 The latest high-profile film to debut at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival is Inside Llewyn Davis by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, a movie I know many around these parts are greatly looking forward to. I’m more lukewarm on the Coen Brothers overall, but this one is of interest to me. The first wave of Tweets have come in, and most of the movie-goers at Cannes are pleased with what they’ve seen. After the jump you can see some of the initial reactions, and again thanks to Matt Singer of Criticwire. Take a look below.
Read more on ‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ Captivates the crowd at Cannes!…
 Much like last year, since there’s no official Awards Circuit presence over at the Cannes Film Festival, I plan to bring you the initial reactions to some of the high profile movies making their debuts. First up we have Sofia Coppola’s latest film The Bling Ring, which stars Emma Watson and features in its cast folks like Kirsten Dunst, Leslie Mann, and more. So far, it’s opened to a mixed bag of initial reactions on Twitter (along with a few officially posted reviews). You can find a sample of those quick responses after the jump (Thanks to Matt Singer at Criticwire for finding these for his initial report), but stay tuned for much more on The Bling Ring…
Read more on Twitter Reactions Erupt for Sofia Coppola’s ‘The Bling Ring’ From Cannes!…
 A film that is already on Oscar’s radar before it even opens is Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station starring Michael B. Jordan and Octavia Spencer. Terence gave positive feedback about the film out of the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. While the buzz is high for the film’s chances during awards season, this is one of many films the Weinstein Company has on their plate in 2013. Other notable acquired films include August: Osage County, which had a trailer released recently, Lee Daniels’ The Butler, and the Grace Kelly biopic, Grace of Monaco with Nicole Kidman. The film won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award back in January.
The first trailer has dropped exclusively from Yahoo! and it features what is sure to be a tension filled film full of emotion. Displayed prominently in the trailer is the talented and beautiful Melonie Diaz, an actress that garnered my attention in Dito Montiel’s classic film A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006). Michael B. Jordan, best known for his performance as Steve Montgomery in Chronicle (2012) has taken the lion’s share of citations from critics that have seen it. If he is as good as many say he is, perhaps the summer release will give him enough time to gain momentum until the Oscar nominations. Very early to tell but if I had a guess, I think he may result in the same manner of Derek Luke when he wowed critics, quietly I might add, for his performance in Phillip Noyce’s Catch a Fire (2006). Nevertheless, I’m on board for the film and can’t wait to see it.
The film opens July 16th. Read more on ‘Fruitvale Station’ Trailer Shows a Promising Michael B. Jordan for Oscar Consideration!…
 August: Osage County is one of the most anticipated films of the Oscar season given it’s ensemble cast led by Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts and award winning pedigree (it won the Tony and the Pulitzer Prize). Today on GMA, the Weinstein Company debuted the trailer giving everyone the first look at the material since the test screening held in March. The trailer, while establishing all of the main players, is a more subtle affair, choosing to not play up the acidic wit of Lett’s writing or the really big confrontations, although you do get a glimpse of the dinner scene. Check it out after the jump!
Read more on Watch the first trailer for Weinstein Oscar contender ‘August: Osage County’…
Categories: News, Trailer Tags: Abagail Breslin, August: Osage County, benedict cumberbatch, Chris Cooper, Dermont Mulroney, Ewan McGregor, John Wells, Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Meryl Streep, Misty Upham, news, Oscar hopeful, Sam Shepard, the weinstein company, Tracy Letts, trailer
 For many readers of The Awards Circuit (as well as staff members, I might add), few films are as highly anticipated as this one here. Gravity is the newest film from Alfonso Cuaron and has promised to blow minds and perhaps be the science fiction Oscar player of 2013. Well, the Trailer has hit and…honestly, I’m rather disappointed. Neither Sandra Bullock nor George Clooney showed me too much, and while it looks very strong from a visual standpoint, I can’t help but feel like there should be more to this one. Maybe I’m just on the road towards being surprised, but personally I’m lowering my expectations. Take a look below and then decide for yourself…
Read more on Trailer Drops for Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Gravity’…
 Very few people seem to be as bullish on the Oscar chances of Captain Phillips like I am, but I’ve been pretty consistent in thinking that Paul Greengrass and Tom Hanks could potentially knock this one out of the park. Well, a Trailer has just dropped and it looks like they’ve done just that. Could this turn out to be 2013′s version of Zero Dark Thirty? It’s certainly possible, though we’ll need more than just a two minute look, of course (and there’s no Catherine Keener on hand to judge). So far, I think this looks pretty riveting and I’m digging it. After the jump you can take a gander for yourself. Should others be making room for this flick in their Best Picture predictions? Decide below.
