CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
The poor box office performance of The Happytime Murders illustrated Melissa McCarthy needs a break from her traditional comedy schtick. Luckily for her, such a change-of-pace is on the horizon. In Can You Ever Forgive Me?, the Oscar-nominated actress stars as writer Lee Israel, who attempts to revive her floundering career by forging and selling letters she claims to be from famous people (playwrights and actors). It all goes great until suspicions are raised. Richard E. Grant co-stars as Lee's friend Jack, who helps take part in the scam.
Before Green Book brought the house down in Toronto, Can You Ever Forgive Me? was the big surprise of the festivals, announcing itself as a legitimate contender. The performances of both McCarthy and Grant earned raves, making them serious threats in their respective acting races. Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty's script is also seen as a realistic contender for Best Adapted Screenplay. Can You Ever Forgive Me? has been overshadowed a bit by some of the bigger titles that dominated the festivals, but it looks like it will have the support to get several key nominations. The only question is if it'll have enough to make it above the Best Picture cutoff line.
WIDOWS
Steve McQueen, director of the Best Picture winning 12 Years a Slave, makes his return with this crime drama. Based on the TV series of the same name, Widows follows a group of, well, widows who decide to take matters into their own hands when their husbands are killed during a job. The ensemble is spearheaded by award-winning actress Viola Davis, and the cast includes a number of other big names. Both of the Widows trailers have teased a different kind of heist film and the film has the potential to be something special. That McQueen chose this for his directorial followup speaks volumes about its quality.
Following the world premiere at Toronto, it was clear Widows is a first-rate crime thriller, with McQueen seamlessly making the transition to mainstream filmmaking. While some critics felt the film perhaps bit off a little more than it could chew, just about everyone who saw it praised its ambition, scope, thoughtful story, and performances. Davis is a legitimate contender for Best Actress, and Daniel Kaluuya emerged as a Best Supporting Actor possibility for his villainous turn. Widows' ultimate fate will likely depend on how Fox handles it in the campaign. Right now, they're reportedly focusing on making it a box office hit and riding the momentum from there.
BOY ERASED
Marking director Joel Edgerton's second feature-length effort, Boy Erased is based on the memoirs of Garrard Conley, a gay man who was sent to conversion therapy program by his parents. Lucas Hedges stars as Jared (the film's version of Garrard), with key supporting roles filled out by Nicole Kidman (also earning buzz for her performance in Destroyer) and Russell Crowe. The film's trailer hinted at a compelling character drama, fueled by strong turns by the cast. Hedges is gunning for his second nomination, just a couple years after Manchester by the Sea. This is the kind of emotional story the Academy loves, so many thought it'd be a big player in the race.
Screening at the festivals, Boy Erased is seen as a well-intentioned, yet flawed, offering that'll likely go down as one of the year's fringe contenders. Reviews are positive enough that an acting nod or two may happen, but the film's dreams of working its way into other big categories seem to be over. It lacks the enthusiasm behind other titles in the running, as some critics found it to be a little flat and clunky in its execution.
VOX LUX
Last year, Neon emerged as an Oscar player with their dark comedy, I, Tonya, which scored nominations for Margot Robbie and Alison Janney (who won Best Supporting Actress). That film even found some success in other awards bodies (a Best Picture nod from the Producers Guild, for instance), so they know how to campaign. So it'll be interesting to see how they choose to handle their new acquisition: Vox Lux, which stars Natalie Portman as a pop star who rises to the top after surviving a tragedy with her sister. The film is noteworthy for its decidedly unglamorous portrayal of fame, exploring all of the downsides of celebrity culture.
Portman herself is an Oscar winner, taking home Best Actress back in 2010 for Black Swan. This year, that category is set to be loaded with contenders, so she may find herself on the outside looking in. As for the film itself, Neon's early track record as a distributor is enough to have us consider it as an outside possibility (especially since some other festival movies fell short of their aspirations), but it's certainly on the bubble.
THE BALLAD OF BUSTER SCRUGGS
Whenever Joel and Ethan Coen are involved, cinephiles take notice. Their latest endeavor began life as an anthology television series, before it was reworked into a single feature film. Buster Scruggs tells six different tales set in the old West as only the Coen brothers could. The trailer highlighted the siblings' various trademarks, such as quirky characters and a dark sense of humor. Netflix is handling distribution, with the movie hitting the streaming giant in November. It premiered at Venice, where it won the award for Best Screenplay.
The Coens are always ones to watch out for, but Buster Scruggs has its work cut out for it if it's to be a serious player on the Oscar circuit. A common refrain in the early reviews is that this is a "lesser" offering from the brothers, which puts it at a disadvantage. People always expect greatness from the Coens, especially after the likes of Fargo and No Country for Old Men. This isn't to say Buster Scruggs won't be worth watching when it comes out (even second-tier Coens is good), but it's unlikely to jump past any of the other candidates.