Well, we're well enough into the year, that it warrants an early bird prediction of what next year's Best Picture Oscar nominees are going to be. This will properly document any desire for bragging rights later and/or be used against me by others to point out the egg on my face. On a general glance, this year's race seems to suggest we'll have another 2011 or 2014-type year, where we don't have a lot of huge undeniable critical/commercial hits from trustworthy filmmakers backed by big studios. Additionally, the more dependable filmmakers who know how to deliver award-friendly fare aren't matched up with the strongest studios. Focus and Disney have the best prospects thus far, but not the reliable track records of Fox Searchlight, SPC, and WB (and those studios don't exactly have the best lineups, either). That's going to leave a lot of room for surprises and quieter films to creep into the fold as the year presses on. Oddly, my predictions are very top-heavy with female and/or LGBT-focused stories right now. And, we know it's rare for that to ever happen. Let's just pretend it's going to be the Year of The Woman for now, and watch the narrative slowly crumble as we proceed with 2015. And, it seems kind of ridiculous that eight of my Top 10 are from only four studios (two of which fall under the same umbrella). But, there you have it. Hedging my bets, I guess. Barring any unforeseen changes in Academy rules--there have been rumors the AMPAS may be returning to a maximum field of five nominees for the first time since 2008--I give you my predictions for Oscars 2015:
1
Anne-Marie Duff, Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham-Carter,
and Romola Garai in Suffragette
Suffragette (Focus). Focus, who had a resurgence over the last couple of years with Dallas Buyers Club and The Theory of Everything, scooped this up and announced a release date after a recent screening, even with having announced the late-year release date for The Danish Girl just weeks earlier. The film starring Carey Mulligan in the central role is about women earning the right to vote in Britain mixing real and fictional characters. Best Picture winners are tough to call this far ahead, and there isn't any reason why the AMPAS would be inspired to celebrate women. However, with so many possible projects coming out about women, and few other options right now which seem to have a chance at Oscar recognition, this film may encapsulate this very unusual year. The supporting cast includes Meryl Streep, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Whishaw, Brendan Gleeson, Romola Garai, Anne-Marie Duff, and Natalie Press. BAFTA winner Sarah Gavron on her second feature directed. The original script is from Abi Morgan (Shame, The Iron Lady, and an Emmy winner). Editor: Barney Pilling (The Grand Budapest Hotel). Composer: Alexandre Desplat (The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game). Cinematographer: Eduard Grau (A Single Man). Production Designer: Alice Normington. Costume Designer: Jane Petrie. US release date: 23. October 2015.
2
Inside Out (Disney). From 2001 to 2010, there were considerable animated feature contenders which either hit in above-the-line categories or scored a nice haul of nominations: Monsters, Inc (Peter Docter, David Silverman, & Lee Unkrich); Shrek (DreamWorks); Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton & Unkrich); The Incredibles (Brad Bird); Ratatouille (Bird). The decade reached a crescendo with Wall*E (Stanton & Unkrich), whose snub in 2008 (along with The Dark Knight) changed the rules which allowed Up (Docter & Peterson) and Toy Story 3 (Unkrich) to land in an expanded Best Picture field. The combination of undeniable reviews and box-office that most if not all of these films enjoyed soon ended and animated features were then regulated to only their own category (it didn't help that Brave [MC: 69] has been their only "original" work until now, and they didn't even put out a film in 2014). Peter Docter has now teamed up with Ronaldo Del Carmen to bring us an animated feature dealing with more mature issues from an original screenplay written by Docter, Josh Cooley, and Meg LeFauve. They're hoping to return to Pixar's heyday in the 2000s. It's quite possible this will be more than just an animated feature winner. The movie features voice work from the likes of Diane Lane, Mindy Kaling, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, and Kyle MacLachlan. The music was written by Michael Giacchino (Up, Ratatouille). The production designer Ralph Eggleston also was invovled with Wall*E, and Finding Nemo. US release date: 19. June 2015.
