Month: May 2024

Anora Takes the Cannes

The Cannes Film Festival of 2024 is complete and, as always, it made the Oscar picture a little clearer with potential nominees as well as films that won’t be on the radar screen based on their French buzz.

One picture that did itself the most favors is Sean Baker’s Anora. The latest dramedy from The Florida Project drew raves and was named the Palme d’Or recipient (the highest Cannes prize). Three of the past four Palme winners (Parasite, Triangle of Sadness, Anatomy of a Fall) ended up with a BP nod from the Academy.

The film’s leading lady Mikey Madison did not take Best Actress. That instead went to a quartet of performers (Karla Sofia Gascón, Selena Gomez, Adriana Paz, Zoe Saldaña) from Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez, which also entered the BP conversation. It is uncertain at this point whether Gascón or Saldaña, in particular, will be slotted in lead Actress or supporting come Oscar time. I currently have Gascón in the latter and Saldaña in the former and both have solid shots at inclusion.

In addition to Madison’s legit chances for an Actress recognition from the Academy, Demi Moore announced herself as a hopeful for her first nom in the heralded body horror tale The Substance from Coralie Fargeat. She is your Cannes honoree for Best Screenplay.

Anora‘s Sean Baker did not take Best Director (Cannes spreads the love). Miguel Gomes took that prize for the period drama Grand Tour. I wouldn’t pencil him in for a Director nom from the Academy. You have to go back to Pawel Pawlikowski and Cold War in 2018 for the previous Cannes winner who nabbed an Oscar mention. That is the only example in the 21st century.

Jesse Plemons is the Best Actor from Kinds of Kindness. Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest got its share of appreciative notices and I do believe it could contend for two or three Oscars. Plemons might be one of the benefactors.

As far as other acting possibilities, The Apprentice didn’t pick up any hardware. I do think Sebastian Stan (as Donald Trump in the 70s and 80s) and Jeremy Strong (as his mentor Roy Cohn) entered the Actor and Supporting Actor discussion. I also wouldn’t discount Nykiya Adams and Barry Keoghan in Actress and Supporting Actor for Andrea Arnold’s Bird.

Of course not all Cannes debuts lead to high praise. Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An America Saga – Chapter 1, and Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada all lessened their viability moving forward.

Keep an eye on the blog for new post Cannes projections in the six major races!

Oscar Predictions: Atlas

A cloud of subpar reviews hangs over Atlas, a sci-fi thriller about AI that begins streaming on Netflix this weekend. Jennifer Lopez headlines with Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown (fresh off his first Oscar nod for American Fiction), and Mark Strong costarring. Brad Peyton, best known for the Dwayne Johnson trilogy of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, San Andreas, and Rampage, directs.

Critical reaction to this is far from rock solid with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 18%. The only awards play to be considered would be its Visual Effects and they are being commended more than other aspects. I doubt it ultimately contends in that competition. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Armand

A fight between two elementary school boys leads to other drama in the Norwegian film Armand from first time director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel. It has premiered at Cannes prior to its planned September bow in its native land. Domestic distribution is pending. Renate Reinsve, who wowed critics in 2021’s The Worst Person in the World, stars alongside Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Thea Lambrechts Vaulen, Endre Hellesveit, Øystein Røger, and Vera Veijovic.

There is praise for Reinsve’s work and the cinematography, but some of the reviews are tempered in their enthusiasm. The RT score is 75%. It wouldn’t surprise me if Norway goes with Armand as their selection for International Feature Film. The aforementioned Worst Person was a contender in the race three years back and lost to Drive My Car. Prior to that, you have to go back to 2012 and Kon-Tiki for the previous Norwegian nominee (they’re 0 for 6 total as far as wins).

Perhaps Armand can make the shortlist, but I don’t see it in the final quintet. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Jim Henson Idea Man

Ahead of its May 31st bow on Disney+, Jim Henson Idea Man has premiered at Cannes. The high profile doc chronicles the life of the famed puppeteer including his creation of Sesame Street and the Muppets. Oscar winner Ron Howard directs.

It is a safe assumption that this will be one of the most viewed documentaries of 2024. Critical reaction is appreciative though some of the early reviews aren’t overly glowing. The RT score is 88%.

The voters in this particular branch of the Academy often don’t go for pics based on iconic figures. Two recent examples include Won’t You Be My Neighbor? from 2018 and Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie from last year. I suspect the story may play out the same for this. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Parthenope

Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino’s filmography has experienced success at the Oscars. In 2013, The Great Beauty took the prize for International Feature Film (then titled Best Foreign Language Film). 2021’s The Hand of God was up for IFF and ultimately fell short to Drive My Car. His latest is Parthenope which has premiered at Cannes.

