For Your Anticipation: I'm Thrilled to Hear it

I have a generally cynical attitude regarding "Carnage", as it just doesn't look like so outstanding a film outside of Christoph Waltz's presence. Perhaps Kate Winslet, but she looks like she's dialing too much vehement aggression and not enough grace within it. The play is at best a showcase for actors, and if they aren't there, the film won't work. I have an unease about it.

AWARDS 2011: Annual WGA No-Want List

It's that time of year again, when the Writers Guild of America decides to be prissy little bitches and kick out any film that doesn't abide by their numerous and illogical rules. As such, they aren't a truly reliable precursor in the Oscar fray, and they actually serve just to alienate themselves from the rest of the awards season. But it's still worth some interesting conversation on who didn't make the cut this year. The most high profile film is probably "The Artist", which makes sense on the grounds that that might've been a slim screenplay based on the lack of dialogue. But there's also no sense in the numerous other films to be kept out the competition.

In the original screenplay field, "The Artist", "Beginners", "The Iron Lady", "The Lady", "Margin Call", "Martha Marcy May Marlene", "Melancholia", "Rango", and "Take Shelter" were shelved. In the counterpart adapted field, "Albert Nobbs", "Carnage", "Jane Eyre", "My Week with Marilyn", "Sarah's Key", "The Skin I Live In", and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" got the shaft. While it doesn't much shake the latter race, it does make us wonder what's left for the former. The Best Picture contender most likely to make it in for Original Screenplay here would probably just be "Midnight in Paris". Hell, I'd count on that for the win. Adapted Screenplay, it's pretty much the same game as it was before.

VENICE: "Carnage" Reactions

I suppose this outcome is a tad bit less than surprising, but whatever. "Carnage" was the second big name on the list for appearance at Cannes, and after that trailer I was very much expecting the critics to react in such a way as this. The film itself seems to be less of a talking point than the characters and actors within it. There's enough positivity towards John C. Reilly and Jodie Foster, surprisingly enough. Kate Winslet seems to be the odd one out, which is even more surprising. Christoph Waltz, as per usual, is stealing the show again. So I'll still see the film when it arrives, but it won't be for Polanski, who isn't really a talking point at all here. Why'd he choose something that so belittles his importance?

Guy Lodge (In Contention; **1/2 out of 4): "It’s Christoph Waltz, however, who most creatively interprets and restyles Reza’s brittle writing, and consequently walks off with the film: elegantly wielding a slippery Euro-Yank accent and maintaining a chilly calm when the remaining characters are pushed into hysteria, his indifferent, work-wed father is the most waspish of the four, yet somehow the closest the script comes to a sympathetic character — if only because he seems to be the only one aware how awful they all are."

Carpet-Bagging: On the Eve of Venice

Things are about to get really interesting very quickly. The 2011 awards season is basically less than one day from being set into motion, with Venice kicking off their festivities with the premiere of "The Ides of March". This is one that many will be talking about, although I must admit that I'm still unconvinced. Some of the moments in the trailer didn't seem to quite congeal, and the intense thriller push from the marketing team seems to be working counter-productively. It ultimately gets me to the point of wondering exactly what the point is in this film. What are the stakes, if any? Nothing seems clear, which may just be the marketing. We'll have to wait until reviews surface, but I get the feeling I won't get what everyone loves about it.

What "The Ides of March" has on its side is that it's right up the Academy's alley. I haven't a doubt that they'll embrace this one, at least as far as a nomination. There are several films this year, however excellent they may be, that just don't fall in line with the Academy bias. I expect others to debate this claim, but I think "Carnage" is one of those films. Roman Polanski has had a prosperous history with the Academy, but his bad press in recent years has probably dispelled any possibilities of future Oscar success. I'd say Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz are both potent acting nominees, at least from the trailer. I still get the sense that this film was largely miscast, and by that I mean by 50%. That's a sizable problem.

"Carnage" Trailer

We're finally making all the stops as far as the slate of films premiering at Venice, and Roman Polanski's new drama has now begun to reveal itself. You can't really expect much of a wide scope coming from something based off a stage production. You can usually expect some strong performances, and while Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly are average as usual, Christoph Waltz and especially Kate Winslet are getting the heap of deserved attention. Winslet usually excels at playing such drastically unstable characters, with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Revolutionary Road" as two major examples. "Carnage" could give her a strong Supporting Actress bid.

Venice stacks favorites big and small

Toronto is a massive canvas, but you do suffer sensory overload with all those films playing against one another. I prefer the smaller and more tightly knit atmosphere around Cannes and Venice, because it just seems so much more homely. Festivals are best suited to beautiful cities, and Venice is putting together what seems like a perfect list of competitors. Of course there will be quite a few that don't stack up, and I'm getting ready for that bitter sting of disappointment. Many are making their sophomore attempts, which is usually when the one hit wonders are cut apart from rest.

Of course there's the debut film of the festival, George Clooney's The Ides of March, but that trailer seems a bit too clean for a tale of hubris. It looks like the sort of sophisticated film that will get Academy attention more than most. I'm obviously not looking for the films that will play better with the Academy. I'm looking for quality, and it's better found in other places. Tomas Alfredson's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy has been gaining interest over the past month, and it still looks pretty intense and visually dynamic like Alfredson's last film. Maybe not a huge awards play, but definitely one I'm willing to follow.