A quick round-up this morning. First, we already offered some reactions to Rowan Joffe’s “Brighton Rock,” which is still looking for a distributor. But things aren’t looking great for awards prospects should it land a buyer, as Movieline’s Michelle Orange says the film “extends the Graham Green adaptation curse.”
Meanwhile, John Madden’s “The Debt” could still be in play. Rope of Silicon’s Brad Brevet calls it “a satisfying thriller that is almost so subtle it feels like it’s based on a true story.” He later singles out Helen Mirren’s performance as “striking,” noting that she “brings a commanding and competent presence to her character.”
One hotly anticipated title is John Cameron Mitchell’s “Rabbit Hole,” also still seeking distribution. Showbiz 411’s Roger Friedman Tweets that star Nicole Kidman is “back in Oscar form,” while Deadline’s Pete Hammond gets a bit more substantial, adding Dianne Wiest to the mix. “Should it find a distributor this week and get an end-of-year berth,” he writes, “past winners Kidman and Wiest both become bonafide Oscar contenders again.” He does warn that it could be perceived as too much of a “downer,” though. Nathaniel Rogers does a much better job of rounding up responses at The Film Experience, though.
Hammond also notes in the his piece that a deal for Robert Redford’s “The Conspirator” could be very, very close, by the way.
Finally another actress who has been on our radar all year is Rachel Weisz in “The Whistleblower.” The only reaction I’ve stumbled across (though I admittedly haven’t looked hard) is Scott Feinberg’s, who says the film “could certainly thrust Weisz into the thick of the best actress race” if a distributor bites. Also, of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s directorial debut “Jack Goes Boating,” Feinberg says Hoffman’s performance reminded him of Ernest Borgnine’s in “Marty.” So, something else to keep an eye on.
More as it comes…
Comments
26 responses to “TIFF: ‘Brighton,’ ‘Rabbit,’ ‘Debt,’ ‘Whistleblower,’ ‘Boating’ reactions”
Any word on ‘Conviction’?
Saw the premiere of “The Whistleblower” yesterday. Got a standing ovation after it was over and rightfully so. Its was a great film and pretty brutal as well. The Oscar talk for Rachel Weisz is real, best performance i have seen so far in the festival
Headline typo, Erik, though there are some reactions out there.
I am so excited that Kidman is getting buzz again. It makes me sad that people fell out of love with her.
Also, Last Night is getting good/great reviews, and Keira in particular is getting raves: one reviewer outright calls it her best performance, another implies that it is, and the other says it’s the best performance she’s given in a modern film.
http://www.cinematical.com/2010/09/12/worthington-knightley-and-mendes -in-last-night-tiff-2010/
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/new-look-at-keira-knightley-in-ti ff-closer-last-night
http://www.fusedfilm.com/2010/09/tiff-2010-review-last-night-soulful-a nd-sophisticated-keira-knightley-in-the-best-performance-of-her-career /
Shaping up to be an outstanding year for the gals. I just went to look up whistleblower on imdb and wow do I hate their new layout.
Gosh, now Weisz? She makes for, like, 14 huge prospects for Lead Actress ALREADY. geez.
Bening, Moore, Lawrence, Williams, Hathaway, Kidman, Manville, Portman, Wright, Weisz, Mirren, Hawkins, Rapace, Swank, among others.
Mitchell, Kidman & Wiest will rock all over the place!
Showbiz 411 has a blow by blow account of what when on in the screening for “The Whistleblower”
http://www.showbiz411.com/2010/09/14/rachel-weisz-thriller-so-intense-one-woman-at-premiere-faints
The movie was that good, that brutal and Rachel Weisz’s performance was amazing.
best actress is getting crazy, i love kidman so shes a welcome addition
… plus Williams (Meeks Cutoff), Knightley (LN) … the list goes on. Of course, some will go supporting or be pushed to 2011.
JJ, you’re right, just seems that Wright is shaky because James McAvoy is receiving all the raves.
I knew that the female acting categories will be more interesting than the male ones.