Read more on First Look at Tom Hanks in the Trailer for ‘Captain Phillips’…
 Anyone who looks at a new Alexander Payne film and doesn’t assume that the Academy will nominate it in some way is honestly just blind to history. Aside from Payne’s feature debut Citizen Ruth, every single one of his movies has received at least one Oscar nomination, and a pair of them have won the filmmaker himself an Academy Award for screenwriting. His latest flick Nebraska could very well continue that trend, with an upcoming debut at the Cannes Film Festival our first hint, though the people at Paramount seem to be confident about the work, as they’ve opted to begin its limited release rollout on November 22nd, right in the heart of the awards season. Not only that, but they’ve allowed him to release the picture in black and white as well. A little more after the jump.
Read more on ‘Nebraska’ gets an Oscar friendly release date of November 22nd!…
 Directed by: David O. Russell
Written by: Eric Singer
Cast: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Jennifer Lawrence, Louis C.K., Robert De Niro, Michael Pena, Jack Huston, Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Rohm, Dawn Olivieri, and others…
Synopsis (courtesy of IMDb): The 1970s-set true story of a con artist and his partner in crime, who were forced to work with a federal agent to turn the tables on other cons, mobsters, and politicians – namely, the volatile mayor of impoverished Camden, New Jersey. (formerly the Untitled David O. Russell Abscam Project)
Read more on Awards Profile: American Hustle…
Categories: Award Profile Tags: 2013 releases, Alessandro Nivola, American Hustle, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, David O. Russell, David O. Russell Abscam movie, Eric Singer, Jack Huston, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Michael Pena, Oscar hopeful, Robert De Niro
 Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Written by: Billy Ray
Cast: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, John Magaro, Christopher Stadulis, Max Martini, Michael Chernus, Corey Johnson, Chris Mulkey, Angus MacInnes, David Warshofsky, and Yul Vazquez
Synopsis (courtesy of Coming Soon): Columbia Pictures’ action-thriller “Captain Phillips” stars two-time Oscar® winner Tom Hanks in the true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. The film is directed by Oscar® nominee Paul Greengrass, from a screenplay by Billy Ray and based upon the book, “A Captain’s Duty: Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea,” by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty. The film is produced by Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, and Michael De Luca.
Read more on Awards Profile: Captain Phillips…
 It’s no secret that Terrence Malick is a filmmaker who isn’t for everyone, but up until now it’s always seemed like his movies have at least been for someone. With To the Wonder however, this seems like the type of film he made for him and him alone, resulting in absolutely no enjoyment for the viewer. One only has to look at the scowl on star Ben Affleck’s face throughout most of the film to see how painful an experience Malick’s latest is to experience. That’s about the type of look that I had on while watching the flick. Read more on To the Wonder (*½)…
 High up on my list of films to look forward to in 2013 is Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives, which re-teams him with Ryan Gosling after their successful collaboration Drive two years ago. This time around, it’s a western of sorts, set within the world of underground fighting in Thailand. It’s also got a criminal element to it and looks absolutely gorgeous in its brutality, going by this Red Band Trailer that just dropped. The film also finally has a set release date, which is July 19th, but it might screen at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival too. Check it out after the jump and get excited for the latest pairing between Gosling and Refn! Could Kristin Scott Thomas live up to the Best Supporting Actress hype we’ve made for her?
