One of the joys of being in Toronto is bumping into people you really admire so much. Seeing Chiwetel Ejiofor sneaking into a quick afternoon screening and of course bumping into Harvey Weinstein, hiding his nerves, right before the first press screening of “August:Osage County”.
The critics were in town too, I caught a glimpse of the New York Post’s Lou Lumenick quite a few times, Newsweek’s David Ansen lining up for the new Miyazaki and caught up with Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly on what’s been the best of the fest so far – we both agreed “12 Years A Slave” and “Gravity” by a landslide.
“Gravity” is eye popping stuff. Alfonso Cuarron has made a movie that is unlike any we’ve ever seen before. It’s almost as groundbreaking as “Avatar” minus the flaws Cameron’s film had. A master is at work here and Cuarron has surely directed Sandra Bullock to her second Oscar Nomination – if not, her second win.
Meryl Streep will be giving Bullock a run for her money with her juicy role in “August: Osage County”. Streep is a ticking time bomb as the dysfunctional mom that heads a large family gathering. Americana caricature after caricature comes with director John Wells’ film, one that is very imperfect and left the press at my screening with a very mixed reaction. Streep is the lone shining light in this otherwise forgettable movie.
In my earlier article I talked about how good Chiwetel Ejiofor was in “12 Years A Slave”, competition has come in the form of Matthew Mcconaughey as Ron Woodruff. Sasha has already chimed in with this film but I will add to her praise and say that this is the Matthew Mcconaughey show. The 43 year old actor has been on a role lately (“Killer Joe”, “The Lincoln Lawyer”, “Bernie”, “Magic Mike”) but nothing tops what he’s done here with “The Dallas Buyer’s Club”. Looking gaunt and sickly, Mcconaughey wowed audiences here.
Doppelganger films have been big at TIFF so far. Director Denis Villeneuve -on a roll already with “Prisoners”- brought us two Jake Gyllenhaal’s with “Enemy”. Gyllenhall plays a Toronto professor that finds out he has an exact look alike living in the same city. It’a film very much inspired by Cronenberg but that also lets Villeneuve bring his own voice to the picture. This is sexy, smart, mysterious filmmaking at its best.
The other doppelganger film had Jesse Eisenberg going insane with the appearance of his doppelganger. Directed by Richard Ayaode (Submarine) “The Double” is a dark comedy that fizzled out at its end but has shades of Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” throughout its running time.
A much anticipated film here was Kelly Reichardt’s “Night Moves”, a film about eco-terrorism that strips down the genre conventions and ends up giving us the bare bones of its topic. Contrary to many here I wasn’t a big fan of Reichardt’s past films (“Wendy And Lucy”, “Meek’s Cutoff”) but this one works because it moves. There are tense, gripping moments in “Night Moves” and its performances -notably those of Jesse Eisenberg and Peter Sarsgaard) move the film along admirably.
I speak to performances from films I’ve already seen at TIFF….
With AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY I can honestly say that Streep and Roberts both deserve to nominated for Best Actress respectively. If THELMA & LOUISE and TERMS OF ENDEARMENT can accomplish this feat for two outstanding lead actress performances in the same film surely this AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY can as well.
Believe the hype, Chiwetel Ejiofor is amazing in 12 YEARS A SLAVE. He’s got some stiff competition from Matthew McConaughey in THE DALLAS BUYERS CLUB. It’s a tough call between these two men for Best Actor at this point in the Oscar race. Jared Leto is the amazing scene-stealer in the film and if I were an Academy member I would definitely nominate him for Best Supporting Actor.
Bullock in GRAVITY is quite outstanding and has really earned my respect for this performance. Truth be told I’ve never been a fan of Bullock’s film work, even her ridiculous popularity contest Oscar win for THE BLIND SIDE. But she does carry GRAVITY with great aplomb and power. Dare I say it, she definitely deserves a Best Actress nomination.
Moment to Harvey Weinstein plays The Immigrant, a great film of James Gray with a magnificent performance of Marion Cotillard
stop and stare at Harvey ignoring “The Immigrant”
He cares to a far greater degree about
“August: Osage County” (Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts)
“Philomena” (Judi Dench)
“Grace of Monaco” (Nicole Kidman)
and only then, we have “The Immigrant” (Marion Cotillard)
And he won’t get more than 2 of his leading ladies in the mix
-> there is a Blanchett, a Winslet, a Bullock, a Thompson, and an Adams knocking on that door, too.
