“Arrival” Trailers suggest a serious science fiction contender

Last week, we got one of our very best looks yet at Arrival, what could be 2016’s big science fiction awards player. Yes, there’s also Passengers, to name one other, but this one has now dropped a few Trailers, so that puts it in the early lead. Boasting one of the most interesting directors out there in Denis Villeneuve, not to mention one of the most overdue for an Oscar actresses in Amy Adams, there’s some star power on hand. It’s always hard to pin down whether sci-fi will play with voters, but this definitely looks like an intelligent film that could have a chance for Oscar contention. You’ll see a Trailer below, but first…let’s discuss the movie itself a bit!

The film is a sci-fi drama centering on a well regarded linguist Dr. Louise Banks (Adams) who is recruited by the military to assist in translating alien communications when mysterious spaceships arrive on Earth. Working with counterpart in the operation Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), it is Louise’s job to figure out if these visitors come in peace. As the clock runs down, the possibility of war arrives, but also of scientific breakthroughs like never before. Villeneuve directs a script by Eric Heisserer (who adapted the short story by Ted Chiang called Story of Your Life), while the rest of the cast includes Michael Stuhlbarg, Forest Whitaker, and more. Music is by Jóhann Jóhannsson and Max Richter, while the cinematography comes from the emerging master DP that is Bradford Young. Suffice to say, the ingredients are here for something great.

There’s a ton of talent on display here, as I just mentioned. Not only is this a starring vehicle for Adams, it looks like a juicy supporting role for Renner as well. Factor in how Villeneuve has developed a following of late and the strength of the other behind the scenes players, and there’s certainly reason to be excited. Perhaps this will be too serious for its own good, or more of a commercial play overall, but you certainly can be forgiven for thinking this has a solid chance to split the difference and appeal to the Academy in some way.

Awards wise, Arrival definitely has a chance to be a contender in a number of fields, though nothing is certain. Look for campaigns in Best Picture, Best Director (for Villeneuve), Best Actress (for Adams), Best Supporting Actor (for Renner), Best Adapted Screenplay (for Heisserer), Best Production Design, Best Cinematography (for Young), Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects. There’s no telling how the flick will play in this regard, so anything is possible, but if it has got the goods, one has to assume Adams will be in contention for her first win, and that would be something quite nice.

We still have a little bit to go before Arrival debuts on the festival circuit, and even longer until its November release date, but it’s a film I’m very excited to see for myself. The potential is there for a really entertaining, thought provoking, and even moving motion picture. Serious sci-fi has a hard time with Oscar, but nothing is out of the question just yet. As much as anything else, it’s just a movie to hotly anticipate. You’ll see what I mean in that Trailer below, and sit tight for plenty more on this one before too long. It is shaping up to be one of the year’s bigger releases, or at least one of the fall’s…

Here now is the latest Trailer for Arrival:

Stay tuned for lots more on Arrival over the coming weeks and months!

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“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” will have a World Premiere at the 2016 New York Film Festival

Just a few minutes ago, news broke that the 54th New York Film Festival will play host to a big time unveiling of a major Academy Award contender. Yes, NYFF will be where Ang Lee’s next movie, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, will have its World Premiere. The 54th installment of this fest has already announced a trio of premieres, opening with The 13th, hitting its midpoint with 20th Century Women, and closing with The Lost City of Z, so this is very much like an added bonus. At the same time, it’s now easily the most high profile flick screening and an Oscar hopeful title worth paying a great deal of attention to.

For those wondering, the film is an adaptation of the well regarded novel of the same name by Ben Fountain. Set mostly during Thanksgiving Day, it follows the title character Billy Lynn (newcomer Joe Alwyn) and his platoon as they’re honored during the halftime show of a Dallas Cowboys football game for their heroism. As Billy and his fellow soldiers are feted, he flashes back on what really happened back in Iraq, which has shaken him to his core. There’s also time spent with his protective sister Kathryn (Kristen Stewart), who wants him to stay home and not go back to war. For the most part, Billy and his crew just deal with the dichotomy of being labeled a hero back home and the actions that got them there while abroad. It’s really a surprisingly intimate character study, though I suspect the war flashbacks will be pretty visceral. Lee obviously directs, with the adaptation penned by Jean-Christophe Castelli. Besides Alwyn and Stewart, the cast includes Steve Martin, Vin Diesel, Garrett Hedlund, Chris Tucker, Tim Blake Nelson, Makenzie Leigh, Beau Knapp, and many more. Cinematography is by John Toll.

This surprise announcement, not in the mold of the festival’s Secret Screenings in years past (like with Hugo, Lincoln, and While We’re Young), is very interesting. It’s closer to how things like 12 Years a Slave and The Martian were added as screenings while the fest was already underway. This sort of splits the difference and allows both of those situations to go down again (if it happens, perhaps there will be another Martin Scorsese centric Secret Screening with Silence?), while also giving Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk a special distinction all its own. That’s really a sign of confidence in the material, to say the least.