Read more on Red Band Trailer for Nicolas Winding Refn’s ‘Only God Forgives’…
 There’s something almost mythical about the story being told in The Place Beyond the Pines, Derek Cianfrance’s absolutely brilliant follow-up to his award-winning drama Blue Valentine (2010). Both traditional and unique in its nature, Cianfrance has crafted something just as strong as last time out while focusing on a different subject and painting on a far broader canvas. Again teaming up with Ryan Gosling and once more getting a searing performance out of him, Cianfrance this time has a larger cast which works out to become a powerful ensemble, notably including Bradley Cooper as essentially a co-lead with Gosling. There’s also Emory Cohen, Dane DeHaan, and Eva Mendes on hand for major parts, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Read more on The Place Beyond the Pines (****)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: 2013 releases, Ben Coccio, Ben Mendelsohn, Bradley Cooper, Bruce Greenwood, Dane DeHaan, Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance, Emory Cohen, Eva Mendes, Mahershala Ali, Mike Patton, Oscar hopeful, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne, Ryan Gosling, Sean Bobbitt, The Place Beyond the Pines
 Directed by: Alexander Payne
Written by: Bob Nelson
Cast: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Bob Okenkirk, Stacy Keach, June Squibb
Synopsis (courtesy of IMDb): An aging, booze-addled father makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million dollar Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes prize. Read more on Awards Profile: Nebraska…
Read more on Awards Profile: Nebraska…
 Harvey must have known that we were doing an Awards Profile about his crown jewel August: Osage County yesterday so he went and had a test screening last night! The joys of these here interwebs means that reactions were instantaneous and we’ve rounded up some of the comments. Did the movie excel or fail? Check out the opinions after the jump! Read more on First reactions to ‘August: Osage County’ arrive!…
Categories: Article Tags: Abagail Breslin, August: Osage County, benedict cumberbatch, Chris Cooper, Dermont Mulroney, Ewan McGregor, John Wells, Julia Roberts, Julianne Nicholson, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Meryl Streep, Misty Upham, news, Oscar hopeful, Sam Shepard, secret screening, the weinstein company, Tracy Letts
 Directed By: Steve McQueen
Written By: Steve McQueen and John Ridley
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Paul Dano, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Quvenzhané Wallis, Scoot McNairy, Garrett Dillahunt, Sarah Paulson, Michael Kenneth Williams, Taran Killiam, Dwight Henry, Adepero Oduye, Bryan Batt, Alfre Woodard
Synopsis: 12 Years a Slave is based on the 1853 autobiography of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped in Washington D.C in 1841 and sold into slavery. He worked on plantations in the state of Louisiana for 12 years before his release. Read more on Awards Profile: 12 Years A Slave…
Categories: Award Profile, Blog Tags: Adepero Oduye, Alfre Woodard, Awards Profile, benedict cumberbatch, Brad Pitt, Bryan Batt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dwight Henry, Garrett Dillahunt, John Ridley, Michael Fassbender, Oscar hopeful, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Quvenzhané Wallis, Sarah Paulson, Scoot McNairy, Steve McQueen, Taran Killiam, Twelve Years A Slave
 Directed by: Jason Reitman
Written by: Jason Reitman, based on the novel by Joyce Maynard
Cast: Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin, Gattlin Griffith, Tobey Maguire, Clark Gregg, Tom Lipinski, James Van Der Beek, Alexie Gilmore, Lucas Hedges, Brighid Fleming, Maika Monroe, Brooke Smith, Micah Fowler, and Dylan Minnette
Read more on Awards Profile: Labor Day…
Categories: Award Profile Tags: 2013 releases, Awards Profile, book adaptation, Clark Gregg, Dylan Minnette, Gattlin Griffith, James Van Der Beek, Jason Reitman, Josh Brolin, Kate Winslet, Labor Day, Oscar hopeful, tobey maguire
 The alternate title for this post was going to be ‘Why Channing Tatum is our Next Great Movie Star (and could win an Oscar soon)’ but I decided to spare you all the righteous indignation of it all. I decided to publish this after a lengthy Twitter discussion with Joseph, Joey, Robert, Mark and reader extraordinaire John Rivera regarding Channing Tatum. It started with me asking Joey if C-Tates, who is going to be in the presumed Oscar contender Foxcatcher, would be in a position to be nominated for an Oscar given that most people seem to be predicting big things from the film. It unraveled from there all in 140 characters (you can view the convo here and here) and I thought it might be fun to offer up a defense of the actor and really dig into his awards potential.
Read more on In Defense: Channing Tatum…
 If you’re anything like me, you enjoy watching Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show” at least from time to time. A nearly perfect hybrid of comedy, news, and politics, Stewart has gone from a comedian and sometimes actor to a political satirist, and now he’s making the jump to filmmaker. He’ll be taking a break from the show (supporting cast member John Oliver will be filling in during the eight weeks or so of shows that Stewart is gone) in order to make a movie called Rosewater. It’s an adaptation of the Maziar Bahari memoir “Then They Came for Me: A Family’s Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival“ and has Scott Rudin behind the scenes. Budgeted at about $30 million or so, this apparently seems like serious stuff. After the jump you can read the plot synopsis and why I think this could be an actual awards contender if done properly. Read below.
