Oscar Update: 'Up In the Air,' 'The Road,' 'A Serious Man' and Robert Duvall?
A lot has happened but does it mean much?
Finally, what about the Coen brothers and their very well received first screenings of A Serious Man? After all, what would a No Country year at the Oscars be without the Coens?
Todd McCarthy's review of A Serious Man at Variety uses a lot of words, but really says nothing. Kirk Honeycutt at The Hollywood Reporter joins McCarthy in debating box-office and giving away the story but says very little when it comes to a concise opinion of the film's quality.
Jeff Wells is much quicker to the point saying:
Joel and Ethan Coen's A Serious Man is a brilliant LQTM black comedy that out-misanthropes Woody Allen by a country mile and positively seethes with contempt for complacent religious culture (in this case '60s era Minnesota Judaism). I was knocked flat in the best way imaginable and have put it right at the top of my Coen-best list. God, it's such a pleasure to take in something this acidic and well-scalpeled. The Coens are fearless at this kind of artful diamond-cutting.
If that sounds like he's taking it too far, Kris Tapley at In Contention joins in the praise in much the same way saying, "In my view, it is the finest Coen film since Fargo and, perhaps, since Barton Fink. It is without question the siblings' most personal film to date, an exploration of the 'What does it all mean?' thoughts that plague each of us on a daily basis."
Want more? Ed Douglas at Coming Soon isn't as in love with it. The folks at Twitch tossed up a positive review, as did Monika Bartyzel at Cinematical and Scott Feinberg at And the Winner Is, but The Auteurs weren't entirely convinced saying, "[We aren't saying] A Serious Man is not supremely entertaining, very funny, or strikingly composed — like Haneke, the Coens sure know how to make movies — but the expressive element of the movie is entirely missing."
For even more with A Serious Man check out the photo spread at The New York Times. Also, Jeff Wells has posted a 13 minute audio interview with the brothers.
So what does all this add up to? Well, Up In the Air continues to move up my Best Picture prediction charts and A Serious Man and The Road are both making their debut as is Where the Wild Things Are, if not merely as a dark horse ten spot contender.
The Road, it turns out, has been met with some seriously interesting opinions, many of which referring to it as "bleak" and using that word as a way to award it or downplay it, but considering that is the point it may come down to your taste in movies and the atmosphere they provide. One thing's for certain, I have seen only one truly negative review of the film and I continue to hear Viggo Mortensen's name mentioned as a possible contender and then there seems to be a new movement for Robert Duvall.
John Foote at In Contention is the first to bring it all up as he mentions the buzz spreading for Duvall for not only what is said to be a small, but transformative performance in The Road, but also a film called Get Low, directed by Aaron Schneider. Foote writes:
As I interviewed Duvall in the Park Hyatt Hotel, there was a distribution deal taking place downstairs so there is a very good chance the film will be seen this fall. If so, the landscape of the Best Actor race has just changed. I think Duvall has to be considered the frontrunner for this miraculous performance. Again, the man proves he is perhaps our greatest actor, and in the words of the great acting guru Sanford Meisner, has been for a very long time.
Tapley at In Contention also weighs in, Betsy Sharkey has an interesting story about the casting of Bill Murray in the film at The Los Angeles Times and at The Hollywood Reporter, Kirk Honeycutt reviews the film, but isn't high enough on Duvall to go as far as the In Contention boys saying only, "Duvall is his cantankerous best as the old man who turns out to be more scared than scary," and saying the film "comes briefly to life but lacks a dramatic conclusion."
I attached a clip from Get Low just to the right and a couple images from the film right here. The film centers on a Tennessee hermit named Felix Bush (Duvall) who decides to throw his own funeral party while he's still alive and also stars Lucas Black and Sissy Spacek.
Grant Heslov's The Men Who Stare at Goats also began screening at the festivals, but to no real acclaim as much as just appreciative clapping. Jane Campion's Bright Star is starting to get mixed reviews, An Education is staying alive, Precious remains in the hunt and after seeing The Informant! Matt Damon is going to slip a couple more notches on my Best Actor predictions and the film will drop completely off my Best Picture predictions.
