Screener Watch: Weinstein Co. & Paramount

The Paramount package came in a week ago and I had the pics ready to go, but due to a serious backlog for the site, I didn’t get around to posting it. So, after receiving my Weinstein Company package today, I’m including that one Paramount title (Like Crazy) with the five from the Weinsteins. At least three of the five have guaranteed Oscar nominations on deck.

The Artist

Genre: Silent Drama
Stars: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, James Cromwell, John Goodman, Malcolm McDowell, Penelope Ann Miller)
Director: Michel Hazanavicius
Premise: “Hollywood 1927. George Valentin (Jean Dujadin) is a silent movie superstar. The advent of the talkies will sound the death knell for his career and see him fall into oblivion. For young extra Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), it seems the sky is the limit – major movie stardom awaits. The Artist tells the story of their interlinked destinies.”
Oscar Chances: The film has Oscar written all over it and is likely going to end up with nominations in Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Original Score, Editing, Cinematography, Art Direction and Costume Design. A Makeup nomination wouldn’t be too surprising either.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

Best Picture (Thomas Langmann)
Best Director (Michel Hazanvicius)
Best Original Screenplay (Michel Hazanavicius)
Best Actor (Jean Dujardin)
Best Supporting Actor (James Cromwell, John Goodman)
Best Supporting Actress (Bérénice Bejo, Penelope Ann Miller)
Best Cinematography (Guillaume Schiffman)
Best Film Editing (Michel Hazanvicius, Anne-Sophie Bion)
Best Art Direction (Laurence Bennett, Gregory S. Hooper)
Best Costume Design (Mark Bridges)
Best Makeup (Julie Hewett, Cydney Cornell)
Best Original Score (Ludovic Bource)
Best Sound Mixing (Gérard Lamps)
Best Sound Editing (Nadine Muse)
Best Visual Effects (David Danesi, Philippe Aubry, Laurent Brett)

Rotten Tomatoes:
95% (87 critics; as of 12/16/11)
Metacritic:
87 out of 100 (24 critics; as of 12/16/11)

Coriolanus

Genre: Period Drama
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Brian Cox, Gerard Butler, James Nesbitt, Jessica Chastain, Vanessa Redgrave
Director: Ralph Fiennes
Premise: “Based on the play by William Shakespeare, Coriolanus (Ralph Fiennes), a revered and feared Roman Genearl, is at odds with the city of Rome and his fellow citizens. Pushed by his controlling and ambitious mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave), he is loath to ingratiate himself with the masses whose votes he needs in order to secure office.”
Oscar Chances: The film hasn’t been catching on like it should and Vanessa Redgrave, who was talked about for a long time as a possible Oscar nominee and winner seems most injured by its lack of conversation starting. Still, the film could pick her up a nod as well as one for Adapted Screenplay and possibly Art Direction, Costume Design and Makeup.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

Best Picture (Ralph Fiennes, John Logan, Gabrielle Tana, Julia Taylor-Stanley, Colin Vaines
Best Director (Ralph Fiennes)
Best Adapted Screenplay (John Logan)
Best Actor (Ralph Fiennes)
Best Supporting Actor (Brian Cox, Gerard Butler, James Nesbitt)
Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain, Vanessa Redgrave)
Best Cinematography (Barry Ackroyd)
Best Film Editing (Nic Gaster)
Best Art Direction (Ricky Eyres, Lee Gordon)
Best Costume Design (Bojana Nikitovic)
Best Makeup (Laura Schiavo)
Best Original Score (Ilan Eshkeri)
Best Sound Mixing (Paul Cotterell, Rob Hughes)
Best Sound Editing (Oliver Tarney)
Best Visual Effects (Jason Troughton)

Rotten Tomatoes:
93% (44 critics; as of 12/16/11)
Metacritic:
79 out of 100 (13 critics; as of 12/16/11)

