award for Best Leading Actress (though she missed out on the Oscar), and turned in another acclaimed performance in the little seen "Girl With The Pearl Earring", and again in Woody Allen's "Match Point".