Now, for one final note and perhaps one of the silliest quotes I read these past few weeks despite all the hyperbole for Up In the Air, comes from none other than Rolling Stone's Peter Travers whom has seen 40 minutes of James Cameron's Avatar and Rolling Stone recaps a video message (watch here) from Travers:
With the Academy Awards' Best Picture category expanded from five films to 10, James Cameron's Avatar, the Titanic director's first film since, well, Titanic, seems like a lock for a nod. The less-than-impressive teaser trailer already has the movie-loving message boards worried, but Travers insists that after seeing 40 minutes of the "spectacular" 3D footage, it's Cameron's Best Picture category to lose. Also in the Oscar hunt are Jason Reitman's Up in the Air, which might net George Clooney a Best Actor trophy, and the musical Nine, which stars Daniel Day Lewis and is partly based on Federico Fellini's 8 1/2.
I don't really know what to say, but someone who has been doing this as long as Travers should realize seeing 40 minutes of a potential three-hour movie means nothing. There have been a lot of curious articles surrounding Avatar to this point and all of them involve some journalist getting ecstatic over the film after seeing a mere preview. The same kind of preview I saw at Comic Con (which was 26 minutes) and the same kind of preview audiences saw on "Avatar Day". However, Travers is the only one talking about the film in such terms so I guess he will either look like a genius or his ravings will be soon forgotten. Also, if you're interested he recently took to cursing the name of Paramount for moving Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island out of awards contention. You can get that one here.
So there, I hope that was enough for you to take in as it was certainly a lot to write. You can check out all my latest Oscar Predictions by visiting The Contenders or clicking on any one of the following links to get started. Each opens in a new window so just close the window to return to this post.
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Yes, do add Robert Duvall to your list. In fact, put him at the top. His performance in Get Low, which premiered at TIFF on the weekend, is astonishingly good in his normal under-stated,but complex way. It is at least as good as Tender Mercies or The Apostle.
I noticed, Brad. Yes, indeed, I noticed no mention of "Bright Star." Still of the same mind about it? I'm waiting to hear…and braced for it. I'm signed up for a screening of it in Chicago next week.
The little I've seen of "Precious" has me very interested. Everyone talks awards for it. Is anyone predicting box office? What I would like is to actually see it.
"An Education" is growing on me. But I'm not particularly interested in "Avatar" or "The Road." I'm awaiting the reaction to the full experience of "Where the Wild Things Are."
This week has been great in terms of making me excited for the Award season. I thought this was going to be a total down year for cinema (considering the weak summer), but some of these films look like they could be fantastic.
Duvall's role is quite intriguing simply because it came out of nowhere. That could be a pick that the Academy really loves. Time will tell. Great article.
Is Biutiful still coming out this year?
There are two films that keep looking better and better too me. An Education and Up In the Air. They seem to be the little films that will go all the way. Tree of Life is either going to be great or a flop.
I watched 'The Road' earlier today, and I wouldn't consider it to be a strong contender for a Best Picture nom. I liked it, though. Viggo certainly put in a strong performance, so he is a true possibility. Also, at the Toronto premiere, Kodi Smit-McPhee got a standing ovation, so I have trouble counting him out entirely.
A Serious Man was wonderful. It was rather funny, and had a nice dose of Coen Bro's literary irony. I think it is a very strong contender for Best Picture (nomination) and Original Screenplay, but I'm not really feeling a direction nom.
An Education was very good (but you already know that, Brad). Lone Scherfig was enchanting at my screening in the Q & A, but I wasn't very impressed with her contribution to the film.
I liked Broken Embraces, but I don't think it is a contender for anything in particular.
I didn't think Whip It! was very good at all, but was pleasantly surprised tp find that Kristin Wiig had the second-most screen time (After Ellen) and did a nice job.
Up In the Air… was increible! I absolutely loved it, and think it is an easy shoo-in for nominations in Picture, Direction, Writing, and Editing, and perhaps a win or two as well. I'm not sure Clooney's performance was enough to get him into the 5 nominations, and I certainly don't think Kenndrick was good enough, but Vera Farmiga was very good, and has great potential for a nomination. I adored this film, and I loved it even more for what Reitman shared in the Q & A after the film, which I'll share if it comes up once the film comes out. I adored this film.
Finally, I talked to quite a few other TIFF-attendees, and they all thought Precious was brilliant, so you're spot-on there. I really heard very little about Get Low, despite it being a major premiere. And lastly, don't forget about Atom Negoyan's 'Chloe'. It was very well received in Toronto.