3
Eddie Redmayne as Lili Elbe, The Danish Girl
The Danish Girl (Focus). Early in March, it was reported that Focus Features acquired The Danish Girl and planned to begin a limited release in November. Eddie Redmayne plays Einar Wegener, an artist and pioneering transgendered person in the early 20th-century who makes the transition from male to female with the support of wife Gerda (Alicia Vikander). The subject matter is super-baity, and under the direction of Tom Hooper (The King's Speech, Les Misérables), it's hard to imagine that Redmayne won't be in contention for another lead win, despite having just gotten an Oscar and still being a relative "unknown" amongst your average moviegoer. With its intriguing and sympathetic storyline and high chance at snagging nominations in a variety of categories (as well as wins), this seems like one of the surest bet for a Best Picture nomination this year. The film also stars Amber Heard (Johnny Depp's better half), Ben Whishaw, and Matthias Schoenaerts. David Ebershoff provided the adaptation from the Lucinda Coxon novel. Editor: Melanie Oliver (Les Misérables). Cinematographer: Danny Cohen (The King's Speech). Production Designer: Eve Stewart (Topsy-Turvy, The King's Speech, Les Misérables). Costume Designer: Paco Delgado (Les Misérables). US release date: 27. November 2015.
4
Jennifer Lawrence as Joy
Joy (20th-Century Fox). From an original screenplay by Annie Mumolo (Bridesmaids) retooled by David O. Russell, Jennifer Lawrence stars as real-life Long Island entrepreneur Joy Mangano. Lightning rarely strikes twice, but it has already hit three times for Russell with his last three films (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle). His voice definitely has the ear of AMPAS members (and audiences), but, at some point, they will have to grow tired of his filmmaking style (especially as it churns them out so quickly, comparatively speaking) and turn a blind eye towards showering his movies with nominations. Will it be this time? Next time? The project itself sounds like Working Girl crossed with Erin Brockovich with a little Goodfellas and Russell family hijinks mixed in; not a bad formula. 20th-Century Fox isn't the strongest award campaigner, but it doesn't hurt to have box-office magnet Jennifer Lawrence as your headlining star. However, this will be her first test in opening a film with her name at the top where she will be playing someone other than Katniss Everdeen. Also stars: Robert DeNiro, Bradley Cooper, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Édgar Ramírez, Elisabeth Röhm, Isabella Rossellini, and Dascha Polanco. Megan Ellison (The Master, Zero Dark Thirty, Her, American Hustle, Foxcatcher) is producing. Editor: Jay Cassidy (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook, Into the Wild). Cinematographer: Linus Sandgren (American Hustle). Production Designer: Judy Becker (American Hustle). Michael Wilkinson (American Hustle). US release date: 25. December 2015.
5
Kyle Chandler and Cate Blanchett in Carol
Carol (TWC). This film is sure to be pushed as the "female Brokeback Mountain" as it emerges on the cultural landscape. It'll take some time to see if the label sticks or not. The conventional thinking here is that this being from director Todd Haynes, its award trajectory will follow that of his 2002 film Far From Heaven. Both were set in the 1950s dealing with social minorities struggling within the confines defined by the white heterosexual mainstream (with at least some focus on gay relationships). The technical and exquisitely executed Heaven was embraced by critics and took off with the arthouse crowd. It attracted some Oscar attention, but ultimately fell short, in part to Haynes' cool, detached style. His objectivity and unwillingness to pander to his audience was a turnoff for some Oscar voters. A recent test screening suggests history will repeat itself. Still, this is a more romantically-focused film with a happier resolution. Haynes has gathered a great deal more respect in the industry in the last thirteen years, and Cate Blanchett is on track to raising her commercial profile like never before. So, this film's award performance may mirror Heaven's, but that could be the baseline at this point. A Cannes debut could help clarify matters. But, examining the separate parts, this film could rake in the nominations. Carol also stars Rooney Mara, Kyle Chandler, and Sarah Paulson. Phyllis Nagy wrote the adaptation from the Patricia Highsmith novel The Price of Salt. Editor: Affonso Gonçalves (True Detective, Mildred Pierce). Cinematographer: Edward Lachman (Far From Heaven). Composer: Carter Burwell (Gods and Monsters, as well as his several memorable collaborations with the Coen brothers). Production Designer: Judy Becker (American Hustle). Costume Designer: Sandy Powell (three-time AMPAS-award winner and icon).