For Best Lead Actress we have:
-Annette Bening (X2): Mother and Child (The film won at Deauville, just as “Crash” and “The Messenger”) and The Kids are all Right
-Natalie Portman: Black Swan
-Jennifer Lawrence: Winter’s Bone
-Lesley Manville: Another Year
-Anne Hathaway: Love and Other Drugs
-Sally Hawkins: Made in Dagenham
-Carey Mulligan: Never Let Me Go
-Hilary Swank: Conviction
-Michelle Williams: Blue Valentine
-Helen Mirren: The Debt
-Noomi Rapace: Girl With the Dragon Tatoo
-And the Wild Card – Diane Lane: Secretariat (If The Blind Side and Seabiscuit did it…)
-The Switch category – Julianne Moore – The Kids are all Right
And now after Toronto (But possible pushed to 2011)
-Nicole Kidman: Rabbit Hole
-Rachel Weisz: The Whistlebower
-Keira Knightley: Last Night – If the reviews said the truth, I need to see it…
-Michelle Williams: Meek’s Cutoff
-Sibel Kekilli: When We Leave – She’s really great!!
-Kristin Scott Thomas: Sarah’s Key – WWII theme, French-British coproduction, adaptation, victim-heroine… very Oscarish?
-Maria Bello – Beautiful Boy
And for Best Supporting Actress:
-Helena Bonham Carter: The King’s Speech
-Jacki Weaver: Animal Kingdom
-Marion Cotillard: Inception
-Miranda Richardson: Made in Dagenham
-Barbara Hershey: Black Swan
-Mila Kunis: Black Swan
-Between Kimberly Elise, Whoopi Goldberg, Loretta Devine, Phylicia Rashad, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Kerry Washington and Janet Jackson?: For Colored Women
-Jessica Chastain: The Debt
-Melissa Leo: The Fighter
-Amy Adams: The Fighter
-Keira Knightley: never Let Me Go
-Ruth Sheen: another Year
-Naomi Watts: Mother and Child
And now after Toronto (But possible pushed to 2011)
-Diane Wiest – Rabbit Hole
-Marion Cotillard – Les Petits Mouchoirs
-Cécile De France – Hereafter (Possible the biggest Oscar chance for the film)
Oh, I forgot Andrea Risenbourgh – Brighton Rock
You also forgot Maria Tomei in Cyrus for BSA
Completely delighted by the amount of strong of female contenders – I’m going for Kidman and Knightly! Great actresses.
Is there any hope for Olivia Williams in the Ghost Writer? Alot of people rave aobut her performance in reviews.
Not a chance — though I think she’s the best thing in the film.
Very exciting news! I’d love to see Kidman and Knightley land nominations.
I’m SO happy Kidman is back with strong buzz!
If Wright goes for anything in the Conspirator it’ll be in supporting as McAvoy is definitely the lead in that film, she’s not even close.
I just came out of Rabbit Hole a bit ago, it’s a pretty basic film but very well acted, I could definitely see Wiest and Kidman in contention (no pun intended), and Eckhart does a very good job as well.
I echo the fact that it is great to hear and read Kidman back to getting great reviews, it’s been too long. What I also love about these reviews is that critics cannot seem to agree on what Kidman’s best performance is……some mention Birth……. some The Hours…….some TDF….some Margot At The Wedding and yet, Kidman in the last 6 years has been kicked left, right and centre as if she was a nonentity where talent was concerned.
Birth will be screened at the NYFF this year, this should also help in getting her back up there.
If RH features in the award season, Kidman should be proud for developing the play and bringing it to the screen.
Also I don’t agree that this film won’t make it in the top ten because it’s too much of a downer, I found that it wasn’t too depressing and it thrived a lot on its humour as was mentioned in the Variety review of the film. Not that I think it’ll make it, just that when it doesn’t the downer factor wont be why.
Reading some critics you would think Margot at the wedding was released in the 90’s. Gee people, Kidman has a film out every year even when pregnant, it’s not like she was away all these years, you can’t have a strong lead female role every year !
By the way her next film Just go with it, a broad rom com, will be released just in time to show her versatility before Oscar night.
And in 2012 she’ll have another meaty part in Hemingway & Gellhorn that could lead her to Emmy gold.
I’m still unexcited about lead actress which is usu my fave race.
Then again, I haven’t been to fests.
I was really surprised by how good the reviews for this film were. It was kinda off my radar until now. Great cast, though. I’m hearing that Eckhart and Tammy Blanchard are pretty great in it.
You can find more pics over at the Tribute page.
http://www.tribute.ca/tiff/index.php/2010/09/14/rabbit-hole-screening-at-the-elgin-theatre/
I´m so looking forward to seeing Kidman nominated again.