It’s that time of the year again… The leaves are falling, the air is getting cooler, and highly paid, good-looking Californians are eyeing those shiny golden statues we call Oscars. Yes, we’re in the early stages of Oscar season once again, and while we’ve already seen some amazing films this year – such as Gravity, 12 Years a Slave, and Captain Phillips – things are about to really ramp up as we get into the holidays. Here are some films we’re excited for this Oscar season…
Nebraska
Bruce Dern and Will Forte play an aging father and his frustrated son, respectively, who travel to Nebraska in order to claim a million dollar sweepstakes prize. Along the way they meet family and friends, many of whom are clamouring for a piece of the prize. Directed by Alexander Payne (writer and director of Sideways), this film’s black and white shooting and midwestern setting are sure to provide an interesting aesthetic as we delve into the characters’ complex relationships.
Release Date: November 15th
Saving Mr. Banks
This is the story of P.L. Travers, the creator of Mary Poppins. The feisty Australian writer, played by Emma Thompson, drove a hard bargain when she sold Walt Disney the movie rights for everyone’s favourite flying nanny. Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks (who plays Walt Disney) are sure to have electric on-screen chemistry in this unique story. Hanks is already a contender for best actor for his work on Captain Phillips, but he may pull a best supporting actor nomination for his portrayal of the visionary Walt Disney. Also look for Thompson as a Best Actress hopeful.
Release Date: December 13th
American Hustle
Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, and Robert De Niro. You don’t even need a synopsis, just go see the movie based on that cast alone. This film, by Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell, takes us back to 1970s New Jersey, which was a wholesome place where nothing sleazy or gangsterish ever happened… Bale plays a conman who is recruited by an FBI agent (Cooper) for a sting operation against a shady mayor (no, not Rob Ford). If you like guns, babes, beards, and New Jersey accents, this one’s for you.
Release Date: December 18th
Inside Llewyn Davis
The Coen Brothers are at it again. Inside Llewyn Davis is the story of a folk singer trying to make it in 1960s Brooklyn. Based loosely on the life of Dave Van Ronk, it stars the relatively unknown Oscar Isaac in the title role. T-bone Burnett produced the music for the film with help from Mumford & Sons’ Marcus Mumford – if his last collaboration with the Coen Brothers (2000’s O Brother Where Art Thou) is any indication, the film’s soundtrack will be as much of an attraction as its characters.
Release Date: December 20th
The Wolf of Wall Street
Leonardo DiCaprio seeks that coveted first Oscar as he plays Jordan Belfort, the notorious Wall Street swindler and boiler room operator. Martin Scorsese directs this biopic, based on Belfort’s memoirs, while Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey round out the cast. Get ready for fast cars, gorgeous women, lavish yachts, and all the testosterone-fuelled bravado one expects from a hard-partying financial fraudster.
Release Date: December 25th