The Iron Lady

Genre: Biopic
Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Harry Lloyd, Olivia Colman, Alexandra Roach)
Director: Phillida Lloyd
Premise: “An intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), the first and only female Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. One of the 20th century’s most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world.”
Oscar Chances: Right now, the film is only competing for a Best Actress nomination. A screenplay nod might follow but is highly doubtful. Of course, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent could also make an appearance, but it’s also not a likely possibility.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

Best Picture (Damien Jones)
Best Director (Phillida Lloyd)
Best Original Screenplay (Abi Morgan)
Best Actress (Meryl Streep)
Best Supporting Actor (Jim Broadbent, Harry Lloyd)
Best Supporting Actress (Olivia Colman, Alexandra Roach)
Best Cinematography (Elliot Davis)
Best Film Editing (Justine Wright)
Best Art Direction (Simon Elliott, Annie Gilhooly)
Best Costume Design (Consolata Boyle)
Best Original Score (Thomas Newman)
Best Makeup (Marese Langan, Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland)
Best Sound Mixing (Tim Cavagin, Craig Irving, Nigel Stone, Danny Hambrook)
Best Sound Editing (Nigel Stone)
Best Visual Effects (Angela Barson, Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor)

Rotten Tomatoes:
72% (18 critics; as of 12/16/11)
Metacritic:
N/A (3 critics; as of 12/16/11)

My Week with Marilyn

Genre: Biopic
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Dominic Cooper, Dougray Scott, Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Zoe Wanamaker, Emma Watson
Director: Simon Curtis
Premise: “In 1956, 23-year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) worked his first job in the film business as assistant to Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) on the film The Prince and the Showgirl. Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams) arrives in England to co-star, and when her husband Arthur Miller leaves for New York, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life.”
Oscar Chances: Williams and Branagh are heavily touted as likely Oscar nominees with both earning strong enough support that they could win the prize. Art Direction and Costume Design are also possible, but that’s probably the length of which the film has support to succeed.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

Best Picture (David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein)
Best Director (Simon Curtis)
Best Adapted Screenplay (Adrian Hodges)
Best Actor (Eddie Redmayne)
Best Actress (Michelle Williams)
Best Supporting Actor (Kenneth Branagh, Dominic Cooper, Dougray Scott)
Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Zoe Wanamaker, Emma Watson)
Best Cinematography (Ben Smithard)
Best Film Editing (Adam Recht)
Best Art Direction (Donal Woods, Judy Farr)
Best Costume Design (Jill Taylor)
Best Makeup (Jenny Shircore)
Best Original Score (Conrad Pope)
Best Sound Mixing (Richard Dyer, Mike Dowson)
Best Sound Editing (Nick Lowe)
Best Visual Effects (Stefan Drury, Sheila Wickens)

Rotten Tomatoes:
83% (133 critics; as of 12/16/11)
Metacritic:
65 out of 100 (37 critics; as of 12/16/11)

Undefeated

Genre: Documentary
Director: Dan Lindsay, TJ Martin
Premise: “Set in inner-city Memphis, Undefeated chronicles the Manassas Tigers’ 2009 football season on and off the field, as they strive to win the first playoff game in the high school’s 110-year history. A coming-of-age documentary that provides audiences an intimate view of an underprivileged group of teens and their inspirational coach, as they attempt to make history.
Oscar Chances: It has a chance at a Documentary Feature nomination, but it may be too apolitical to pique Oscar voters’ attentions for a win.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

Best Documentary Feature

Rotten Tomatoes:
N/A (0 critics; as of 12/16/11)
Metacritic:
N/A (0 critics; as of 12/16/11)

Like Crazy

Genre: Romantic Drama
Stars: Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, Jennifer Lawrence
Director: Drake Doremus
Premise: “A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she’s banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.”
Oscar Chances: Despite solid critical notices, the film hasn’t caught on like it needs to in order to compete. Still, an Original Screenplay nomination might still surprise everyone.
Campaign-Proposed Categories: