"Hamnet" wins the People's Choice at TIFF. Can it win Best Picture?

by Nathaniel R

HAMNET © Focus Features

With TIFF wrapping up today, it's time to update the Oscar charts (which we will be doing soon). Chloe Zhao's adaptation of the acclaimed novel Hamnet, historical fiction about the Shakespeares and the loss of their son, has the won the coveted People's Choice Award. While this prize has historically been very prophetic in regards to future Best Picture runs, Hamnet didn't need it per se; it's Oscar appeal was already ample given the subject matter, pedigree, rising stars, and ecstatic critical response. (We're super excited that Chloe Zhao will be able to follow Jane Campion in becoming only the second woman to score multiple nominations in Best Director. That might even happen twice this year with Kathryn Bigelow in the mix for A House of Dynamite) The runners up for the coveted People's Choice prize are slightly wilder cards in terms of Oscar gold...

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Review: the sprawling staccato "Eternals"

by Nathaniel R

Why am I here? What is my purpose? Who am I… really? These are essential questions in life and if you stop to think about it, they’re also the backbone of practically every superhero origin story. A hero discovers their gift. Grapples with how to use it and what kind of person they are and what kind of hero they can be.  With great power comes great responsibility. Etcetera. The reaction to Marvel’s Eternals suggests that it’s the first “spiritual” or “existential” superhero film which is, quite frankly, the opposite of the truth. 

Where did this impression come from? Perhaps it’s only that most superhero films asks these questions in a less “I’m asking these questions!” kind of way. Or, even when they're obvious about the questions, they quickly jump back into the action setpieces. Eternals wants to be more of a sober meditation but it can’t reconcile the weightiness of contemplation with the weightlessness of frequent CGI action setpieces...

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Venice 2021: The Jury

by Nathaniel R

With Cannes wrapped we move on to the fall festival buzz. Next up is Venice (September 1st-11th) and we are thrilled to report that Elisa Giudici, our Italian correspondent who did such a fine job covering Cannes, will repeat that trick for Venice. The 78th Venice festival has just announced the complete jury for its competition films. Like Cannes, they've chosen a majority female jury this time around. Unlike Cannes they went big on very recent Oscar nominees and winners...

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Yes No Maybe So: "The Eternals"

by Nathaniel R

Gemma Chan gets top billing (!!!) in "The Eternals"We had a full year off of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to COVID-19. But they're about to kick off their next long run towards, presumably, another epic decade-in-the-making event like "Avengers: Endgame". We don't yet know which narratives will be instrumental in that build-up but we do know that the MCU is taking a turn towards the magical, the mutant, and the outerspace, with a lot of sorcerers and aliens and outer space adventures upcoming. The Eternals aren't exactly aliens, but close enough, as they are otherworldly in their powers and temperament and have been living undetected amongst humans for centuries.

Let's Yes No and Maybe So ™ the new trailer after the jump...

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What's next for this season's Oscar-celebrated directors?

Chloe promoting The Eternals at comic-con

Chloé Zhao made history as the first woman of color to win Best Director. We don't have to wait long for her Nomadland follow-up. Next up: Her fourth film -- a huge change of pace from her three quiet earthy features -- is Marvel's gargantuanly budgeted sci-fi superhero film The Eternals which hits theaters on November 5th, 2021. She has two more projects in development that aren't very far along. There's another take on Dracula supposedly coming and a directing gig (but not writing) on a period biopic about the first black US Deputy Marshall Bass Reeves, who was born into slavery, and later arrested thousands of dangerous criminals working in the Oklahoma territory in the 19th century. That latter might certainly be a fascinating movie...

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