Oscar Talk: DiCaprio, Clooney, J. Edgar, Judi Dench

Thompson on Hollywood

 

Oscar Talk: DiCaprio vs. Clooney, J. Edgar, Muppet Movie, Young Adult’s Theron, War Horse

On this week’s Oscar Talk, Kris Tapley and I air our reactions to AFI FEST opener J. Edgar, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio in a tour-de-force performance as J. Edgar Hoover, young and old. We agree that DiCaprio could move into the lead in the Best Actor category, and Armie Hammer, Judi Dench and Naomi Watts could be in the running for supporting nominations too. It may not be best picture, although some categories could go with a period film from the respected and popular Eastwood, from art direction and cinematography to makeup. Oscar-winning Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black enters some speculative territory, here; depending on critical reaction, he could be rewarded with a script nod.

Kris loves both The Muppet Movie and Jason Reitman’s Young Adult (TOH covered that Q & A). We explain why Young Adult and Steven Spielberg’s War Horse are taking the secret screening route around the country. We get into the Brit Effect on the Oscars, and parse the Weinsteins’ rerelease of Sarah’s Key. We debate the wisdom of putting Keira Knightley in the lead for A Dangerous Method and campaigning the Carnage ensemble as supporting actors. Could Fox Searchlight’s current release Martha Marcy May Marlene wind up making more Oscar noise than summer entry Tree of Life?