2012 Oscar Contenders

Here are some of the films that could be the next big winner for the 84th Academy Award show.

The Tree of Life

 

Director: Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, The New World)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Sean Penn

Reasons It’s a Contender:

This was a film tagged as a possible Oscar contender for the 2011 Award show season; however, Malick’s picture was ineligible for the 83^rd Oscars. The anticipation was very high for this movie, too, as distribution issues constantly delayed it. Tree was finally able to premiere at Cannes Film Festival. Once the film finished, it was reported that it drew both cheers as well as boos from the crowd. Regardless, Tree took home the Palme d’Or, or in layman’s terms, the best film featured at Cannes. A humbling story exploring the depths of the human psyche, and reflecting on life, love, and loss definitely does sound like a strong Award show contender. The film led by Malick and helped by the usual strong acting from Pitt and Penn should help give Tree some steam come the Award show season. Tree is also easily one of the best films of the summer of 2011.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

Tree is a rather polarizing movie, as non-linear, abstract stories like this one do not really do well during Award season. While it holds overall positive reviews, this film will most likely have a bit of difficulty garnering the attention it needs to be a strong contender when the Award race heats up. Being released in the summer really doesn’t help its chances either.

Release Date: 27 May 2011

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. II

Director: David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 1)

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint

Reasons It’s a Contender:

While Potter probably won’t be up for very few, if any, Oscars, it could be a dark horse for Best Picture. Why? Well, even though the Academy doesn’t usually give out “favors,” Potter could be given a nommy just out of desperation to one, get more viewers, and two, as a tribute to the contribution the Potter franchise gave to cinephiles everywhere. While this is a long shot, other “smaller” award categories, such as Visual Effects, Cinematography, etc., are not out of the question.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

While Potter and pals have been a dynamo in Hollywood, the Academy has always shied away. Even though Potter is the highest grossing franchise of all time, money doesn’t buy awards… Only Half-Blood Prince has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.

Release Date: 15 July 2011

Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy

Director: Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In- 2008)

Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch

Reasons It’s a Contender:

A riveting spy tale set in the 1970s during the Cold War and based on the acclaimed novel by John Le Carre, Tinker  seems to have all the ingredients to be able to whip up some Award show fun-food. Alfredson has proved his directorial chops with the critically acclaimed film Let the Right One In, and Soldier, Spy should allow him the mainstream success he deserves. Oldman, Firth, Hardy, Strong, Hurt, and the rising star of Cumberbatch are an all-star cast that should also help this project.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

Well, thrillers aren’t usually well received come Award show season. Although… this film does look to be a strong contender. It really depends on how this film becomes marketed. If it comes off as a money maker rather than a stylish drama, the Academy may avoid Soldier, Spy like the plague. Regardless, Soldier, Spy should be one of the better films of 2011.

Release Date: 16 September 2011

Moneyball

Director: Bennett Miller (Capote)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Robin Wright, Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Reasons It’s a Contender:

At all, Brad Pitt looks fantastic as the charismatic and eccentric general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Billy Beane.But…it could be more than just another feel good sports flick because of Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin is known for penning A Few Good Men and The Social Network, the latter of which burst onto the Hollywood scene last year, and gave the overwhelming favorite, The King’s Speech, a serious run for its Oscar money. Pitt’s performance could definitely carry him to an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The acting chops of Hoffman will also carry this film. Hoffman reunites with Miller, who has a Best Director and Best Picture nomination under his belt for the Hoffman starring film Capote.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

It seems like it could be easily seen as a feel good, sports story. The clichés and prototypical tropes of said films could be detrimental to a deep award show run. I almost impossible see Pitt’s or Hoffman’s performance, Miller’s directing, or Sorkin’s writing being questioned at all. Moneyball should be an early leader in Oscar talks, similar to Sorkin’s other film, The Social Network.

Release Date: 23 September 2011

The Ides of March

Director: George Clooney (Good Night, and Good Luck, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind)

Starring: George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood

Reasons It’s a Contender:

Politics. Dirty Politics. Moral Ambiguity. Those themes tie into the premise of Ides and coupled with superb acting talents of Clooney and Gosling, this film should easily be a top contender for the Oscars. Clooney has displayed that he can not only be a terrific actor, but a skilled director as well. It also helps that he has the talents of Gosling, Giamatti, and Tomei along for the ride. Gosling and Clooney could both be nominated for Best Actor with a chance that Clooney could also grab a Best Director nod. Trashy political films that deal with the corrupting and questioning of the morals and ethics that happen during a campaign should make for an intriguing premise that Oscar folks love

Reasons Its a Pretender:

Perhaps this film could be a little too ambitious… Its premise could be its own demise, as the “politics corrupts” trope is something that audiences see as overly cliché. The cynical view on politics could also turn people off, mainly due to the fact that annoying political trash is happening right now. We don’t really need to go to a movie to hear or see it in action... The acting and directing should be exceptional, regardless of plot clichés.The Ides of March will probably be a film that we will be hearing a lot about come the award show circuits.

