The Telluride festival was hit with a curious heat wave. Anything strange that happens with the weather and minds immediately go to climate change. It was already a topic last year and the year before as we watched the snow steadily melting from the mountaintops, but the heat here was unlike anything I’ve ever felt in the years I’ve been attending. We know weather isn’t climate, but even if the unusual warmth this year is just a freak anomaly, it still feels ominous. Gone is the cool crisp air of the mountains, even though there was an occasional downpour here and there. It does make you stop and think about where all this is going. In the ratified atmosphere up here, those thoughts only last, of course, as long as it takes for your mind to shift towards other things, like movies and movie stars.
Telluride has been bitten by the Oscar bug for a while now, but it’s probably never been quite as prominent as it is this year with so many new faces from Oscar world showing up on the streets of Colorado, like AwardsWatch’s Erik Anderson, Awards Circuit’s Clayton Davis, and Next Best Picture’s Matt Neglia, in addition to the usual suspects: Scott Feinberg, Scott Mantz, Anne Thompson, Dave Karger, Tomris Laffey, Pete Hammond, David Poland, Jeff Wells, etc. all tweeting out their positioning of this year’s potential gets from the fest.
Martin Scorsese being here has made quite the impression, even though he didn’t bring The Irishman. Last night, he handed Adam Driver his award during the tribute to the actor before Marriage Story showed here.
You hear the same certainty every year and you know that the certainty is still a 50/50 thing. Thus far, actors rule the day with Adam Driver, Adam Sandler, Jonathan Pryce, Anthony Hopkins, Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Eddie Redmayne, and Edward Norton all turning in noteworthy performances. How ever many there are here, there will be dozens more at Toronto. Venice also brought word of Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, which appears to be a top-shelf performance worthy of a nod. How to choose, how to choose.
It’s a little easier when you move down to Best Actress. There is Renee Zellweger as Judy. Scarlett Johansson in a strong turn in Marriage Story. Felicity Jones in Aeronauts. And thus far, that is pretty much it in the lead department, but don’t hold me to that. There could be more cropping up here or there that I might have missed.
The films that still seem the strongest as we head into our almost-last day are:
Ford v Ferrari, which could earn Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Sound Mixing/Editing, Cinematography, Editing.
Marriage Story, which could earn Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress (the rare four), Original Screenplay.
Waves, which could earn Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and an acting nomination of some sort, although it’s an ensemble piece so that will be hard. Also Original Score, Editing, Cinematography.
The Two Popes, which could earn a few maybe nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (a first for Jonathan Pryce), Original Screenplay.
Judy: Best Actress, maybe Costumes.
I have not yet seen:
Uncut Gems
Aeronauts
Motherless Brooklyn
The chatter around town is still keeping the buzz for Parasite alive and well, as it remains one of the best films of the year and will likely hold that spot. It is in line to be the frontrunner for Foreign Language International Feature Film, but could branch out into other categories, like Best Director for Bong Joon-ho
All in all, the focus does seem to be on just a few of these films that did well across the board here. Ford v Ferrari appears to have taken the “everyone liked it” slot, which bodes well for Oscar. Last year’s First Man seemed like such a strong bet out of the gate, but it was divisive if you listened to what people were saying about it, like really listened. There does not seem to be much divisiveness that I’ve heard around Marriage Story or Waves, but the one everyone has seen and liked is the racing movie.
The Patrons’ brunch was a lovely affair, with the sun shining down so brightly on the attendees. Delicious food, lots of happy people. What could possibly go wrong? So far, here in Telluride, it seems like nothing really has. So far.
The Laundromat doesn’t seem to be doing all too well right now.
Same with the Wasp Network and American Skin.
The Laundromat is sitting at 59 on Metacritic.
Wasp Network 49.
American Skin 28.
International Feature Film seems to be the easiest category to call right now. There is no way that Parasite’s hype is slowing down. It delivers the hype and then some. Once you’ve seen it, it will still linger weeks after. It is a movie like no other and at least directors will take notice, so like Sasha said, Bong Joon-ho is very close to being a Director nominee as well.
It is unbelievable that South Korea has never been nominated. They have a very healthy film industry. If America is ok with K-pop now (BTS), take their movies into your hearts too.