6
Steven Spielberg directing Tom Hanks in Bridge of Spies
Bridge of Spies (Disney). My highest ranking testosterone-fueled movie at this point. What this film has going for it is Steven Spielberg, of course. If anyone knows how to make a movie that will grab the AMPAS' attention, it is him. In fact, the last non-popcorn film he directed which failed to nab any Oscar nods was The Terminal in 2004 (which, granted was lighter fare than what Spielberg usually tackles when it comes to non-action films). Betting against him isn't the smartest choice, especially because he's tackling a Cold War film. Tom Hanks plays attorney James B. Donovan, who, in the early 1960s, negotiated the release of pilot Frances Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), downed in the U.S.S.R during a spy mission. Generally speaking, Disney isn't the best at the Oscar game, and considering the potential it has with Pixar's Inside Out, it's difficult to imagine them achieving major success with two movies in one year. I imagine it will be one or the other, with a some chance Disney will hit pay-dirt. Also stars: Alan Alda, Amy Ryan, and Billy Magnussen. The screenplay from Matt Charman was retooled by the Coen brothers. The last time they revised someone else's period war drama, it was just this past year with Unbroken. Editor: Michael Kahn (three-time Oscar winner and longtime Spielberg collaborator). Composer: Thomas Neman (twelve-time Oscar nominee). Cinematographer: Janusz Kaminski (two-time winner and longtime Spielberg collaborator). Production Designer: Adam Stockhausen (12 Years a Slave, The Grand Budapest Hotel). Costume Designer: Kasia Walicka-Maimone (Moonrise Kingdom, Capote). US release date: 16. October 2015.
7
RJ Cyler and Thomas Mann in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Fox Searchlight). Alfonso Gomez-Rejon made a huge splash this year at Sundance with his coming-of-age comedy-drama. It won both the Audience Award and Gray Jury Prize in the dramatic competition. This rare feat sometimes pays off with Oscar (Precious, Whiplash), and sometimes it doesn't (Fruitvale Station). Previous Grand Jury Prize winners include: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Winter's Bone, Frozen River. The reviews for this film trumpeted its praises, more often then not claiming what a unique filmgoing experience this was, as well as how much people will be talking about this movie when it finally releases. The commercial potential is huge. But, then previous Audience Award winner Hustle & Flow was a big hit too and "only" landed a Best Actor nomination and a Best Song win for the infamously titled "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp." But, then, Hustle & Flow didn't have 3/7 perfect MetaCritic coming right out of the gate. Still, many are thinking this is just a money play this Summer. The logic is that this is too "Sundancey" for Oscar, and its award potential is inhibited by young unknowns (Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler) playing all three of the principal roles. That may be the case, as the odds are against this being another Little Miss Sunshine or Juno. We should have a better idea in a few months once it comes out. The cast is rounded off by Nick Offerman, Jon Bernthal, Connie Britton, and Molly Shannon. Jesse Andrews wrote the adaptation from his own novel. Editor: David Trachtenberg. Composer: music icon Brian Eno. Cinematographer: Chung-hoon Chung (Stoker, Oldboy). Production Designer: Gerald Sullivan. Costume Designer: Jennifer Eve. US release date: 12. June 2015.
8
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant
The Revenant (20th-Century Fox). With recent Oscar winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman) directing, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the potential for this film doing well is extremely high. But, it's also a man vs. wilderness revenge flic. And, despite everything going for it, this isn't a story that screams Oscar. As well, it's rare for director to get nominated immediately after winning, especially so soon after his win. That isn't to say it can't happen. And that isn't to say this film can still do well, even if Iñárritu ends up missing. But, this studio, again, doesn't have the best track record. It already has Joy, and its junior division (Fox Searchlight) is the studio that makes all the Oscar magic happen. Right now, the backstage gossip behind the production is all the rage. This seems like one of the likeliest to be nominated on paper that could fall short somewhat. Also stars Tom Hardy, and Domhnall Gleeson. Iñárritu cowrote the adaptation with Mark L. Smith. Its main crew is to die for. Editor: Stephen Mirrione (Traffic, Babel). Cinematographer: Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity, Birdman). Production Designer: Jack Fisk (There Will Be Blood). Costume Designer: Jacqueline West (Quills, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button). US release date: 25. December 2015 (which, incidentally, is also Joy's opening date).
9
Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen
in I Saw the Light
I Saw the Light (Sony Picture Classics). After scooping up some Sundance acquisitions that didn't immediately spell out award attention (Grandma, The Diary of a Teenage Girl), SPC recently announced it will be handling the Hank Williams biography starring Tom Hiddleston. Producer Marc Abraham (Children of Men) wrote his first feature film adaptation based on the Colin Escott biography. This is his directorial followup to the Greg Kinnear windshield wiper movie Flash of Genius from 2008. Elizabeth Olsen plays Audrey Mae Williams. Dante Spinotti (L.A. Confidential, The Insider) is the D.P. Aaron Zigman is the composer of the original score, and Lahly Poore is doing costumes. Notably, for better or worse, this is also produced by Brett Ratner. Also notable: between its four award contending films for 2014, the studio collected fifteen nominations and four wins. Not too shabby. For them to miss out completely the following year would be unusual.
