The Film Experience

In this weekly feature from Murtada we follow Oscar contender appearances and interviews.

This week was quiet for Oscar buzz. Most of the stars are in hibernation, since the big push comes next week when Oscar balloting opens. Still best actor hopefuls Adam Driver and Denzel Washington and one possible Supporting Actor dark horse were out promoting their late releases.

Is Adam Driver actually a contender? Winning best actor at LAFCA for Paterson is major, the only winners who were not nominated by Oscar in the last decade are Tom Hardy in Locke (2014) and Michael Fassbender in Shame (2011). Couple that with his supporting turn in Silence being released at the same time, he’s certainly getting media attention. His Paterson performance is especially striking because Driver is shown mostly writing, driving and thinking. He talked to NYTimes about that challenge.

I wanted his physical life on autopilot. which allows him to drift in his art. [] You have to trust yourself that it’s interesting enough, cinematic enough — trust the power of thought and that you can sustain it.

Denzel Washington is a surefire best actor contender but what about best director? Will his achievement be hampered by the many reviews that call it "stagey"? One thing in his favor is box office success. Fences went wide on Christmas Day to great results and that will be noticed by the industry. Already nominated for 3 awards by SAG, we think it's going to do well with the other guilds. Washington emphasized his respect and reverence for August Wilson’s words, the reason for getting that “stagey” label, in an interview with NPR, in which he confirmed that he will produce the other 9 Wilson plays for HBO.

If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage. What an opportunity we have now, because August Wilson has left us about a thousand pages of his brilliant work, and we have 10 opportunities — the first one now being Fences — to make sure it's not a trend. ... I have enough work for the next 10 years, even if it's just as a producer, but also there are hundreds of actors — African-American and white actors — in his plays that now will have an opportunity to not just work but to interpret a genius' work — one of the five greatest playwrights in American history's work. So I honor that.

The whole interview, which includes Viola Davis, is worth your time. Have a listen.

And finally we were wondering where is Issey Ogata? The Japanese actor gives the best and most memorable performance in Silence and easily steals the film from the more well known Driver, Andrew Garfield and Liam Neeson. There is photo evidence he was in USA for the film’s first few screenings (pictured to the left at a NY screening). Yet there are no profiles or interviews about him by any media outlet. We think he has has a chance to be that late breaking acting contender that misses all precursors and yet makes it on Oscar’s short list. Like another actor from a Scorsese film, Jonah Hill in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). But for that to happen he has to have some visible profile as voters start watching their Silence screeners.

Thoughts on the chances of Driver, Washington and Ogata?