I didn't think we'd be getting this trailer so soon but I guess the year is getting on. Wowee - 2011 is half over tomorrow... should we do a "best of"? Herewith, the first trailer for Steven Spielberg's Christmas-time presumed Oscar frontrunner spectacle War Horse. We'll decide how excited we are with our yes, no, maybe so treatment.
Can you imagine flying over a war, and you know you can never look down? You have to look forward or you'll never get home. I ask you: What could be braver than that?
YES If there's any director who excels at capturing the spirit of (boy) wonder, it's Spielberg. The first shot of the lead (Jeremy Irvine as Albert) brings to mind both E.T. and Empire of the Sun in particular as a boy is amazed at the wonderment he beholds ...in this case, a horse rather than an alien or an airplane. The trailer also reminded me of something totally off-topic but that warmed my heart. Do you remember those old ads about indie movie making starring Jesse Eisenberg's little sister Hailee. Remember those? I forget what they were for. She played the world's youngest movie director or something?
My movie is called Horses Are Pretty because horses are pretty.
That they are. Don't think Spielberg won't know how to exploit their innate majesty.
NO "RUN FORREST ALBERT RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN" [trailer and Oscar commentary after the jump]
That's an awful lot of running by four legged and two legged beasts alike in only 2 minutes by four legged and two legged beasts alike. Those 120 seconds also contain approximately 120% of your daily recommended allowance of sentiment and 120 music swells, swells within swells within swells. It's swollen!
The first amusingly plays just as Spielberg's name appears). There are so many great glossy magazine shots that one has to consider this advertisement to be the First Official FYC Ad of Oscar season. They just forgot to superimpose "For Your Consideration" over the images.
Will Janusz Kaminski win his 3rd Oscar for cinematography?
If one were feeling uncharitable one could read the entire trailer as Parody of Oscar Movie By Steven Spielberg. Janusz Kaminski will undoubtedly be nominated for a fifth time in Best Cinematography (his only non-Spielberg film to receive the honor was The Diving Bell and Butterfly) but does he have more tricks up his sleeve than jaw-droppingly lovely silhouettes?
MAYBE SO Oscar fanatics, a club of which I am a proud member and cheerleader, will be salivating at the campaign possiblities ahead. Will we see a strong Supporting Actor bid for Niels Arestrup (who seems kindly and patrician as the grandfather -- a 180˚from his work in A Prophet and don't think some voting members won't notice that) or Supporting Actress heat for Emily Watson? Perhaps one of the soldiers, who aren't given anything to do in this first trailer, will steal some heat. Aren't you curious already? [Current Oscar predictions -- they'll be updated next week for sure.]
The Trailer in Question...
Your Turn. What makes you scream "Yes!", "No!" or [shrug] "maybe so"