Andres Veiel’s documentary Reifenstahl has premiered at Venice as it seeks U.S. distribution. Focused on the German filmmaker known for producing Nazi propaganda, the seven reviews currently up are all fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
The doc’s subject (who lived to age 101, passing in 2003), actually won a Gold Medal award for Triumph of the Will (commissioned by Hitler) at the Venice festival in 1935. Some of the early notices for this exploration of Riefenstahl are effusive in their praise while others are more measured.
The Academy’s branch for documentaries are more unpredictable than any other. If this manages to make the shortlist of 15 later this year, it could contend. I certainly don’t think it automatically will. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn follows up 2022’s Bodies Bodies Bodies (which had its ardent admirers and vocal detractors) with the sultry thriller Babygirl. The A24 release, slated for a domestic bow on Christmas, has been unveiled at the Venice Film Festival. Nicole Kidman stars as a CEO in a May-December romance. The supporting players include Harris Dickinson (soon to be seen in Steve McQueen’s awards hopeful Blitz), Antonio Banderas, and Sophie Wilde.
Kidman, a five-time nominee who won Actress for 2001’s The Hours, is receiving her share of solid ink. The RT score for the picture itself is at 85% though reviews indicate more reactions might be mixed. Babygirl‘s only real shot at Academy attention is with the veteran headliner. A24 went 0 for 2 in their campaigns last year for Greta Lee (Past Lives) and Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla) and competition appears significant already for the 97th broadcast.
I wouldn’t totally discount Kidman’s chances to make a run, but the odds are probably just fair. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Pablo Larraín’s latest biopic about an iconic woman facing tragic circumstances has hit the Venice circuit with Telluride to follow this weekend. Maria casts Angelina Jolie as renowned opera singer Maria Callas. Set during her final days, it completes a thematic trilogy from Larraín preceded by 2016’s Jackie and 2021’s Spencer. Costars include Valeria Golino, Haluk Bilginer, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Netflix picked up distribution rights on the eve of its premiere and it is expected to stream by year’s end.
It’s been some time since Jolie had a role expected to garner awards attention. 25 years ago, she won Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted. Her other nomination, in lead Actress, came for 2008’s Changeling. Her director for Maria has an impressive track record with leading performer nominations. Natalie Portman’s work as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in Jackie made the final five eight years ago and she ultimately fell short to Emma Stone (La La Land). As Princess Diana in Spencer, Kristen Stewart was up in Actress with Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) taking gold. Stewart’s nod marked Spencer‘s only nomination while Jackie contended in Costume Design and Original Score. Note that neither received noms in Picture, Director, or for their screenplays.
Early word-of-mouth from Italy indicates that Maria might be the weakest of the three films (the RT score is currently 72%). Jolie is mostly receiving kudos and Netflix is likely to mount a serious campaign. Down the line tech mentions for Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, and Cinematography are feasible. However, I do wonder if the somewhat lackluster write-ups could mean Jolie is the only possibility. I’ve had Golino listed toward the bottom of other possibilities in Supporting Actress, but her role is apparently just one scene. You can expect to see her drop out in my next predictions post.
I’ve had Jolie parked in second place (behind Amy Adams in Nightbitch) for weeks in Actress. She still may be in the top 5 when I update on Monday and I suspect she will. Will she stay in second place? I’m more unsure of that. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Anna Kendrick, a Supporting Actress nominee for 2009’s Up in the Air, makes her directorial debut with Woman of the Hour. The late 70s set crime thriller tells the true life tale of a struggling actress (played by Kendrick) who appears on The Dating Game and ends up selecting serial killer Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto). Costars include Tony Hale and Nicolette Robinson.
Hour first drew eyeballs nearly a year ago at the Toronto Film Festival. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 90% with critics calling it an assured debut from the Pitch Perfect performer. Reviews are also praising Zovatto’s performance. Netflix quickly snatched up the rights and they’ve taken their time picking their own date. It finally streams beginning October 18th.
Despite high marks, Netflix should have their hands full with other campaigns including Emilia Pérez, The Piano Lesson, and Maria. This is unlikely to be a priority. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Our neighbor to the north had a solid run in the International Feature Film at the Oscars for the front half century of this 21st century. Not so much in the second. In 2003, The Barbarian Invasions was Canada’s first and thus far only winner in the race. A nomination followed three years later for Water. From 2010-12, they went three for three in the quintet of hopefuls with Incendies, Monsieur Lazhar, and War Witch. Since then, the nation has not been represented in IFF’s final five.
Universal Language was initially unveiled at Cannes in early summer. From director Matthew Rankin, the absurdist comedy stars Rojina Esmaeili, Saba Vahedyousefi, Soban Javadi, and Pirouz Nemati. Canada announced this week that it’s their latest at bat for Academy consideration.
