Tag: Melvil Poupaud

Oscar Predictions: Coup de chance

Woody Allen is back in thriller mode with Coup de chance, his 50th feature behind the camera that premiered in Venice last fall and was released in France shortly after. It’s out stateside in limited fashion this weekend with a streaming bow to follow next weekend. Shot in French, the main cast from that country includes Lou de Laâge, Valérie Lemercier, Melvil Poupaud, and Niels Schneider.

This is the Allen’s first work in three years after 2020’s Rifkin’s Festival as American audiences have largely shunned the filmmaker after abuse allegations resurfaced in the Me Too era. You can safely assume part of the reason this was made across the pond is due to the auteur not being able to pick up domestic distributors.

Despite the controversy around its maker, chance is generating some of Allen’s strongest reviews of the 21st century. The RT score is 84% with critics comparing it to 2005’s Match Point and others saying it’s his best since 2013’s Blue Jasmine. In a previous time, actors would frequently nab Oscar wins and noms in his pictures and so could the screenplay. Even with these laudatory notices, that time has passed. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Jeanne du Barry

The Cannes Film Festival is underway and if history is any guide, we will see Best Picture contenders emerge from the south of France over the next few days. Just last year, Palme d’Or winner Triangle of Sadness was one of the Academy’s 10 BP hopefuls. Two films playing out of competition (Elvis and Top Gun: Maverick) ended up in competition at the Oscars. Keep an eye on this blog for coverage of all the Cannes pics and their awards viability.

It starts with Jeanne du Barry. The 18th-century set French drama comes from Maïwenn, who directs herself in the title role. Domestically the premiere is generating lots of attention for one particular costar – Johnny Depp as King Louis XV (attempting a comeback after the trials of the past few years). Other costars include Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Melvin Poupaud, Pascal Greggory, India Hair, and Noémie Lvovsky.

The first handful of reviews are mostly positive though hardly gushing with an early Rotten Tomatoes score of 80%. France could peg it as their selection in International Feature Film, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they ultimately choose not to.

I don’t see this as much of a player at the Oscars… with one exception. Praise for the costume design leads me to think it could nab one of those five slots (whether it’s up in any other race or not). My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: One Fine Morning

Mia Hansen-Love’s romance/drama One Fine Morning debuted at Cannes in May and is now doing a fall festival run that includes Toronto. The French pic is the latest acclaimed feature from a director who has had several (most recently last year’s Bergman Island). Lea Seydoux leads a cast that includes Melvil Poupaud, Pascal Greggory, and Nicole Garcia.

With Sony Picture Classics handling distribution, the French may have a dilemma on their hands. Morning has an impressive 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating and could be a solid choice for the country’s International Feature Film submission. However, they also have Romain Gavris’s buzzy action drama Athena. While its RT score is lower at 67%, the positive reviews are very positive and it will certainly have its champions for IFF inclusion.

Hansen-Love, despite plenty of heralded pics, has yet to receive any attention from the Academy. That’s part of the reason why I wouldn’t be surprised if France ultimately selects Athena as its hopeful for awards season. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…