Had Harvey decided to once again support a David O. Russell film, he would have won Amy Adams an Oscar. Thank God he is not behind “American Hustle” because I want Blanchett to win the fucking thing.
My big question is, when has Meryl Streep been the lead of a film that wasn’t mediocre? The last films I actually really liked were The Hours and Adaptation. Same year as each other and very good directors. Besides those Streep hardly works with really phenomenal or interesting directors in my opinion. I really loved the play August Osage County but I am afraid I am disappointed they cast Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts. I also was extremely turned off by the trailer so maybe I am biased. I hope I am proven wrong. Like most, I really like to watch Meryl Streep but it’s rare that I am completely wowed or moved by her.
In the end I really don’t see how anyone is going to top what Cate Blanchett did in Blue Jasmine.
as far as Blanchett and her early lead status is concerned, all of this, which has arrived and will continue to arrive in the following months, was expected.
Of course everyone will talk about all of these performances.
Currently there is hype for Winslet, Dench and Bullock.
Streep is on her way.
And finally there will be Thompson and Adams.
But we will see who has the final laugh 😉
TR,
Not everyone goes to the movies for the same reasons. Some go for “history lessons.” Some go for potent topics du jour. Some go for mindless action. Some go to see directors “break new cinematic ground.” My favorite movies involve great performers with great dialogue. They’re often filmed plays or look like they might have been. I *am* excited for “August.” Diff’rent strokes.
I stand by my prediction. Sandra Bullock is stunning in the movie. She totally reinvents the action movie heroine, comparisons will be made to Ripley in “Aliens”.
Also in my next piece I’m talking about “Labor Day” and it’d be a real sin if Kate Winslet does not get nominated for that one. She’s fantastic probably the second best actress working today after Meryl Streep.
Over on in contention checking out his contenders page he has Julia louis-dreyfuss as a serious contender for a best actress nomination for ‘enough said’ really!!!!! Does anyone on here believe that?
“Cuarron has surely directed Sandra Bullock to her second Oscar Nomination – if not, her second win.” -> made me laugh, is this Watermelons speaking?
No, Watermelons is convinced that Kate Winslet will win for her performance in Labour Day.
You know what’s exciting? 12 Years a Slave, Gravity, Prisoners, The Wolf of Wall Street, etc.
Movies that deal with potent, relevant topics or break new cinematic ground.
Re: Osage County
The only reason people were excited for it is the play. I’m sure Streep and Julia are quality, but c’mon, people…John Wells directing a domestic drama centered around squabbling family members during Thanksgiving? Does that sound exciting to anyone?
Who’s the ‘the pope’?
Almost every other comment/review I read also praise Julia Roberts for her performance…Also, many others give not-so-bad reviews for the movie as a whole.
I hope we will see a much better review of that movie here as well (other than this short paragraph above!)
‘The Pope’, are you in France too? I’m looking for Oscar friends here!
That’s my prediction dude and I don’t have hard feelings or think your a dick this is what’s good about this site you can say who you think is going to get nominated or win no matter what everybody else thinks, by the way she is a serious contender for a nomination
Sorry dude, I don’t mean to be a dick but you did say such a thing! And there’s nothing wrong with it, we all say outlandish things on this site! No hard feeling…
“david September 9, 2013 at 7:16 am – Reply
What is wrong with you people? Brie Larson will not only get nominated but will win the Oscar for her astonishing performance, remember you heard it from me first right down go to Vegas put money on it!!!!!!!”
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett and her Challengers
Christophe
Do you work for A.M.P.A.S?
So you know who is going to win already why don’t we let you pick the nominees and the winner
“why don’t we let you pick the nominees and the winner”
because it would be even worse than the real Academy! Saving Mr. Banks and The Great Gatsby would win everything!
I never guaranteed Brie Larson would win let alone get nominated I said she should get nominated there’s a difference and oh and jay I am on other websites like rope of silicon in contention Hollywood elsewhere and goldderby talking not only about “short term 12” but about other performances so get your facts straight before you comment and no one else is talking about her go on goldderby and look at the experts predictions and see if no one is talking about her
Blanchett for the win bitches!