Release Date: 7 October 2011

The Rum Diary

Director: Bruce Robinson (Withnail and I)

Starring: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Richard Jenkins, Aaron Eckhart

 

Reasons It’s a Contender:

This Robinson film listed in last years Oscar Watch post, but due to a release date change, The Rum Diary, originally a novel by Hunter S. Thomson, would have been ineligible for the 2011 Oscars. With an end of October release, Diary will be thrust into the thick of the Oscar race. Depp’s performance, playing Paul Kemp, a disenchanted New York journalist, should garner a fair bit of Oscar attention. Thankfully, Depp drops the gimmicky, “Captain Jack” shtick. While this film will be no Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which is also material by Hunter S. Thomson, (and that could be a good thing…) The Rum Diary should have just enough outrageous and provocative substance to keep fans of Las Vegas and Depp thoroughly intrigued. Depp isn’t the only quality star in this film, Jenkins, Eckhart, and Heard help round out this talented cast.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

It could be a little too outrageous and provocative for its own good. While it’s allegedly based on a true-ish story, the antics of and Johnny-Depp-playing-Paul-Kemp character will most likely have a lot of “oh dear, I shouldn’t have laughed at that…” humor. The premise could also be rather disjointed, much like other Thomson-based material. The whole “find your inner strength” type plot could also be a bit tedious as well. That trope definitely was not well received in the movie Eat, Pray, Love.

Release Date: 28 October 2011

A Dangerous Method

Director: David Cronenberg (A History of Violence, Eastern Promises)

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightly

Reasons It’s a Contender:

Cronenberg is due for an Oscar win… Violence and Promises are both excellent, underrated films, both starring Mortensen. Once again, Cronenberg teams up with Aragorn Viggo and Peter Suschitzky, who was Cronenberg’s cinematographer in Easter Promises, in this period piece about two of the greatest philosophical/analytical/psychological minds of the 20^th Century. Mortensen portrays Sigmund Freud, who is battling the wits of his apprentice, Carl Jung, played by Fassbender. Fassbender burst onto the scene playing Erik “Magneto” Lensherr in X-Men: First Class, in which he was one of the few bright spots. The acting chops of Mortensen and Fassbender, along with the psychological material that Cronenberg has to work with, should be an Oscar lock. It also helps to have screenwriter, Christopher Hampton, on board with this ambitious project. Hampton not only wrote the play, The Talking Cure, of which Method is based upon, but he is probably best known for being nominated for his writing work for Atonenment, another beautifully presented period piece. So… Cronenberg + Mortensen + Fassbender + Suschuitzky = Potential Oscar Boom.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

 Well, Cronenberg’s films have been snubbed in the past… While Method should be a sure to attain an Oscar nomination or four, it faces stiff competition from other contenders. Other than that… The source material may be a little too dark. However, that could also be very attractive to Oscar voters. Overall, A Dangerous Method should be one to watch out for come the award circuits.

Release Date: 23 November 2011

J. Edgar

 

 

Director: Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, Gran Torino, Invictus, Hereafter)

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Judie Dench, and Naomi Watts

Reasons It’s a Contender:

One of the most controversial figures in United States history finally gets his much anticipated biopic. It also helps that said figure is played by one of the top actors in Hollywood. DiCaprio under Eastwood’s direction should garner plenty of Oscar attention. Look for Hammer (The Social Network) to share some of that limelight with Eastwood and DiCaprio. Even though Eastwood denies it, J. Edgard could very well deal heavily with the allegations that Hoover was a closeted homosexual. While it may not go as far as having DiCaprio cross-dress, the script is written by Dustin Lance Black, who also wrote the script for Milk, which dealt with the openly gay politician, Harvey Milk, so I would have to suspect that Hoover’s sexuality will be incorporated into the film. Judi Dench also lends a hand as Hoover’s mother.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

Recent Eastwood works have been unfortunately snubbed at various award shows, and J. Edgar could follow suit. While DiCaprio is a phenomenal actor… And it seems that he’s incorporating his Dom Cobb character into his Hoover character… The makeup for the elder Hoover scenes also looks less-than-convincing. While J. Edgar should grab some Oscar attention, it may not have enough to separate itself from an already crowded award show race.

