Awards Season Preview

Fall.  That time of year when smaller movies suddenly get a lot of attention, hoping that that attention will propel them into the awards conversation.  Usually if such a movie finally gets released near me I'll try and go see it.  If it ends up being nominated for Best Picture or if it's a movie that's almost guaranteed a Best Picture nomination I make sure I seek it out.  As I've said in other posts, sometimes these movies are good.  Other times...not so much.  Since I don't live in that big of a city, sometimes it takes a little while for a movie to get to a theater near me.  So here are a handful of movies either currently doing the festival circuit or have simply yet to be released that are creating a lot of buzz this year.  

 

BIRDMAN (R) - limited release Oct. 17
An aging actor (Michael Keaton), once known for playing a superhero, is battling his own ego, career, friends, and family as he attempts to mount a comeback by putting on a Broadway play.  Co-starring Emma Stone, Edward Norton, Zach Galifianakis, Naomi Watts, and Amy Ryan.  Coming out of the Telluride and Venice Film Festivals, some pundits are putting this as the front runner for Best Picture and that both Keaton and Norton are locks for acting nominations.  The trailer looks...different, to say the least.    

BOYHOOD (R) - out now
Shot in 45 days over a period of 12 years, 'Boyhood' is a series of vignettes that chronicles various events in the life of Mason (Ellar Coltrane), from the age of six through the age of nineteen and heading off to college.  Co-starring Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Lorelei Linklater.  The latest from Richard Linklater, the director of 'Dazed & Confused' and 'School of Rock'.  So far this is the best reviewed movie of the year, currently sitting at 99% on RT and a perfect 100 on Metacritic.  So even though it's out now, why haven't I went to see it yet?  Simply put I just haven't made my way downtown to the artsy movie theater for a 2 hour, 45 minute movie.  Judging by the trailer it doesn't look half bad.    

FOXCATCHER (R) - limited release Nov. 14
Based on the true story of Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum), an Olympic wrestler whose relationship with sponsor John du Pont (Steve Carell) and brother Dave Schultz (Mark Ruffalo) would lead to unlikely circumstances.  From Bennett Miller, the director of 'Moneyball' and 'Capote'.  Just go to YouTube right now and watch the trailer for this.  Definitely a change of pace in the careers of Steve Carell and Channing Tatum.  

FURY (R) - wide release Oct. 17
'Fury' follows a WWII tank battalion led by Sgt. Don "Wardaddy" Collier (Brad Pitt) as they are outgunned and outnumbered deep inside Nazi Germany.  The rest of Wardaddy's crew for their particular tank consists of "Walking Dead"'s Jon Bernthal, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, and Michael Pena.  From David Ayer, director of 'End of Watch' and the recent Schwarzenegger bomb 'Sabotage'.  Definitely looks dark, to say the least.    

GONE GIRL (R) - wide release Oct. 3
Based on the book of the same name by Gillian Flynn, 'Gone Girl' follows a woman's (Rosamund Pike) disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, with more and more attention being turned onto her husband (Ben Affleck) when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.  Co-starring Neil Patrick Harris and Tyler Perry.  From David Fincher, the director of 'Fight Club', 'The Social Network', and the American remake of 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'.  Haven't read the book, but David Fincher knows what he's doing with this particular genre and the trailer looks good.  

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING (PG-13) - limited release Nov. 7
Biopic of Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) based on the memoir of his first wife Jane Hawking (Felicity Jones).  This chronicles their relationship, his rise to being a renowned physicist, and his diagnosis.  This made a huge splash at the Toronto International Film Festival, and the Academy always loves biopics.  The trailer makes it look like a fairly routine biopic, but the performances look like they could be good.  

UNBROKEN - wide release Christmas Day
Based on the non fiction book of the same name by Lauren Hillebrand (author of 'Seabiscuit'), 'Unbroken' tells the true story of Olympic athlete Louis Zamperini (Jack O'Connell), who during WWII survives a plan crash, spends 47 days out at sea battling the elements, and then spends the next few years in a Japanese POW camp.  I had to read the book for my WWII Pacific Theater class at Ball State, so this is one I will definitely be checking out.  It helps that the trailer looks great.  

WHIPLASH (R) - limited release Oct. 10
A young jazz drummer (Miles Teller) attends one of the best music schools in the country under the tutelage of the school’s fearsome maestro of jazz (J.K. Simmons), who pushes his students above and beyond their limits.  This made a splash at Sundance earlier this year so it'll be interesting to see if it keeps up the awards buzz throughout the rest of the year.  Not gonna lie, the trailer is a little intense.  And very good. 

WILD (R) - limited release Dec. 5
Based on the memoir by Cheryl Strayed, 'Wild' follows Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon, who also co-produces) as she hikes the Pacific Crest Trail alone after she goes through a divorce, her mom dying, and years of some rather destructive habits.  It's from the director of last year's vastly overrated 'Dallas Buyers Club'.  I don' know.  The trailer doesn't look all that bad but if it's similar to 'Dallas Buyers Club' in terms of pacing than I'll pass.  Unless it gets nominated for Best Picture.