The Naples set drama stars newcomer Celeste Dalla Porta in the title role alongside Stefenia Sandrelli, Gary Oldman, Silvio Orlando, Luisa Ranieri, and Isabella Ferrari.

Reviews from the Riviera aren’t pretty with many suggesting it’s the auteur’s darkest hour… or rather two hours and change. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 15%, I doubt Italy will bother to submit this as their contender in the international competition. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

The Fall Guy Review

We all know Tom Cruise does his own stunts. He reminds us of that frequently and is the biggest artist handling the bulk of those duties himself. David Leitch’s The Fall Guy takes time to honor those performers doubling for the non-Cruisers and that’s a noble cause though it often plays like a long shaggy dog story.

Sort of based on the 1980s TV show with Lee Majors, Ryan Gosling is Colt Seavers. He’s Cliff Booth to Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Rick Dalton… or rather Tom Ryder, who’s a mega action superstar with a penchant for hard partying. Seavers does the trickier work while Ryder takes all the credit. A prologue details a setup gone wrong that derails Colt’s career and his budding relationship with camerawoman Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt).

A year and a half later, Colt is parking cars instead of crashing them. He is summoned by producer Gail (Hannah Waddingham, kind of looking like 70s era Robert Evans in a wig) to set in Sydney. The selling point is the opportunity to make up with Jody, who is now directing the sci-fi saga Metalstorm with Ryder headlining. Upon his arrival down under, it turns out Jody has no idea what’s up or that he was joining the production.

The picture’s lead has mysteriously disappeared and Colt is tasked with tracking him down while also stunting by day. And, of course, there’s some serious and humorous tension with his ex.

I was reminded at times of 80s action comedies like Beverly Hills Cop or Fletch where the plot is inconsequential and where coasting on the above the title players’ charisma is enough. Obviously Gosling and Blunt have that level of appeal.

Somehow I didn’t fall for it despite their efforts. They have chemistry, but this fails to coast on their charms. The action scenes are well-choreographed. They should be given the subject matter and Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train) in charge. Yet there’s not one sequence that rivals, say, the antics of you know who in fill in the recent Mission: Impossible entry.

There are more references to Miami Vice or other 80s artifacts than the TV show it takes its name from. This includes Jody belting out “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins at a karaoke bar while Colt is engaged in an elaborate car chase. Blunt being more involved in the fights might have helped. Her one scene where she gets to do so is memorable.

The Fall Guy, given the personnel, is a minor disappointment especially with how convoluted it gets in the denouement. The occasionally on point self-referential jokes and the Barbenheimer cast mates provide the highlights. When they’re apart, it can feel like just an empty space.

** (out of four)

May 24-27 Box Office Predictions

After an iffy start to the summer cinematic season, the industry hopes business heats up over Memorial Day weekend. We have George Miller’s franchise prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga looking to lead the way with the animated The Garfield Movie angling to post a strong second place showing. There’s also the faith-based biopic Sight from Angel Studios. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on the trio here:

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Box Office Prediction
The Garfield Movie Box Office Prediction
Sight Box Office Prediction

With mostly laudatory reviews (though not on the level of predecessor Mad Max: Fury Road), I’m estimating that Furiosa gets just under $50 million over the extended Friday to Monday frame. That would put in right in line with expectations.

Same goes for Chris Pratt’s vocal work as that orange tabby cat in The Garfield Movie. My low 40s forecast gives it a runner-up debut as this hopes to bring family audiences in for the next few weeks.

Speaking of families, they turned out on the lower end of the anticipated range for IF (more on that below). It was still a rather decent opening, but the competition from Garfield could sting a little. I still think manages a tad over $20 million for the holiday.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes should slide from 2nd to 4th in the mid teens to high teens region while slots 5-7 could be awfully close between The Fall Guy, Sight, and The Strangers: Chapter 1.

Here’s how I see it playing out and remember that these figures are for Friday through Monday:

1. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Predicted Gross: $47.2 million

2. The Garfield Movie

Predicted Gross: $41.5 million

3. IF

Predicted Gross: $20.6 million

4. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Predicted Gross: $18 million

5. The Fall Guy

Predicted Gross: $5.8 million

6. The Strangers: Chapter 1

Predicted Gross: $5.6 million

7. Sight

Predicted Gross: $5.3 million

Box Office Results (May 17-19)

As mentioned, John Krasinski’s IF with Ryan Reynolds certainly didn’t over perform and came in with a fine but unremarkable $33.7 million. I thought it would get a bit more with $38.3 million. The A Cinemascore grade could mean its legs will be sturdy. That said, competition will be fierce.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes was second after a muscular opening last weekend with $25.4 million, just outdoing my $23.6 million prediction. The two-week total is $100 million.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 managed (barely) the largest horror unveiling of 2024 with a better than expected $11.8 million estimate. Considering its reported teensy budget, that’s a solid number and ahead of my $9.1 million call.

