The O Season - Into TIFF

I loathe this.

Right before the storm is about to set across and hit your face.

As of early September - Telluride in the map, Venice and right into TIFF.

It just got hot. And exciting.

You must have realized for a while now that this is The Year of the Biographies and adaptations but mostly biographies. From Lee Daniel’s The Butler to Diane and Grace of Monaco to Rush and 12 Yearls a Slave to Dallas Buyers Club and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and to everything! This didn’t sound like a great thing, curiously. It actually sounded pretty boring to me. I think it’s finally changing.

12 Years a Slave just swept in the mountains of Telluride, I think even films like Blue is the Warmest Color were overshadowed by it (even though Blue was already seen by a lot of people so it isn’t quite the same). But I can only speak in general, since I wasn’t there to hear from people. But along with 12 Years a Slave are also Gravity and Prisioners, I might as well add the doc “Tim’s Vermeer”. And on a slight lower scale All is Lost, Labor Day. Prisioners sounds like a pretty challenging and demaning drama with outstanding performances. Recently, Rush just came out super strong too. And this is what will be happening day in and day out for the next days too.

Gravity was described by James Cameron: “I was stunned, absolutely floored,” he says. “I think it’s the best space photography ever done, I think it’s the best space film ever done, and it’s the movie I’ve been hungry to see for an awful long time.” Source.

But there’s still a lot of Indie love to consider too. So let me make a recap:

We have the already released films like Before Midnight, Mud, Fruitvale Station, Frances Ha, Short Term 12 and Blue Jasmine. We now have the Telluride front runners, and the rest of the film fest circuit to come (TIFF, NYFF, LAFF, Santa Barbara, etc.) Being that Blue is the Warmest Color is the film of the circuit, as it is practically in all of the major and non major film fests. From Finland to Tokyo, back to Belgium and the London Film Festival. As predicted since last May, Kechiche would be traveling the world, showing his film. And then the ones for the final battle, the late end of the year releases.

 Stunning girls from Venice.

Rebecca, Scarlett and Evelyne.

I will now name, just name films and actors, putting it out there, just by ear. It’s incredible how this “ear” many months later was being right, if this is the word, all along. So let’s go for it.

Cate Blanchett the front runner for Beat Actress. It’s for the win.

Now that we’re in this category, Adèle Exarchopoulos is in for the (ultimate) Oscar nomination among the five.

By the way, they’re moving Meryl Streep for Best Actress in a Leading Role, so if it goes this way, it will be hard for anyone else, considering Julia Roberts has a major player, because we don’t have to consider this about Meryl.

Names, Leading Actress:

Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine.

Adèle Exarchopoulos, La Vie D’Adèle.

Sandra Bullock, Gravity.

Julie Delpy, Before Midnight.

Bérénice Bejo, The Past.

Greta Gerwig, Frances Ha.

Brie Larson, Short Term Twelve.

Judi Dench, Philomena.

Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin.

Meryl Streep, August: Osage County.

Amy Adams, American Hustle.

Emma Thompson, Saving Mr. Banks.

Kate Winslet, Labor Day.

Julia Roberts, August: Osage County.

Nicole Kidman, Grace of Monaco.

Naomi Watts, Diane.

Both Chiwetel and Fassbender make the cut for a nomination. Leading and supporting respectivaley. And God, I really need to really read letter by letter of Chiwetel Ejiofor’s name. I will know it by the end of the season, that’s for sure. Or maybe not.

And talking about Best Performance is a Leading Role we could have at least three black actors. Chiwetel, Whitaker and Michael B. Jordan.

Anyone from Prisioners might get a nom. From Hugh Jackman, who is certainly going strong, after the last year’s hype, to Jake Gyllenhaal. In this case, it will probably depend how they’ll play the categories, like August: Osage County; like if Hugh goes for supporting, which sounds like not the case, but his chances could increase, but actually I don’t even know how strong the supporting category is at the moment, but it might be strong as well.

Names, Leading Actor:

Chiwetel Ejiofor, 12 Years a Slave.

Robert Redford, All is Lost.

Bruce Dern, Nebraska.

Hugh Jackman, Prisioners.

Jake Gyllenhaal, Prisioners.

Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club.

Osacr Isaac, Inside Llewin Davis.

Tom Hanks, Saving Mr. Banks.

Chris Hemsworth, Rush.

Daniel Bruhl, Rush.

Steve Carell, Foxcather.

Joaquin Phoenix, Her.

Christian Bale, American Hustle.

Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station.

Leonardo DiCaprio, The Wolf of Wallstreet.

Then there are always the cases of actors and actresses (obviously and directors and films) that are in a career moment, in the recognition award category. I guess what I’m seeing, and it isn’t career momentum or anything rather than just simply plenty of performances to look at.

But in this way, we have:

Robert Redford. He could be a major upset for Leading. And I guess he’s going with the right amount of career momentum. He will be there.

Along with Bruce Dern with Nebraska. But I don’t think he’s as strong, but definitely strong (let’s remember who’s voting!)

How could I not include Leo? He surely must be in this category of ‘old odds’.

Amy Adams, although she’s super young for the case, as we know, sometimes they end up awarding the so called less (deserved) performance – see Meryl Streep with The Iron Lady, or Lawrence last year or Scorcece for The Departed and I could go on and on. Even though we have no idea what will come out of American Hustle, this could happen…right?

We also have Margo Martindale for supporting.

Actually, veterans are coming in full force, I think as usual.

Judi Dench close enough of another Oscar nomination, though I doubt she’ll win. Again, Meryl Sreep.

I should wait just a couple more weeks. Basically, this post is a waste of time!

Let’s face this fact, and my sister is the witness (and the guy who was sitting next to me). Last year, by the end of September I told her Daniel Day Lewis was going to his third Oscar. I said to her, guess what? Do you know who’s going to win the Oscar for Best Actress? Jennifer Lawrence, really. Oh, Anne Hathaway will totally win the Oscar this year, I said, for supporting. I think I said Phillip Seymor Hoffman was the strongest for supporting. Again, this was the end of September. I have no idea if you call this a predictable year or the “ears” were especially alert and/or astute.

I know there’s still a while for the end of September, but I would certainty not say the possible winners as granted as I did a year ago.

Cate and Chiwetel for Leading. Fass and Spencer for Supporting?

Oh these Oscars will be classy.

Let’s just wait a few more days.

The case for Blue

The notion of La Vie D’Adèle Chapitre 1&2 as an Oscar runner - It’s pretty obvious they’re in full swing for the season. I even bet they’ve been practicing English since last May! I even wonder if the girls went into something like a workshop entitled The Circuit. Of course they didn’t. I’m also quite certain that Léa quit the project in which she was starring with Deneuve to go on the insane awards frenzy bus (*add my frown face) of screenings, followed by Q & A’s, Parties, Film Fests, Film Awards, Talk Shows, Roundtables and I’m tired of mentioning. But let’s go for it. This is an EPIC film. This is epic in all forms. And controversial. This is one of the film of the year, if not the film of the year. Let’s go for it.

It’s all about how the U.S people will take it. I really need a few more days on this, but anyway, I’ll risk saying it will not be easy. Or maybe it will. For the simple fact this is one of the most talked about films of the year. Right at the top. I also think Adèle and Léa could totally charm the hell out of the voters. Adèle is so expressive and straightforward. You can understand that in this interview, for example, but also in any other. Like her response when they asked her again about her comments on a popular French homophobe, “I should just shut up and French kissed Léa.” It would actually be freaking entertaining to watch her in something like the Oscar Roundtables - it would be freaking hilarious too.