With September and October in
the books, friend and co-writer Greg Rouleau (Reel True) dissects the most Oscar-worthy titles coming to
the big screen in November. And if all goes according to plan, November could
give us plenty of films to be thankful for.
Interstellar
Release Date: November 7th, 2014
Starring: Matthew
McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain
The Scoop: The latest trailer for Christopher Nolan’s latest feature
finally revealed some of the spectacle behind the sci-fi blockbuster, as well
as a touching look at the emotion behind the plot which, at its core, is a
story of a father and daughter. Matthew
McConaughey - who could take home an Emmy in the same year in which he won an
Oscar, by the time Interstellar hits theaters – leads this fine
ensemble. Some technical
nominations should be a given, but the big question is whether or not it’ll get
Nolan that elusive first Best Director nomination. If reception is strong, it could be a
big player in the top categories.
Potential Nominations: Best Picture
and Director are possibilities, along with Cinematography, Score, Visual
Effects and Sound
Rosewater
Release Date: November 7th, 2014
Starring: Gael
Garcia Bernal
The
Scoop: Little is known about Rosewater at this time, other than Jon
Stewart was moved enough by the story to take a hiatus from his duties behind
the desk at the Daily Show last summer in order to direct the political
thriller. The only available description of the plot states it’s about a
journalist who is detained and tortured in an Iranian prison for 100
days. It’ll be very interesting to see how the typically comedic Stewart
handles such a serious subject matter. Gael Garcia Bernal tackles the
starring role of the journalist, and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo is also
on board. The film will debut at the Toronto Film Festival this September
with a November release date for the US.
Potential Nominations: If the dramatics are just right, Best Picture and
Director have an outside chance of being in the cards.
Foxcatcher
Release Date: November 14th, 2014
Starring: Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark
Ruffalo
The Scoop: The long-awaited third feature from Bennett Miller will
finally hit US theaters in November after being pushed out of the 2013 calendar
to allow Miller time to perfect the final product. It debuted at Cannes earlier this
year, where it received rave reviews as well as the Best Director
prize. Early word has
it pegged as a showcase for some revelatory performances including typical
funnyman, Steve Carell, playing the dark, twisted Jon du Pont, and superstar on
the rise, Channing Tatum, who could make everyone a believer - if he hasn’t
yet, with his dedicated turn as Mark Schultz.
Potential Nominations: It's reasonable to expect nods in the
Best Picture, Director, Actor (Carell and
Tatum), Supporting Actor (Ruffalo), Screenplay and even Editing
The Imitation Game
Release Date: November 21st, 2014
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley
The Scoop: Biopics can be a tricky game. While a subject may seem fascinating
on paper, it doesn’t always translate to the big screen. Take for instance, last year’s The Fifth Estate, which was DOA
after some early negative critical reception. The star of that film, Benedict
Cumberbatch, returns to the biography genre again this year in The Imitation Game, which
chronicles the life of British mathematician and codebreaker, Alan Turing
during World War II.
Potential
Nominations: While I
reserve some skepticism, Best Picture and Director are within question and the
most possible recognition will be for Cumberbatch (Best Actor). Knightley also
has an outside chance in the Supporting Actress race
Fury
Release Date: November 14th, 2014
Starring: Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman and Shia LaBeouf
The Scoop: It seems World War II is a popular setting for the fall
movie season. One of the
major war films to keep an eye on is David Ayer’s Fury. Brad Pitt plays Wardaddy, the
leader of a young crew, which includes Shia LaBeouf and Logan Lerman, that he
must lead behind enemy lines with their Sherman Tank, Fury. Ayer, the director of End of Watch, has displayed a deft hand at
directing action and violence and he could find himself as a dark horse in the
Best Director category. Brad
Pitt and Logan Lerman look to be the ones in the conversation for acting
nominations.
Potential
Nominations: Fury appears to hold a strong chance in the Best Picture,
Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and Sound categories, while the acting
races are a more distant possibility.
A Most Violent Year
Release Date: November 18th, 2014
Starring: Oscar Issac, Jessica Chastain and David
Oyelowo
The Scoop: JC Chandor is certainly a director to keep an eye on. His first feature, Margin Call, earned him an
original screenplay Oscar nomination and his sophomore effort, All is Lost, received rave
reviews, despite only earning one sound Oscar nomination. The one-man show with Robert Redford
proved that Chandor has some serious skill behind the camera and for his next
project he’s lined up some impressive talent once again. Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain star
as an immigrant couple attempting to navigate the chaotic world of 1981 New
York City, which is statistically one of the most violent years on
record. There’s a chance
the film could be pushed back to 2015, however, as there’s still been no
trailer or press releases yet. With
Telluride and the AFI festival still looming it could possibly snag a spot at
one of those, but if not, we can definitely put this in the Oscar contenders
for next year.
Potential Nominations: The film has a chance in almost every
major category if it makes it out in 2014. Best Picture, Director, Actor
(Issac), Supporting Actress (Chastain) and Original Screenplay seem feasible
*** Stay tuned tomorrow for a look at December's potential Oscar
releases
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