Oscar Contenders

[JasonEvans]

I saw a couple films this week that are going to be in the Oscar conversation. I figured I would start a thread to talk about these and other contenders for big awards.

The first was Can You Ever Forgive Me with Melissa McCarthy. It is the true story of washed up writer Lee Israel who turns to a life of forging celebrity letters when she can no longer get paid for her own novels. It also stars Richard Grant as her best friend/co-conspirator. The film is a little dry and slow, but the acting is crazy good. Richard Grant is off the charts and, I think, almost certain to get a Best Supporting Actor nod. It helps that he is playing a gay character who eventually gets AIDS, which will engender a good bit of sympathy from Oscar voters. The film has a few comic moments, but is largely a serious piece and McCarthy really shows she can transition from slapstick to being a real actress in this role. It probably isn't going to be a Best Picture contender, I don't think, but is a fine film and well worth seeing if you are into more than slashers and music bios (which is what we primarily have at the boxoffice right now). It is in very limited release at the moment, but should be coming to more art house theaters in coming weeks. Check it out.




I also got a really, really, really early look at The Favourite, from Yorgos Lanthimos. Yorgos is the director of The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. This film is the closest Yorgos has come to something a little more mainstream and I really think it could get some Best Picture attention. It tells the story of Queen Anne (played amazingly by Olivia Coleman -- likely to get a Best Actress nod, though they may put her in Supporting category -- either way, she's fabulous) who was a weak and easily influenced monarch. At her right hand, really running the country, was Sarah Marlborough (played by Rachel Weisz). Sarah takes in a fallen former lady, Abagail (Emma Stone), but is horrified when Abagail becomes her rival for the Queen's ear. The film reminded me, at times, of Dangerous Liasons because it is a period piece where everyone is using sex as a weapon. But, it is a far superior film with much more nuanced characters and a really clever script with some brilliant moments. It is the kind of film where your allegiance to the characters is constantly shifting. Plus, Yorgos does some truly remarkable things with the camera, using a fish-eye lens at times to offer a skewed view of the world these royals inhabit. The movie also features simply amazing sets. The Favourite does not open until early December, but be on the look out for it. Weisz and Stone are great, though I don't think they will quite get Oscar nods... hard to say at this point.

Here is a trailer for The Favourite:



By the way, this is a good time to get to know Olivia Coleman as she is about to take over the lead on The Crown. As they age Queen Elizabeth, Claire Foy cannot play her any longer so the role is moving to Coleman. If this film is any indication, she's going to knock it out of the park.



-Jason "it has been a good week to go to the movies with Jason " Evans