Most film journalists predicted that this year’s most memorable drama about a visionary architect would be Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis.” But then along came Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist. This indie-era epic cost less than £10 million ($13 million) to make, less than a tenth of the budget for Megalopolis, but with a running time of 215 minutes, including intermission, its themes, ideas and ambitions It’s incredibly vast. . Adrien Brody plays a Hungarian-Jewish architect who immigrated to the United States just after World War II and is hired to build a huge concrete cultural center for a tycoon played by Guy Pearce. This is Brody’s most convincing performance since he won an Oscar for The Pianist in 2003, so if he were to win a second Oscar for the same role 22 years later. There will be some kind of symmetry. Meanwhile, Corbett and his co-writer and partner Mona Fastvold are in the running for Best Original Screenplay. And if Hollywood wants to be sure that a movie is serious, uncompromising, and artistic, a Best Picture nomination isn’t out of the question. (Note)
anora
Sean Baker’s most crowd-pleasing film to date, following rustic indie films like The Florida Project and Red Rocket, stars Mikey Madison as a strip club dancer who becomes a Russian oligarch. It is an uproarious farce in which a person is transported into a world of obscene wealth. The son played by Mark Eidelstein. Brilliantly funny isn’t something that can be said for every film that wins prestigious awards, but Anora is no escapist romantic comedy. The film is not only rooted in the gritty, harsh realities of New York’s Russian-American community, but also takes an unsparing look at the power imbalance between the super-rich and everyone else. Since winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, it has been considered a contender for the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director. And if Madison doesn’t get a Best Actress nomination, the Academy might as well admit it’s not fit for purpose. (Note)
real pain
Kieran Culkin, who plays one of two cousins ​​visiting his grandmother’s birthplace in Poland, has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor since this touching, funny, crowd-pleasing drama premiered at Sundance. It has been thought that this is the key to Culkin deserves that conversation. In fact, he co-stars with Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote and directed the movie, but having Culkin in a supporting role increases his chances of winning (i.e. Culkin plays alongside stars Adrien Brody and Ralph Fiennes). It turns out he could face Denzel’s potential, although not in competition). Culkin plays the outgoing, irreverent cousin, Eisenberg the nervous, straight-laced man, and each actor stays close to their typical roles, but brings new depth to those types. . The film, which deftly blends Cousin’s Jewish heritage with themes of the Holocaust, familial relationships and personal emotional pain, should also be competitive for Best Picture and Original Screenplay. It’s a little surprising that this movie isn’t considered stronger in those categories as well, but now that it’s out in theaters, that quiet buzz may get even louder. (CJ)