Release Date: 14 December 2011

The Iron Lady

Director: Phyllida Lloyd (Macbeth, Mamma Mia!)

Starring: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent

Reasons It’s a Contender:

 Meryl Streep playing, well, anyone will be enough to grab Oscar headlines. Streep performing as the polarizing British politician, Margaret Thatcher, will definitely garner some Oscar attention. Let’s think of another period biopic that was on a British politician… Oh yeah, The King’s Speech. That one film that swept Oscar voters off their feet, and won huge. Coincidently, The Weinstein Company is distributing Iron Lady, as it did with The King’s Speech. While Speech was helped by Firth’s excellent performance, Streep isn’t what you would consider an acting slouch.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

 Well, after the distributor, top actors, and their British-ness, the comparisons between The King’s Speech and Iron Lady end quite abruptly.  While The King’s Speech burst onto the scene with a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival, Iron Lady is already receiving some flak from Thatcher’s family. The portrayal of Thatcher in frail health will also be interesting, as reactions will probably be negative. Oh, and Streep isn’t British. Sure she’s a fantastic worldwide name, but for a film that needs to be as authentic and as evocative as possible (Oscar ingredients…), having a British actress playing a British PM would have been preferred. All-in-all, Iron Lady will probably help Streep receive her 16th Oscar nomination, and possibly even win her 3rd Oscar trophy.

 Release Date: 16 December 2011

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Director: David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network)

Starring: Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Robin Wright

Reasons It’s a Contender:

While the original, Swedish version came not but a few years ago, the English version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo should be just as critically acclaimed as its predecessor. Boasting a solid cast, led by the emerging star Mara, and an excellent director in Fincher, Dragon Tattoo should be a force to be reckoned with come the award shows circuit. With dark, gritty, in-your-face source material that Oscar people eat up, Dragon Tattoo definitely has a legitimate chance at grabbing some awards.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

 Well… It’s not exactly the typical Oscar fare… It may be too dark and drab for even the morbid-loving Oscar voters. It’s been four years since a pretty depressing film won the top prize at the Academy Awards (No Country for Old Men). Being promoted as the “Feel Bad Movie of the Season” isn’t exactly going to help this aspect either… While Fincher is a fantastic director, Oscar voters tend to shy away from his films, as again, they’re not the typical Oscar go-around. Also, the fact that the ridiculously highly acclaimed Swedish version was just out… The whole remake thing is probably going to hurt Dragon Tattoo’s Oscar chances as well.

Release Date: 21 December 2011

War Horse

Director: Steven Spielberg (Everything you’ve ever heard of…)

Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Benedict Cumberbatch

Reasons It’s a Contender:
Touching story? Check. Touching war story? Check. Touching animal story? Check. Strong cast with up-and-comers mixed with veterans? Check. Gorgeous landscape shots? Check. Iconic director? Check. Epic music? Double check. War Horse seems to have all the right ingredients to stir up some Oscar buzz. From Spielberg’s deft directorial touch, mixed with what should be a gorgeously shot film, War Horse is definitely a movie that should be a force to be reckoned with come Award season.

Reasons It’s a Pretender:
While Dragon Tattoo is far from a stereotypical Oscar film, War Horse is dripping with Academy Award sentiment that it may end up hurting the film in the long run. Seriously. Look at the trailer. It’s just oozing Oscar goo all over you… With all the schmaltz and majesty, War Horse should be a strong Oscar favorite, but ultimately it falls short because, well, it’s just trying too hard.

Release Date: 28 December 2011

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Director: Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher)

Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller

Reasons It’s a Contender:

Obscure, indie films on dark subject matter are usually gobbled up by Oscar audiences (see Winter’s Bone), and We Need to Talk About Kevin is just that. Based on the book with the same title, Kevin follows the perspective of a mother whose son shoots up a school. Yikes. Talk about a character study! While it did not take home the top prize at Cannes (that went to Malick’s Tree of Life), Kevin did receive high praise from the critics. Led by a strong cast, Kevin could get its name tossed around by Award show voters.

 

Reasons It’s a Pretender:

It might be too much of a fairly obscure, indie flick. This one more like last year’s Winter Bone, an independent film that gets lauded by critics, gathers some Academy Awards, but ultimately, never really becomes a serious player.

Release Date: TBA in U.S.; 12 May 2011 (Cannes)