The pic definitely has its ardent admirers and it stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Canadians will probably need to campaign hard for it to make the cut. They’ve not even made the shortlist since 2016. However, the strong reviews should mean this is their best chance in some time. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
It was surprising when the Venice organizers announced that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (out September 6th) would open their film festival which kicked off today. The long-in-development sequel (as in 36 years) brings Tim Burton back in the director’s chair with Michael Keaton reprising his iconic role as the ghost with the most. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara return with Jenna Ortega (who stars in Netflix’s Wednesday from Burton), Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe entering the macabre universe.
Projections have Beetlejuice squared circling big numbers at the box office. The Italian premiere announcement has prognosticators pondering the awards viability. The 1988 original earned a sole Oscar nod and it won Best Makeup (before it was Makeup and Hairstyling), beating out a worthy competitor in Coming to America.
Most of the reviews for the follow-up are in the plus column with 21 out of the current 27 sporting red on Rotten Tomatoes. Many are saying it’s a welcome return to form for Burton. It could certainly land another Makeup mention though defeating Dune: Part Two won’t be an easy chore. I wouldn’t totally rule out Production Design or Visual Effects as possibilities.
Anything beyond that is unlikely as the same probably holds true for its Golden Globes chances in Musical/Comedy. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue with frequency now that Venice is underway…
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat hopes to find love from home viewers in its Hulu debut this weekend. The fact that it’s not in theaters came as an unexpected announcement from Searchlight Pictures (under the Disney umbrella) a few weeks back. Based on a 2013 novel from Edward Kelsey Moore, the decades spanning drama features Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Sanaa Lathan, and Uzo Aduba as lifelong friends. Costars include Mekhi Phifer, Julian McMahon, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Russell Hornsby. Tina Mabry directs.
On paper, The Supremes looks like the type of crowdpleaser that might have appealed to awards voters. However, Searchlight went the streaming route. The strategy makes more sense as of the past few days. Earl’s sports a so-so 68% Rotten Tomatoes score at press time. Critics are kind to the performances of Ellis-Taylor (a Supporting Actress nominee for King Richard in 2021), Lathan, and Aduba (Emmy winner for Orange is the New Black).
Yet the reviews likely would have prevented this from generating much Oscar chatter. Searchlight also has other contenders that they’ll focus on. This includes the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown with Timothée Chalamet, Nightbitch with a potential Academy bait turn from Amy Adams, and A Real Pain which has already received Supporting Actor talk for Kieran Culkin.
If anyone had a shot from Supremes, it would be Ellis-Taylor. She would appear to have another bite at the apple with the upcoming Nickel Boys (also based on a bestseller) in the supporting field. As I always say, my Oscar Prediction posts will continue. They will not continue with this picture, per Searchlight.
The religious themed dramedy Between the Temples premiered at Sundance in January and it receives limited theatrical engagements this weekend. Nathan Silver directs and cowrites with a cast led by Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane. Costars include Dolly de Leon (who probably came close to a Supporting Actress nod for 2022’s Triangle of Sadness), Caroline Aaron, Robert Smigel, and Madeline Weinstein.
Reviews are mostly strong as it sits with 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are particularly kind to Schwartzman and Kane. The former is, of course, a Wes Anderson staple. The latter is a veteran actress whose sole Oscar nod in Supporting Actress came nearly 50 years ago for Hester Street.
Temples just isn’t visible enough for any Academy chatter and the same logic likely applies to the Golden Globes if it submits in the Musical/Comedy categories. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Zoë Kravitz makes her directorial debut and cowrites Blink Twice which opens this weekend. The psychological thriller features a packed cast including Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, and Alia Shawkat.
The $20 million production originally had a far more provocative title (look it up) and most critics are complimentary of Kravitz’s first behind the camera effort. The RT score is 80%. Some are saying it doesn’t quite pull off its mix of genres.
Twice hopes to be a decent late summer performer for Amazon Studios. That’s a big question mark. Awards viability isn’t as this was never conceived as a contender. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
Serial killer thriller Strange Darling arrives in theaters this weekend from writer/director JT Mollner. Some of the best reviews of the year come with it. Willa Fitzgerald (from MTV’s version of Scream), Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, and Ed Begley, Jr. are among the cast of the acclaimed pic that was first seen nearly a year ago at Fantastic Fest.
Sporting a 98% RT rating, many critics are saying to enter Strange as blind as possible. Particular raves are devoted to Fitzgerald and the screenplay. This is not, however, a genre that awards voters usually honor. Don’t be surprised if Darling pops up on some top 10 lists in a few months. Seeing it in the Oscar mix? That would be strange. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
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