In terms of awards, I think you have to look at this one as an across the board contender and a potential frontrunner if NYFF launches it as a big time success. Barring a disaster, campaigns will be launched in Best Picture, Best Director (for Lee), Best Actor (for Alwyn), Best Supporting Actor (for Diesel, Hedlund, Martin, and/or Tucker), Best Supporting Actress (for Stewart), Best Adapted Screenplay (for Castelli), Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Original Score, and Best Visual Effects. It’s still too early to say where it will hit just yet, but assuming the quality is there like the Trailer suggests, contention for multiple nominations shouldn’t be much of a struggle.

Overall, the fest just added a major player on the awards front and easily one of 2016’s most highly anticipated works. Depending on how the screening goes, there could be some huge buzz emerging from NYFF when this occurs. I’ll be there and can’t wait to see how Lee’s new film plays, so be sure to look out for that once the screening date arrives. In the meantime, sit tight for plenty more details on the movie, the festival, and the impending precursor season. It’s a really exciting time and it’s only going to get more exciting in the next few months…

Stay tuned for lots more on Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk and NYFF in the weeks to come!

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Hollywood Contenders: New Oscar Predictions for August

My how time flies! Suddenly, we’ve come to the final set of new predictions before the festival season arrives. Yes, next time I unleash new predictions for the Academy Awards it’ll be September, with festivals and campaigns in full swing. I’ll also be unveiling my first set of Golden Globe picks then, but first thing first. We’ve got the big one to discuss today, and plenty has happened since my previous update. There’s some controversy brewing, titles delayed into 2017, and further evidence that we’ll have at least one late breaking 2016 entry into the race. Let’s get to it and find out what I’ve settled on this time around…

What you’ll see below is some across the board tinkering with my Oscar nomination guesses, including one big removal of a previously huge contender from the major categories. That would be The Birth of a Nation, which is the least important aspect of Nate Parker’s current issues. I have a hunch that Fox Searchlight delays the film until next year, just to not have to deal with negative chatter, so this time around I’ve yanked it across the board. I may very well have it back next month, but for the moment, it’s a 2017 title in my eyes. On the flip side, more word has come out that Ben Affleck’s Live by Night is likely to be a 2016 contender, so it continues to show up in a number of categories here. You’ll see everything momentarily though, so enough talk!

Here now are my up to date Academy Award predictions:

BEST PICTURE

1. La La Land
2. Silence
3. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
4. Manchester by the Sea
5. Loving
6. Live By Night
7. Lion
8. 20th Century Women
9. Nocturnal Animals
10. Passengers

Next in line: 11. Fences 12. Arrival 13. Miss Sloane 14. Jackie 15. Sully 16. The Light Between Oceans 17. The Founder 18. The Lost City of Z 19. Allied 20. Hell or High Water 21. Café Society 22. A United Kingdom 23. Thank You for Your Service 24. Collateral Beauty 25. Snowden

BEST DIRECTOR

1. Damien Chazelle – La La Land
2. Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea
3, Ang Lee – Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
4. Martin Scorsese – Silence
5. Ben Affleck – Live by Night

Next in line: 6. Jeff Nichols – Loving 7. Mike Mills – 20th Century Women 8. Morten Tyldum – Passengers 9. Tom Ford – Nocturnal Animals 10. Denzel Washington – Fences

BEST ACTOR

1. Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea
2. Ryan Gosling – La La Land (or The Nice Guys)
3. Michael Keaton – The Founder
4. Ben Affleck – Live by Night
5. Chris Pratt – Passengers

Next in line: 6. Tom Hanks – Sully 7. Joel Edgerton – Loving 8. Andrew Garfield – Silence 9. Will Smith – Collateral Beauty 10. Miles Teller – Bleed for This (or Thank You for Your Service)

BEST ACTRESS

1. Emma Stone – La La Land
2. Amy Adams – Nocturnal Animals (or Arrival)
3. Ruth Negga – Loving
4. Annette Bening – 20th Century Women
5. Jennifer Lawrence – Passengers

Next in line: 6. Viola Davis – Fences 7. Meryl Streep – Florence Foster Jenkins 8. Natalie Portman – Jackie 9. Jessica Chastain – Miss Sloane 10. Rosamund Pike – A United Kingdom

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Liam Neeson – Silence
2. Steve Martin – Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
3. Kyle Chandler – Manchester by the Sea
4. Oscar Isaac – The Promise
5. Jeff Bridges – Hell or High Water