10
Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn
Brooklyn (Fox Searchlight). The reviews coming out of Sundance were strong, if not mixed (2/7 were in the yellow on MC, and two were perfect scores). A repeat performance of An Education from six years ago would not be the least bit surprising, especially if this film emerges as the studios' #1 push. Yet, knowing the AMPAS aversion to an overflow of estrogen still makes one skeptical of this movie's chances. Might its Irish themes compete with The Secret Scripture? Stars Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, and Julie Waters. BAFTA and Berlin winner John Crowley directed. Nick Hornby (An Education, Wild) provided the adaptation. Editor: Jake Roberts. Composer: Michael Brook (Into the Wild). Cinematographer: Yves Bélanger (Laurence Anyways). Production Designer: François Séguin. Costume Designer: Odile Dicks-Mireaux. US release date: 6. November 2015.
11
Michael Fassbender & Seth Rogen in Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs (Universal). Director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) is returning to award fodder after the disappointing Trance with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin who wrote the adaptation from Walter Isaacson's biography and is more hit (A Few Good Men, The Social Network, Moneyball) than miss. Sorkin's two major ventures which failed to meet expectations the most obviously were Charlie Wilson's War and The American President. Yet, the reviews for those films were still decent (and they both still did well with The Globes), and one could even argue their weaker award performances were partly due to their lighter nature in tone. Still, this project has a lot of bad mojo attached to it. Most of those Sorkin films were headlined by big stars at the time of their release, outside of Social Network, where one could argue its director was a huge draw for his legion of fans. The actor playing the title character, Michael Fassbender, isn't the most media-savvy campaigner, which isn't going to help the project. And, of course, this movie was at the center of the fallout following the Sony computer hack scandal late in 2014 for all the wrong reasons. This could mean nothing, but it's never a good sign when: 1) You end up with stars and director who are generally viewed as less popular talent than the originals attached to the project (David Fincher, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman), and 2) It treads on subject matter that was already recently explored, for better or worse (the poorly reviewed Ashton Kutcher film Jobs). Of course, this could all be for naught, and the movie may end up clicking with audiences and critics. But, the circumstantial evidence is ominous. And the fact that Universal Studio isn't the best Oscar campaigner, and its junior division (Focus Features) has two projects that look like red-hot players doesn't help either. Also stars: Seth Rogen, Kate Winslet, Katherine Waterston, Jeff Daniels, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Editor: Elliot Graham (Milk). Cinematographer: Alwin H. Küchler. Production Designer: Guy Hendrix Dyas (Inception, Elizabeth: The Golden Age).
Scott Rudin, who now infamously insisted on doing this film over a Cleopatra remake starring Angelina Jolie, is producing. His recent credits include: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Captain Phillips, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Moneyball, True Grit, The Social Network, Doubt, No Country for Old Men, Notes on a Scandal, The Hours. He basically helped put Sony back on the map. He seldom fails to meet expectations (Inside Llewyn Davis, Revolutionary Road). But, the dubious circumstances behind this production does give one pause. US release date: 9. October 2015.
12
The Hateful Eight (TWC). The combination of Harvey Weinstein and Quentin Tarantino is a formidable one. The former has been responsible for producing the entire oeuvre of the latter. They've had unprecedented box-office success. Award-wise, they've had an excellent track record, especially with Tarantino's last two outings: Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained. Both films were reimagined histories served up as popcorn flics. And, after passing over Jackie Brown and the Kill Bill films post-Pulp Fiction, the AMPAS bit in a sizable way. They completely ate up these valentines to the ugly past. Hateful Eight, however, doesn't exactly fit in this milieu. The original script--which infamously leaked over a year ago--is a shoot-em-up western set basically in one room and echoes Tarantino's film debut Reservoir Dogs. The AMPAS could most definitely bite, as this will be a hit and will be in the conversation for script and acting nods in the time-being. But, this less ambitious flic may also fall short. Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason-Leigh, Kurt Russell, Bruce Dern, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen. Cinematographer: Robert Richardson (Django, Basterds, Hugo, The Aviator, JFK). Editor: Fred Raskin (Django, Guardians of the Galaxy). Production Designer: Yohei Taneda (Kill Bill Vol. 1, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale). Costume Designer: Courtney Hoffman.