OT :
GOOD NEWS : After Tracks and Can a Song Save Your Life ?, The Weinstein Company acquired The Railway Man and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby which should be considered fantastic development considering despite great early word, many considered latter to be extremely difficult to distribute.
BAD NEWS : ALL four will be released in 2014.
GOOD NEWS : This season has barely started and we can already expect several strong acting contenders next year. As divisive as Harvey Weinstein is, I must admit I’m pretty impressed with his latest acquisitions, mostly risky, daring, unique pieces and no doubt he will find a way to reach much wider audiences for them than the producers could have hoped for without him. He already seems to have a rather strong Best Actress lineup for next year, I know, I know, too early, I’m just saying the pedigree here is remarkable : four of these seven performances have been already praised at recent festivals and the other three look extremely good on paper, too.
Amy Adams (Big Eyes)
Jessica Chastain (The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby)
Keira Knightley (Can a Song Save Your Life ?)
Nicole Kidman (The Railway Man)
Melissa McCarthy (St. Vincent)
Mia Wasikowska (Tracks)
Michelle Williams (Suite Francaise)
Long story short : We already have A LOT to look forward to next year !
Isn’t Carol (Blanchett) a Weinstein film too for next year?
It is, good catch !
Nicole Kidman (The Railway Man)
People who’ve seen The Railway Man say that Kidman’s role in it is tiny, and that she basically disappears from the film after its first half.
ALL four will be released in 2014.
How is that bad news? The year is crowded enough already. Not everyone has time to see everything.
I saw Enemy, and it was a great, tightly done movie and all, but I couldn’t help be disappointed when it ended, you could literally hear the entire audience go “heh?”
Sight unseen, I would lean towards Blanchett (Blue Jasmine doesn’t open on this side of the Atlantic for another fortnight.
But in the meantime, I will say again that the two leads from Blue is the Warmest Color cannot be forgotten. Since the film won’t make it for Foreign, it will be in for Best Actress … if not times two. And before we scoff at their chances, please not forget Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose.
I think the best actress be this: Blue Jasmine is the Warmest Color.
That was a weak year for women. That often happens. Some very astute commenter here (not me) pointed out that Angela Bassett almost certainly would have won an Oscar if What’s Love Got to Do With It had been released in 1994 and not 1993, when she had to try to beat Holly Hunter in the Piano. In 1994 the front-runners were Jodie Foster in Nell (going for her 3rd Oscar in 7 years; would never have happened), and Jessica Lange in Blue Sky which, like, NO ONE saw (but she won). Yeah, Bassett would have won. One of your Blue-Warmest women could have too.
Cotillard played a real-life legend and had just won the Golden Globe for Comedy (over Ellen Page in Juno); there’s no way either of those women will have any comparable award coming into the nomination. The Oscars managed to snub Matheiu Amalric during the same year. Talk to me after one of the Blue-Warmest ladies has won as many pre-awards as Fernanda Montenegro or Catalina Moreno. I’d bet 5-to-1 right now (I give you $5 for every $1 you give me) that neither Blue-Warmest woman will be Oscar-nominated.
So we are just guaranteeing Oscar nom already? I remember a couple years ago when “J Edgar” came out and everybody on here “guaranteed” not only a nomination for DiCaprio but the win, how did that work out!!!!!!
Yet you claimed several times that the girl who was named after a French cheese is sure to win best actress… Can you practice what you preach?
Thank you for that!! Practice what you preach David. This troll goes on to all the articles on Awards Daily promoting “Short Term 12.” It is barely being mentioned on other Award websites and I go to many of them.
Promoting is fine, especially little-known contenders, I guess it’s a good and necessary cause, but it’s lame laim a performance is sure to win and then criticize others for doing the same 😉
*to claim
Really like Reichardt’s past films, but I keep forgetting about Night Moves because of the landslide of bigger projects. Good filmmaker whose stuff always gets buried.
Blanchett is definitely up there as eell. All I can say it it’s going to be one hell if a race
Has everybody already forgotten about Cate Blanchett’s tour de force performance already in Blue Jasmine? I still feel she is the one to beat.
It’ll be Streep vs Blanchett. Streep winning recently and Blanchett not having a lead Oscar gives her the edge.
SANDRA BULLOCK TWO TIMES ACADEMY AWARD WINNER..
it would be streep vs bullock round two
Hm isn’t supposed to Meryl Streep be included in the supporting actress field, like it was announced?