The Fall Guy fell to fourth with $8.3 million, in line with my $8 million projection. The three-week gross is $62 million.

Challengers rounded out the top five in weekend #4 and I incorrectly had it on the outside looking in. It has made $43 million overall.

They tried to make the Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black a hit, but audiences said no (no no). It flopped in sixth with a mere $2.8 million compared to my more hopeful $4.5 million prediction.

And that does it for now, folks! Until next time…

Oscar Predictions: Anora

Mikey Madison is best known for the Scream reboot two years ago, but awards voters seemed poised to become more familiar with her thanks to Anora. From The Florida Project and Red Rocket writer/director Sean Baker, Madison is the title character Brooklyn escort who enters into a romance and business situation with a Russian oligarch played by Mark Eydelshteyn. The supporting cast includes Yuriy Borisov, Karren Karagulian, Vache Tovmasyan, and Darya Ekamasova.

Its premiere at Cannes has drawn some of the best word-of-mouth of any film at the festival with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The two leads are being heralded with Madison especially being singled out for a breakout role. I have not had her in the mix in my Best Actress projections. That is going to change and do not be surprised if she’s in my high five when I update predictions this weekend. Baker, who probably came close to an Original Screenplay nod in 2017 for Florida, could contend.

Best Picture could be a stretch though Madison has immediately vaulted into the conversation as critics should be screaming her name throughout the season. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions – Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One

When it comes to Academy possibilities for Kevin Costner’s latest directorial epic, think The Postman more than Dances with Wolves. The latter from 1990 was up for 12 Oscars and took home 7 including Picture and Director. The former was a flop at multiplexes and on the awards circuit.

His latest is Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter One and it has premiered at Cannes ahead of its June 28th theatrical bow. The Western is not only directed by Costner, but he stars and cowrites what is a mostly self-financed project. The large supporting cast includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Danny Huston, Duval Branch, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee, Jamie Campbell Bower, Owen Crow Shoe, Tatanka Means, Luke Wilson, Ella Hunt, Will Patton, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jeff Fahey, and Thomas Haden Church.

I kind of thought Cannes seemed like an odd launch pad for the Yellowstone lead’s first behind the camera big screen production since 2003’s Open Range. Critics have not been kind as evidenced by the 29% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

I’m not sure how much the reviews will hurt its commercial prospects. This could be effective adult counter programming in the summer months and Costner’s visibility from his hit show won’t hurt. Chapter 2 will follow in mid-August. Who knows? Maybe it will garner better notices from cinematic pundits. You can close the book on any Oscar buzz for this first chapter. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: The Apprentice

Awards prospects for Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice might have less to do with today’s Cannes premiere or whatever date the eventual distributor places it for domestic release. November 5th might be the biggest factor in whether it gets various nominations. That’s the date of the Presidential election and Oscar voters could react based on the results of whether the 45th POTUS becomes the 47th POTUS.

Set in the 1970s and 80s, this is essentially a Donald Trump origin story about ruthless attorney Roy Cohn’s influence on his life. Sebastian Stan is Trump with Jeremy Strong as Cohn. Costars include Maria Bakalova as Ivana and Martin Donovan as family patriarch Fred.

Reviews trickling in from France are somewhat all over the map. Yet compliments for the men playing Trump and Cohn is mostly universal. Mr. Stan’s biggest competition for a final five slot in Actor could be himself as he’s also being lauded for A Different Man. It rolled out at Sundance and is slated for a September domestic bow. Strong, an Emmy winner for Succession, could book his first Academy recognition in Supporting Actor. In fact, he might be in competition with his costar/onscreen sibling from that acclaimed HBO show in Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain). As for Bakalova, a previous nominee for the Borat sequel in 2020, her role is probably too small to contend.

If Stan and Strong are up for their roles, it greatly increases the chances of BP inclusion despite the varying reactions. I am skeptical that Abbasi (maker of international critical darlings Border and Holy Spider) or the screenplay are up (the latter would be more feasible). Yet it might be the general election ballot that ultimately chooses the viability of The Apprentice. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…