13
Julianne Moore in Freeheld
Freeheld (Lionsgate). Based on the Oscar-winning documentary short (what is it with Hollywood remaking documentaries this year? See The Walk, Our Brand Is Crisis), this would be the third of three major LGBT movies coming out this year. It focuses on the relationship between two women and the trouble which ensues for them when one of them is hit by illness. As we saw recently with The Theory of Everything, complete dramatic schmaltz that reaches solid, if not unimpressive reviews can still catch the attention of the AMPAS. But, like Focus' Dallas Buyers Club, Everything eventually won at least one major Oscar (and they were both male-focused). Scraping up a win in a very weak year, recent Oscar winner Julianne Moore probably isn't looking at any wins anytime soon unless the sizzle reel that exhibited for buyers over a month ago is betraying its overall quality. Perhaps this is Ellen Page's year?
Nonetheless, the film did start a huge bidding war which resulted in being acquired by Lionsgate. The studio has had Oscar success before with commercial hits Fahrenheit 9/11, Crash, Precious, Monster's Ball, and even Gods and Monsters, and Away From Her. In a pinch, they can always eke out a few nominations (Sicko, The Impossible, Warrior, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Red Violin, Shadow of the Vampire, Affliction, Rabbit Hole). They have also had their share of missteps as far as grabbing AMPAS attention: 3:10 to Yuma, For Colored Girls, W., Akeelah and the Bee, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Shattered Glass. This feels more like a North Country, which scraped by two acting nominations in a weak year, but the emotional content and gay rights themes could make all the difference with Freeheld.
LGBT films generally do very well with the Oscars. In fact, outside of a few genre exercises (The Talented Mr. Ripley could count here I suppose), the more earnest dramatic fare have usually won something over the years (The Imitation Game, Brokeback Mountain, Philadelphia, The Crying Game, The Hours, Monster, Milk, Capote, Dallas Buyers Club, Frida, Boys Don't Cry, Gods and Monsters). Films like The Kids Are All Right, and Far From Heaven managed their nomination haul partly because of their strong reviews (something that will be likelier for The Danish Girl and Carol). But, then, there are movies like Kinsey and A Single Man which, granted, were more subdued, barely hit for whatever reason. Still, I imagine Freeheld's commercial prospects are somewhere around and/or north of Moore's recent Still Alice, which almost hit a very impressive $20M domestically. Mix in the call for equality, and subpar reviews may factor in very little. Michael Shannon and Steve Carell also star. This film has enough producers to choke a horse. Director: Peter Sollett (Cannes and Sundance winner; Raising Victor Vargas [MC: 83], Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist [MC: 64]). Screenwriter: Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia). Editor: Andrew Mondshein (The Sixth Sense). Cinematographer: Maryse Alberti (The Wrestler, Crumb). Production Designer: Jane Musky. Costume Designer: Stacey Battat (who has already worked twice very recently with Julianne Moore, and often collaborates with Sofia Coppola).
14
The Lady in the Van (Sony). This doesn't have the appearance of awards fodder, though there are echoes of Philomena, which, in the hands of TWC, managed to carve out its share of award attention. Sony generally handles much higher-profile projects when it comes to Oscars, so that it isn't being handled under the banner of their specialty division, SPC, suggests that this is will be a non-starter with award bodies. However, it solidified its December opening date pretty early. The movie is also a reunion between Maggie Smith, director Nicholas Hytner, and screenwriter Alan Bennett (doing his own adaptation), who were all involved in the hit West End play from 1999 (Bennett and Smith were both nominated for Laurence Olivier awards). While Hytner and Bennett working on The History Boys didn't produce much award season acclaim, The Madness of King George certainly did. This feel-good autobiographical film about Bennett's relationship with a destitute woman will surely resonate with audiences and may even carry over somewhat with critics. Alex Jennings plays Bennett. The film is edited by Tariq Anwar (American Beauty, The King's Speech). Cinematographer: Andrew Dunn. Costume Designer: Natalie Ward. US release date: 11. December 2015.