Next in line: 6. Jeremy Renner – Arrival 7. Adam Driver – Silence 8. Aaron Eckhart – Bleed for This (or Sully) 9. Billy Crudup – 20th Century Women 10. Glen Powell – Everybody Wants Some

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Kristen Stewart – Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (or Café Society)
2. Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea
3. Elle Fanning – Live by Night (or 20th Century Women)
4. Rachel Weisz – The Light Between Oceans
5. Nicole Kidman – Lion

Next in line: 6. Naomi Harris – Collateral Beauty 7. Rebecca Ferguson – The Girl on the Train 8. Laura Dern – The Founder 9. Laura Linney – Sully 10. Gretchen Mol – Manchester by the Sea

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1. Manchester by the Sea
2. La La Land
3. Loving
4. Passengers
5. 20th Century Women

Next in line: 6. Café Society 7. The Lobster 8. Miss Sloane 9. Hell or High Water 10 The Nice Guys

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
2. Silence
3. Nocturnal Animals
4. Live by Night
5. The Light Between Oceans

Next in line: 6. Fences 7. Miss Sloane 8. The Lost City of Z 9. Arrival 10. Thank You for Your Service

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

1. Zootopia
2. Kubo and the Two Strings
3. Moana
4. April and the Extraordinary World
5. Sausage Party

Next in line: 6. Finding Dory 7. The Red Turtle 8. The Secret Life of Pets 9. The Little Prince 10. Kung Fu Panda 3

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

1. Silence
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
3. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
4. La La Land
5. Live by Night

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

1. Silence
2. La La Land
3. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
4. Live by Night
5. Arrival

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

1. Silence
2. La La Land
3. Alice Through the Looking Glass
4. Live by Night
5. Rules Don’t Apply

BEST FILM EDITING

1. La La Land
2. Manchester by the Sea
3. Silence
4. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
5. Live by Night

BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

1. Suicide Squad
2. Alice Through the Looking Glass
3. Star Trek Beyond

BEST SOUND MIXING

1. La La Land
2. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
3. Jason Bourne
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
5. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

BEST SOUND EDITING

1. La La Land
2. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
3. Jason Bourne
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
5. Deadpool

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

1. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
2. The BFG
3. Captain America: Civil War
4. The Jungle Book
5. Arrival

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

1. Arrival
2. The Light Between Oceans
3. Silence
4. Live by Night
5. Loving

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

1. La La Land
2. Sing Street
3. Moana
4. Sausage Party
5. Zootopia

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

1. The 13th
2. Weiner
3. OJ: Made in America
4. Life, Animated
5. Voyage of Time

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEATURE

1. Toni Erdmann
2. Junction 48
3. The Salesman
4. Graduation
5. It’s Only the End of the World

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
4. ???
5. ???

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
4. ???
5. ???

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
4. ???
5. ???

Stay tuned for another update to these early Oscar predictions sometime over the course of the next month, right around the start of the fall festival season!

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Miles Teller: His best performances so far

One of my favorite young actors, Miles Teller has been gaining steam as emerging A-lister over the last couple of years. This week, Teller is getting the same treatment that fellow near A-lister Jonah Hill got from me a few days ago from yours truly, in honor of their upcoming film War Dogs. Teller is very good in the film, as he pretty much always is, and even if it probably won’t launch his star any higher, it’s another interesting role in his quickly growing oeuvre. He deserves the attention, that’s for sure, so we’ll be showering him with it a bit more today…

Once again for those of you who are curious, War Dogs is dramedy about two young men who became unlikely gun runners. It’s based on the true story of David Packouz (Teller) and Efraim Diveroli (Hill), who inexplicably won a $300 million contract from the United States and the Pentagon to arm America’s allies in Afghanistan. From there, chaos ensues. Todd Phillips directs and co-writes with Stephen Chin and Jason Smilovic, while the rest of the cast includes Ana de Armas, Bradley Cooper (in what I believe is just a cameo), Steve Lantz, Kevin Pollak, Shaun Toub, and many more. Cliff Martinez contributes the score, while the cinematography comes by way of Lawrence Sher.

Here’s a selection about Teller from his Spotlight on the Stars piece I did back in 2014:

Teller got his start pretty quickly when, after only a few appearances in shorts and a guest spot on the TV show The Unusuals, he was cast in a main supporting part opposite Nicole Kidman in Rabbit Hole. An Oscar player all season long, folks immediately took note of this kid, naming him someone to watch. If they only knew how right they were. In fact, less than a half decade later, he’s already turned in a couple of performances that are miles (no pun intended) above this high bar. He next showcased some dancing skills in the Footloose remake and had an odd cameo/supporting role in Project X, two movies that let him stretch out from the dark dramatic work he debuted with. The best was still yet to come though.Teller really established himself when he blew people away in The Spectacular Now. Playing a wise cracking teen who lives in the moment but comes to find that existence hollow due to his relationship with Shailene Woodley’s good hearted character, Teller stretched and wins you over in a big way. It’s a touching performance in a nearly perfect film. Teller and Woodley have tremendous chemistry and this was the role that I feel started the actor off on this path to the A-list. Since then, he’s had a few comedies/romantic comedies in 21 & Over, That Awkward Moment, and Two Night Stand (which happens to be much better than you’d expect and well worth seeking out) that have showcased him either as a comedian or as a romantic lead, while he’s also taken a big step into the mainstream with a notable part in the epic Divergent. The success of Divergent as well as its sequels was his entrance to the big A-list rankings, though he left us all stunned with his work in the drama Whiplash. Alongside J.K. Simmons (who gives one of the very best performances of 2014, if not the best), Teller essays the best performance of his career as a drum student going up against his instructor. It’s a magnificent bit of acting.”

Here now is how I would rank his ten best performances to date:

10. Project X
9. Footloose
8. War Dogs
7. That Awkward Moment
6. Get a Job
5. 21 and Over
4. Two Night Stand
3. Rabbit Hole
2. The Spectacular Now
1. Whiplash

Be sure to check out Teller in War Dogs, in theaters starting tomorrow!

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Hollywood Contenders: Looking at potential Best Animated Feature contenders

Today, for the next installment of my weekly category by category contender rundown, I’m moving on from the big eight temporarily. Yes, I’ve gone beyond those categories (I’ll return to finish up with the last screenplay category during the coming week) and am now looking at one of the in between ones…namely the Best Animated Feature race. It’s one of the last ones that I’m going to do (still deciding on if the technical categories are getting their moment in the sun or not), at least before I take another look at the main races towards the winter, so I hope you enjoy, as always…

Since there are far less contenders in this category as a general rule, with this year being no exception, I’ll be doing things a little bit differently than normal. Here now are the five particular animated films that I have cracking the unofficial lineup at this point in the year:

1. Zootopia – I don’t think there’s a strong frontrunner right now, but if there is, it’s probably this slightly surprising Disney smash hit. Upon release, it was heavily praised for working in social commentary and a message of tolerance that set it apart, so there’s every chance that voters see that as a difference maker in the end. Nothing is set in stone, but I think this is a fairly safe prediction for Animated Feature at this point. It may not remain in the pole position all season, but here in August, it just fits. This wouldn’t be an all time great winner, but it wouldn’t be an embarrassing one either.

2. April and the Extraordinary World – There’s always something a bit classier like this taking up a slot, and I’ve heard nothing but excellent things about this one, so it’s my current runner up. The film is a GKids release, and that’s always something that Oscar pays attention to. It doesn’t necessarily translate into a win, but a nomination is very doable. There are no guarantees, but at the current moment in time, I’d be surprised if this one get snubbed.

3. Finding Dory – As sort of a default choice, you could easily have this sequel in the top spot. You could also foresee it missing, so I’ve split the difference here. The latest from Pixar was well liked, but perhaps not as beloved as it would need to be in order to secure a win. I’ve been toying with leaving it out of my predictions, but that’s a bridge slightly too far for me right now. We’ll see what happens in the months to come, but while this isn’t Finding Nemo quality, it likely won’t be ignored in the same way as something like Monsters University.

4. Moana – A bit of an X factor in my eyes, it could be a flick more likely to make a play in Best Original Song, but anything is possible, and you certainly could see it wind up as a bit time player. Another Disney release, the studio might have to make choices about where to prioritize, and how confident they are in this more original property could dictate how much of a push Finding Dory or Zootopia get. A lot remains to be seen here with this contender, so stay tuned!

5. Sausage Party – Yes, it’s probably more likely that a movie like Kubo and the Two Strings makes it in than this raunch-fest (or maybe even something like The Little Prince or The Secret Life of Pets), but as perhaps the funniest comedy of 2016 so far, it’s certainly in play. The possibility of an Original Song citation as well helps its case, no doubt about that. Sony is going to be putting money into a campaign, both in Animated Feature as well as in Original Song, so watch out for this one…

Next in line I’d have these ten contenders (just sans my commentary here) for Best Animated Feature:

6. Kubo and the Two Strings
7. The Red Turtle
8. The Secret Life of Pets
9. The Little Prince
10. Kung Fu Panda 3
11. Sing
12. The Angry Birds Movie
13. Storks
14. Miss Hokusai
15. Trolls

Finally, here’s five more players to wind up with a top 20 overall for the category:

16. Ice Age: Collision Course
17. Phantom Boy
18. The Girl without Hands
19. Henchmen
20. Ratchet & Clank

Stay tuned for the last of the big eight categories next week!

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