WE’RE AT THE MIDPOINT
DAVID CANFIELD:Joey!
Only seven months until the Oscars, which means it’s the start of the longest awards season ever.
Still, there’s lots to talk about, lots to anticipate, andlotsof questions.
Pieces Film, Inc.
What’s your headline out of this very strange festival circuit?
JOEY NOLFI:The only acceptable headline is: “StanPenguin Bloom.”
It will be the awards season hill I die on this year.
Pieces Film, Inc.
DAVID:Well, we know Naomicommitted to the part.
carry much less weight in 2020.
DoesNomadlandstrike you as, at this current moment, the Best Picture frontrunner?
Focus Features
DAVID:It feels like we’re at sort of a midpoint, doesn’t it?
And I thinkNomadlandis a similarly major contender.
But of what we have seen, it is our frontrunner.
Chloe Zhao and Frances McDormand feel like shoo-ins for nominations at the very least.
And yes, this was very much a female-dominated TIFF, both behind and in front of the camera.
Beyond McDormand,Kate WinsletandVanessa Kirbyemerged as major Best Actress contenders (sorry, Naomi!).
(Both Kirby’sPieces of a Womanand Winslet’sAmmonitefeel too austere to get much beyond their actors.)
JOEY:The Cannes comparison is a great one.
), so I expectNomadlandandOne Night in Miamito stick around.
So, we’ll see.
I need more convincing on Kirby, though.
Wouldn’t that be divine?
So I’m right there with you.
JOEY:How are the male acting categories coming along?Anthony Hopkinsis to die for inThe Father.
Truly some of the best screen acting I’ve seen in years.
DAVID:Best Actor is weird!
Then the big question mark: the late, greatChadwick Boseman.
He’s absolutely a factor here.
A lot of these I just mentioned in the wait-and-see category are Netflix movies, which skipped festivals altogether.
Says a lot about where we are in terms of the race.
I’m also hearing good rumblings aboutThe White Tiger, from Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes).
The streamer’s slate is huge and mysterious.
It’s not like non-Netflix studios are halting releases altogether, they’re just adapting.
This isn’t 1994.
Box office means less and less to a film’s awards prospects.
Despite not showing on the fall circuit, could this be Glegend Close’s year?
DAVID:All signs point to yes.
Plus, her heartbreaking loss just last year forThe Wife I know you’re still not over it!
is still fresh in the industry’s minds, and that should work in her favor.
But I haven’t seen anything that would make a clearer winner in that category.
JOEY:Yes re: Bill.
First-Half Treasures
DAVID:Let’s look backward for a moment to wrap this one up.
Other than Hopkins, what first-half, pre-TIFF contenders are you looking at that could survive this drawn-out campaign?
For the latter, I could seeSteven Yeungetting a Supporting Actor campaign.
As forNever Rarely Sometimes Always… where has the buzz gone?
DAVID:Yeah, this year especially, a March release hurtsNever Rarely.
There’s no excuse for her being left out of any awards conversation this year.
Naomi Watts, I’m not so sure.
JOEY:Remember: StanPenguin Bloom.
