Chris here with a first look at one of the fall's big Oscar question marks. Last year, Denis Villeneuve's Sicario did quite well by Oscar standards if you consider its punishing bleakness and divisiveness even if it missed the major races. This year he's returning with the sci-fi Arrival, and we've been patiently waiting to see if this will raise his Oscar cache.
To go with the building buzz, here are our first looks...
Amy Adams stars as a language expert trying to prevent global war after extraterrestrial ships, well, arrive (it could be a long season for this title) with Jeremy Renner providing pensive support. The actress also has Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals in play at Venice so get ready to have her back on the awards beat. Roundtable omnipresence be damned, it's enticing to have her back in auteur territory. We'll see how her odds stack up against the usual Villeneuve chilliness and a field packed with beloved perennial contenders.
Aside from the onscreen talent, Villeneuve also has returning Sicario craftsmen like composer Jóhann Jóhannsson to bring the mood again. Replacing his usual cinematographer Roger Deakins is the brilliant Bradford Young, whose lack of a nomination grows increasingly unfair. It's safe to expect some pristine filmmaking.
The film will be in competition at the Venice Film Festival before also playing Toronto fest (and maybe Telluride), so we'll be getting word on the film very soon.