15
Zoe Kazan and Sandra Bullock in Our Brand Is Crisis
Our Brand Is Crisis (Warner Bros). Remake of the ISA-nominated documentary of the same name, this comedy-drama details two competing American spin doctors (Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton) wrecking havoc on a South American country in disarray during an election year. WB is the best big studio in the awards game. Since 2003, they've had incredible success with three BP winners (Million Dollar Baby, The Departed, Argo). In 2013, they had two major successes with Gravity and Her. And, when the chips are down, like they appeared to be most of 2014, they play the Clint Eastwood card and rake in the nominations (American Sniper was the highest grossing film of the year). Even in a year like 2011, they still scored a BP nominee with the poorly reviewed box-office flop Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. This studio just knows how to make something happen every year. Despite how political campaign satire can easily resonate with the AMPAS to some degree (Primary Colors, Wag the Dog) and the luck they've had with Bullock (Gravity, The Blind Side), perhaps they're not quite confident now that they moved the release date for In the Heart of the Sea all the way to December. Yet, on paper, the Berlin/Venice/Sundance winner David Gordon Green and a script by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) suggests they have something good on their hands, no? Green's movies have had mostly solid reviews. The few blemishes he has had (Your Highness, The Sitter) were both broad comedies, following his biggest hit to date Pineapple Express. The film also stars Zoe Kazan, Anthony Mackie, Scoot McNairy, Joaquim de Almeida, and Ann Dowd. George Clooney is producing along with Grant Heslov and Bullock. Editor: Colin Patton. Composer: David Wingo. Cinematographer: Tim Orr. Costume Designer: Jenny Eagan.
16
The Walk (Sony). Based on the biography of acrobat Philippe Petit, Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future) directs Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the first and only man who will ever have traversed the top of the World Trade Center towers on a rope. It's an astonishing story that was captured quite nostalgically in the AMPAS-winning documentary Man on Wire. I'm not sure how the movie will match or even top it, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around how justified the use of 3D will be. The script itself is rather straight-forward (it surely will be a showy role for Gordon-Levitt who will be doing a French accent, as well as showing off his linguistic skills), and it was difficult to imagine there being many opportunities where 3D would accentuate the story. Avatar, Toy Story 3, and Life of Pi had animated elements. Gravity was set in outer space. And, Hugo with its rich period production values was like a children's pop-up book come to life. Last year, that 3D "slot" in the BP field remained empty, as there weren't any feasible contenders. However, Sony and Zemeckis perhaps expect to restart that trend. And perhaps they will. This is the first live-action feature screenplay he has cowritten (with Christopher Browne) in over twenty years. Editor: Jeremiah O'Driscoll (Flight). Composer: Alan Silvestri (Forrest Gump, The Polar Express). Cinematographer: Dariusz Wolski. Costume Designer: Suttirat Anne Larlarb. US release date: 2. October 2015.
17
Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller
in Adam Jones
Adam Jones (TWC). Bradley Cooper stars in this original drama about a chef dealing with a drug and alcohol addiction. The star vehicle sounds like a showcase for his acting chops, and has the potential to be a sizable hit for the American Sniper star. The original script is from Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things, Eastern Promises, Locke) and is directed by John Wells (The Company Men). Wells' last outing was August: Osage County with Harvey Weinstein, which had a big stumble after lofty expectations. Perhaps the second time will be the charm? Also stars Sienna Miller, Jamie Dornan, Alicia Vikander, Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson, and Daniel Brühl. Editor: Nick Moore (The Full Monty). Cinematographer: Adriano Goldman (Sin Nombre). Production Designer: David Gropman (The Cider House Rules, Life of Pi). Costume Designer: Lyn Paolo. US release date: 2. October 2015.
18
Rooney Mara in The Secret Scripture
The Secret Scripture (Relativity). This still new studio hasn't established themselves as an awards player in any capacity. But, there is a first-time for everything, correct? And star Rooney Mara has been on a role lately. Jim Sheridan, once an AMPAS-stalwart of sorts (My Left Foot, The Field, In the Name of the Father, In America), has been a fledgling filmmaker the last decade. His last three films have been exercises outside of his comfort zone in genre studio pics. All three films have also been flops of varying degrees. This will be his first film since The Boxer in 1997 to film in Ireland and touch on Irish history. He also cowrote the adaptation with Johnny Ferguson from the award-winning Sebastian Barry novel that deals with mental illness in the context of religious/political themes of the 1920s - 1930s. The film is told in flashbacks, with Vanessa Redgrave and Eric Bana starring in the more present day scenes. Cinematographer: Mikhail Krichman (Leviafan). Composer: Brian Byrne (Albert Nobbs). Production Designer: Derek Wallace (early on in his career he worked in props for Sheridan). Costume Designer: Joan Bergin (The Tudors).
