So I didn't stay for the entire festival, but I was able to see 11 movies (if you count the ones playing at the festival that I was able to see in advance), and overall, I really liked what I saw. Here's a quick rundown of my highlights:
Best movie: Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Though it is only September, I will go ahead and install this one as the early, early fave for Best Picture. It has everything Oscar voters look for: a sweeping, historical epic with outstanding performances from its two leads (Cate Blanchett and Clive Owen). Over the course of the movie, Elizabeth goes from boredom to vengeful, distraught and inspiring, and Blanchett is a wonder to behold as she takes her character on that emotional journey.
Most uneven movie: Across the Universe. I went in to this one expecting it to be up and down and my expectations were met. Like a lot of musicals, the highs are really high. But at times the songs -- all from The Beatles -- just seemed kind forced into the plot. And after a while, the cutesy references to the Fab 4 (a character named Prudence comes in through the bathroom window. ugh) get a little thick. But whenever the character named Sadie (Dana Fuchs) belts out a song, hold on, baby.
Most Pleasant Surprise: Starting Out in the Evening. I saw this one on a whim and was very glad that I did. It's the epitome of a small movie, a sort of Venus in reverse. Here, a younger female grad student (Lauren Ambrose) pursues a veteran novelist (the great Frank Langella), who she wants to write her masters thesis on. Once they get to know each other, the dynamics of their relationship are constantly in flux. Watch out for Langella come awards season.
Best Movie Few People Will See: Lust, Caution. Strike 1: It's 2 hours and 40 minutes long. Strike 2: It's in Chinese. Strike 3: It's NC-17. That will equal an automatic out for most people, and that will be a shame. This espionage tale set in World War II era China is all about what's going on under the surface with the characters. And it also sports a pair of top-flight leads in Tony Leung and Wei Tang.
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Comments
Posted by Pete @ 5:26 PM Thu, Sep 13, 2007
From what I am hearing, "Charlie Wilson's War" is the early favorite to win the best picture Oscar.
Posted by stephen becker @ 5:34 PM Thu, Sep 13, 2007
Pete -- It may in fact go on to win the award, but up to now, no one has seen it, so I think all the talk about it at this point is just that. It's got plenty of potential with Hanks and Roberts in the cast, but until someone actually lays eyes on it, who knows what we will actually get.