I love Parasite so I will be very happy if this turns out to be true but I think international could be a bit tough… Right now Parsite, Pain and Glory and Portrait of a Lady on Fire are all really buzzed about and I feel like any of them could win depending on how things go down – especially with how weird the shortlisting can be (or did they change that when they changed the name of the category?). I have seen Parasite and Portrait of a Lady on Fire and would be extremely happy to see either win so this seems like it’ll be a great category this year. I am yet to see Pain and Glory but it has some very passionate supporters so I don’t think it can be discounted.
Also some people are citing Ema as a possibility too but I am not so sure based on what I have read. It seems like a tough category this year
Are there still people saying that after the premiere? I was firmly on that train before the reviews came out, mainly because the small amount of Cannes rumors I’d heard about it reminded me of Roma last year. But now it seems pretty evident it’s not happening
Yeah there are people who have seen it saying that but as I said I’m not convinced by – it looks great to me but probably way too unconventional for the Oscar win. Still I think the other 3 all have a shot!
Is it just me or is there something crazy going on where generally everything has been at the very last warmly received both here and at Venice? I know there are still some films to come but seriously when does that happen? There is generally at least one films (if not more) that everyone piles up against and this year it just doesn’t seem to exist. Very strange but ultimately says a good thing about movie quality I guess?
I feel like every film gets kind reactions from Telluride every year, and Venice has had a total of 7 films premiere in competition of the 21 that will play, at least one of which was pretty widely met with dispassion (The Perfect Candidate at least can be described as having that kind of reaction), and in terms of out of competition films the reviews for Seberg weren’t really that good either
Yeah looking back on it, you are right. I guess my memories deceiving me
It also seems like we sadly have our first bomb of Venice: Wasp Network
Yeah I am pretty sad about that. I love Assayas so I always look forward to him making new films. Though Personal Shopper was booed when it first premiered and it ended up in my top 10 of the year so I am not writing it off completely yet.
Seems like it’s a win for ford v ferrari. So glad to see ford v ferrari is getting raves. I knew james mangold had it in him. very few directors can make studio movies and make them their own and mangold is one of them.
I think Phoenix wins. Iconic performance. will get public+critics+industry support. Overdue actor. Big hit movie that’ll get people talking. That’s a damn good narrative, IMO.
he may be overdue to you…but according to industry professionals…he has been giving the same performance in all his movies. He is good at playing demented people and not any other kind of role. So i dont think people consider him overdue.
well, the same argument could be made for deNiro, another gangster performance. And while respected he ain’t no default nominee Streep so he could miss a nom. Phoenix ain’t missing a nom even with his “Fuck campaigning” attitude (which actually works well with the role he’s playing).
So who do you think would win?
I think adam driver has the push and likability factor. He doesn’t look like a movie star and is awkwardly tall and all that pushes him over the edge into the awkward likable guy territory of rami malek.
No one really likes Rami Malek, everyone just loves Freddie Mercury.
you are joking….rami malek is liked because he least looks like a movie star and yet he was able to convince millions across the world he is freddy
Are you saying that wasn’t Freddie? 😉
Welcome back @braylonthompson!
Sometimes I like to imagine that he actually is Christian Bale sitting behind a keyboard trashing all of his competitors…
Thanks for putting that image in my head. His comments will be much more entertaining to read in the future 😀
True though Rami had that 900M grossing behemoth to back him up and he played one of the most beloved music icons in history. People believed in Freddie and gave him the Oscar. It’s not the same case with Driver though he will be the Oscar returnee and his song is a showstopper based on reviews.
damn, only in Holywood, the midget city, tall is “awkward”. 🙂
i said awkwardly tall not tall is awkward. He is hunched in a weird way due to his height…he is not like ben affleck who is tall but not hunched over.
I know what you mean, I just couldn’t resist to knock Hollywood for general shortness of their stars. 🙂
Except that he has not been “giving the same performance” at all.
they all feel the same to me….his face can’t generate empathy. He and his roles feels like creepy weirdos out of get little kids. All the way back to gladiator.
Wait, the MARRIAGE STORY leads are going supporting ?