I love autumn. Not just because the leaves will be turning and I get to break out my cute sweaters, but also because it is the official kickoff of the film industry's awards season. There have already been a few film festivals that present awards, including the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. You probably don't know that Milwaukee has a festival as well, which mostly features documentaries and short films from filmmakers around the world. It runs September 27 until October 11.
Back to this year's Hollywood awards race. So far this year, in my opinion, there haven't been too many films that have screamed "Oscar". The ones with the best odds seem to be "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Moonrise Kingdom". But, that's all about to change in the coming weeks.
Normally, I don't write about movies, since it's hard to use your own photography when doing do. But since this is also being used as my "Q" post for Alphabe-Thursday, I thought this would be a great way to talk about the movies I'm excited to see and what is on the critics' radars as potential Oscar nominees and winners. I've been scanning websites such as The Gold Derby to see what the critics have been saying about the upcoming fall/winter films, and I have compiled a Top 10 list, chronologically, of what has the best odds come awards season. You can click on the titles to see all of the information IMDb.com has on the films.
1) The Master (starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman & Joaquin Phoenix; Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson) - September 14 (limited release). A film about a troubled WWII veteran (Phoenix) taken in by a "cult leader" (Hoffman) could net Phoenix his first Academy Award as Best Actor, having been nominated in 2006 for "Walk The Line".
2) Argo (starring Alan Arkin & John Goodman; Co-Starring & Directed by Ben Affleck) - October 12. A CIA infiltrate tries to rescue Americans during the Iranian revolution by sending in a fake movie-making crew. This film, so far, has the best odds at a Best Picture win having been hailed by critics at the Teluride Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.
3) Lincoln (starring Daniel Day-Lewis; Directed by Steven Spielberg) - November 16. Day-Lewis could nab his 3rd Academy Award as Best Actor for his portrayal of the doomed President and his fight to abolish slavery at the end of the Civil War.
4) Cloud Atlas (starring Tom Hanks, Halle Berry & Hugh Grant; Directed by the Wachovski Brothers) - October 26. The team behind "The Matrix" and "Run, Lola, Run" bring you a time-bending drama where the actors play multiple parts, often unrecognizable.
5) Anna Karenina (starring Kiera Knightly & Jude Law; Directed by Joe Wright) - November 16. "Antonement" director Wright brings the Tolstoy novel around for another big-screen adaptation, this time by playwright Tom Stoppard.
6) Silver Linings Playbook (starring Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence; Directed by David O. Russell) - November 21. Mental institution patients Cooper & Lawrence form an instant bond in this comedy-drama that critics have already praised for their multi-layered performances.
7) Life of Pi (directed by Ang Lee) - November 21. Lee, who won the Best Director Oscar for both "Brokeback Mountain" returns with this ambitious cinematic adaptation of Yann Martel's novel about an Indian boy's travels with a hyena, zebra, orangutan and bengel tiger.
8) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (starring Martin Freeman & Ian McKellan; Directed by Peter Jackson) - December 14. Jackson has another go-around with the work of Tolkien for his adaptation of the prequel to "Lord of the Rings".
9) Les Miserables (starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe & Anne Hathaway; Directed by Tom Hooper) - December 14. Expect many nominations for this adaptation of the famous Victor Hugo novel and Tony Award-Winning musical, including Best Costume Design, Production Design and Cinematography.
10) Django Unchained (starring Jamie Foxx & Leonardo DiCaprio; Directed by Quentin Tarentino) - December 25. A former slave (Foxx) seeks vengance against his former owner (DiCaprio) and tries to rescue his wife, from the writer/director of "Pulp Fiction" and "Inglorious Bastards."
Give me your feedback! What I would like to know is, what films are you most excited to see this fall and winter, and what films do you think will get nominations during the upcoming awards season. Please feel free to place your comments below.
