27 Sep Telluride Film Fest: And the Oscar Goes To…
Oscar buzz? Really? Never too early for presidential elections – or the Oscars. Nicole Sperling of Entertainment Weekly weighs in:
Jacob Tremblay & Brie Larson in “Room.”
At this time last year, Birdman had already cut a wide swath through the Oscar field, debuting to rave reviews at both the Venice and Telluride film festivals and cementing its status as one of the frontrunners in the Best Picture race. This go-around, several films and performances have buoyed themselves with consistent buzz and enthusiastic festival accolades that could carry them within reach of the Academy Awards stage next February.
BEST PICTURE
Child soldiers. Suburban kidnapping. Pedophile priests. Transgender identities. One thing’s for sure, the 2015 race isn’t for the faint of heart. From director Cary Fukunaga’s harrowing look at the loss of innocence during war in Beasts of No Nation to Lenny Abrahamson’s adaptation of the devastating novel Room to Spotlight, Tom McCarthy’s examination of the Boston Globe reporters who uncovered the molestation scandal within the Catholic Church, the festivals’ best-reviewed films are substantive, investigative, and downright brutal. Even lyrically fashioned films such as Todd Haynes’ Carol and Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl are nuanced portraits of deep longing. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the circuit has been Charlie Kaufman’s stopmotion-animated Anomalisa, a meditation on love and humanity. It may feature puppets, but it’s as heavy as all the rest. In fact, the most uplifting contender this year may be about a man left for dead on a distant planet. The Martian, Ridley Scott’s rousing crowd-pleaser starring Matt Damon as a wry botanist trapped on Mars, balances suspense with humor and emotional gravity.
BEST ACTRESS
Contenders:
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Emily Blunt, Sicario
Sandra Bullock, Our Brand is Crisis
Brie Larson, Room
Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs
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