Read more on Jon Stewart is writing and directing a political drama…could Oscar come calling?…
 Whether it’s the veteran finally getting up on stage or an ingenue looking to make an impression, Oscar speeches are just as much a part of an actor’s legacy as their wins for their work. Have you ever thought about what you would say if you won? Luckily, Thank the Academy is here to help you with that question. Created by a grad student at Georgia Tech, it uses the database of speeches the Academy just released and breaks down everything from the percentage of people who cry to how winners hold their Oscars. You can also create your own speech by selecting different groups and themes. Check out the one I made after the jump!
Read more on Oscar Speeches – Who Would You Thank?…
 Add another guild win to Argo‘s impressive tally, as the American Cinema Editors honored William Goldberg’s work on the film with the Best Edited Feature (Dramatic) prize. The 63rd annual ACE Eddie Awards, held last night, celebrate the best in editing for the year. Also picking up prizes for film editing were Silver Linings Playbook, Brave, and Searching For Sugar Man. Stephen Spielberg, Richard Marks and Larry Silk all received special honors at the ceremony. Check out the full list of winner after the jump! Read more on American Cinema Editors crown ‘Argo’, ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ and ‘Brave’…
Categories: News Tags: American Cinema Editors, Argo, Best Film Editing, Brave, Breaking Bad, Editing, Larry Silk, news, Nurse Jackie, Oscar hopeful, Richard Marks, Searching for Sugar Man, Silver Linings Playbook, Steven Spielberg, The Newsroom
 Original Score is one of the most interesting categories year in and year out, with the list of films that were disqualified being almost as good of a list as the nominees. This year was not only a great year for film but film music, with the 5 nominees beating out many worthy adversaries to make it in the Oscar lineup.
The nominees are:
Anna Karenina – Dario Marinelli
Argo – Alexandre Desalt
Life of Pi – Mychael Danna
Lincoln – John Williams
Skyfall – Thomas Newman
Read more on Oscar Circuit: Original Score…
Categories: Oscar Circuit Tags: alexandre desplat, Anna Karenina, Argo, Dario Marinelli, Film, John Williams, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Mychael Danna, Oscar, Oscar hopeful, Oscar hopefuls, oscar predictions, Oscars, Skyfall, Thomas Newman
 Growing up, there were few things I liked to watch more than ‘The Simpsons’. It was absolute genius to me, especially those first classic seasons. Fast forward to 2012, and my favorite animated film of the year was Wreck-It-Ralph. Go figure, the director of that flick is also one of the early helmers of ‘the hit FOX show. That sure got me excited for the chance to chat with filmmaker Rich Moore when Disney presented the opportunity to me. We had a fun chat which you’ll be able to see below. We pick things up right after our introductions and chatter about my puppy Ben (no, he’s not named after Ben Affleck, though I get asked that a lot). Enjoy!
Read more on From ‘Wreck-It-Ralph’ to ‘The Simpsons’: A Chat with director Rich Moore…
 It’s hard for lightning to strike twice, let alone three times, but somehow the team of Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, and Richard Linklater have done just that with Before Midnight. Almost two decades since they first charmed audiences in Before Sunrise (1995) and nearly a full decade since they returned with the equally impressive sequel Before Sunset (2004), the trio are back and as good as ever.
Co-writer/director Richard Linklater is again content to sit back and let co-writers/stars Delpy and Hawke inhabit these characters. We’ve grown to love and care about them, something the team uses to their advantage in some really interesting ways this time around. As much as it’s a direct sequel, the most compatible film to this one might actually be the recent Judd Apatow flick This is 40. A movie about what happens when youthful love is replaced by something more complex; Before Midnight is a home run for all involved. Read more on SUNDANCE: Before Midnight (***½)…
 A close backwoods cousin to Stand By Me (1986), Jeff Nichols’ Mud is an often moving and unpredictable coming of age story that benefits from some striking visuals and all around strong acting from its cast. Much like in Take Shelter (2011), Nichols is very interested in masculinity and what it means to be a man in a tough America, though this time around there’s more in the way of youthful adventures and less in the way of potential doomsday. The filmmaker is pulling from all sorts of other works, though “Huckleberry Finn” is likely the one most will recognize, though the early works of David Gordon Green were on my mind as well. The work however, the work is still that clearly is his own. Not being a huge fan of his earlier work, Mud is top-notch with excellent writing and direction, not to mention the performances by Tye Sheridan and Matthew McConaughey. Reese Witherspoon is no slouch herself, while newcomer Jacob Lofland impresses. Though not perfect, and running about 15 minutes too long, it’s got a lot of things going in its favor. With the right push, I could see this making the long haul from the festival circuit to the awards season.
Read more on SUNDANCE: Mud (***½)…
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