Wednesday Oscar Watch

Welcome to a newly-restarted feature here at Movies with Abe, Wednesday Oscar Watch with Abe. It’s a bit early to be able to accurately predict the eventual Oscar nominees, but around this time, plenty of likely contenders are being released. I’ll be looking every Wednesday at the awards chances for all of the films released the previous week. Chime in with your thoughts on the Oscar chances for these films in the comments section. Also, if I’ve missed any films from the previous months, please say so!

Films released December 2, 2011

Shame
This NC-17-rated release from Fox Searchlight has plenty of Oscar potential, and the only question is whether it will be able to overcome its damning rating. This past Monday, I took Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan out of my predictions, but I think that they’re still likely to be included. The film could also place in Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and if things really go well, Best Picture.

Coriolanus
This late January release is currently in the middle of its Academy eligibility run in New York. I’m planning to go see it this evening at the AMC Lincoln Square theatre. This is Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut, and while he probably won’t place in that category, he could compete for Best Director, and Vanessa Redgrave could earn a Best Supporting Actress nomination. The film may also find itself with several technical nominations such as Best Costume Design or Best Art Direction.

Sleeping Beauty
I’ve heard close to nothing about this film, so I wouldn’t count on Emily Browning making the cut for Best Actress. Best Costume Design or Best Art Direction wouldn’t be out of the question, but there are a load of other films ahead of it.