Jake Gyllenhaal and
Naomi Watts in Demolition
19
Demolition (Fox Searchlight). This adult contemporary drama will be a tough sell as it touches on certain truths about the human condition without being too sentimental. The script is sturdy, but not overly designed. The movie could be lightning rod, or it might just be a quirky also-ran. It doesn't strike me as a project that will go very far unless it's in the hunt for some wins. The cast includes Naomi Watts, and Chris Cooper. Director Jean-Marc Vallée has had an exceptional showing with his last two films (Dallas Buyers Club, Wild), but Bryan Sipe's script isn't particularly baity. Cinematographer: Yves Bélanger (Laurence Anyways). Production Designer: Jon Paino. Costume Designer: Leah Katznelson.
20
Will Smith in Concussion
Concussion (Sony). Will Smith plays a doctor in this movie about devastating physical issues stemming from head injuries suffered by National Football League players. Incidentally, Smith is one of the few non-white adult leads in a movie this year that is remotely awards-friendly. Peter Landesman (Parkland) directed the film which was inspired by a magazine article. Also starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alec Baldwin, Luke Wilson, and Albert Brooks. Editor: William Goldenberg (Argo, The Imitation Game). Composer: James Newton Howard (The Prince of Tides, The Village, Defiance). Cinematographer: Salvatore Totino. Production Designer: David Crank. Costume Designer: Dayna Pink. US release date: 25. December 2015.
Under the Radar?
(These films probably aren't coming out this year or
don't seem like BP contenders, but may score nominations here and there)
21
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (Sony). Based on Ben Fountain's novel about a war hero who falls in love after learning he'd have to return to Iraq. Many years in the awards race, there are late entries. This probably won't be one of them. But, Scorsese aside, Ang Lee is the only Oscar-winning director working on a motion picture for 2016 who could end up having a 2015 release. And, his Sense & Sensibility actually wrapped filming the Summer before it released (lensing commenced on the 19th of April, 1995. Starring: Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Steve Martin, and Vin Diesel. Screenwriters: Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire, The Full Monty, 127 Hours), Jean-Christophe Castelli. Editor: Tim Squyres (Life of Pi; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). Cinematographer: John Toll (Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, The Thin Red Line). Production Designer: Mark Friedberg. Costume Designer: Joseph G. Aulisi.
22
In the Heart of the Sea (Warner Bros). The "origins" story of one of the most famous maritime tales was shifted to release in December from the Spring, so that may signify confidence in the studio that they have an award contender on their hands. And Ron Howard has a great track record with the AMPAS. The test screenings supposedly went well too, though I know of three people who thought the cut they saw was a hot mess. Warner Bros. does like its Oscar nominations. Perhaps this is its best foot forward in what may essentially be a weak slate. Or perhaps it's just vying for tech recognition. Heart stars Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy. Charles Leavitt is just one of the listed credits on the screenplay adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick's riveting non-fiction piece. Editors: Daniel P. Hanley & Mike Hill (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, Frost/Nixon). Composer: Roque Baños. Cinematographer: Anthony Dod Mantle (Slumdog Millionaire). Production Designer: Mark Tildesley. Costume Designer: Julian Day. Is this WB's #1 this year, or a technical contender? Perhaps only Sue Kroll knows. US release date: 11. December 2015.
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The Free State of Jones (STX Entertainment). Currently, this film about a renegade Southerner during the Civil War is slated for a March 2016 release which is suggestive of it not being award fodder. However, in this sea of pretty white stories, a story like this could really stand out. The cast is still pretty Caucasian here, but there is supposed to be at least one meaty role for a black female (played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who plays the second wife of anti-Confederate Newton Knight (Matthew McConaughey). This is writer/director Gary Ross' (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) first film since the extremely successful The Hunger Games. Editor: Pamela Martin (The Fighter). Cinematographer: Benoit Delhomme (The Theory of Everything). Production Designer: Philip Messina. Costume Designer: Louise Frogley. US release date: 11. March 2016.
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The Big Short (Paramount). Adam McKay (Anchorman movies, et al) directed his adaptation from the Michael Lewis book about the housing and credit bubble of the 2000s. It stars Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling