The Oscar season has not begun yet, but here are some films and performances that promise to be interesting and may become Oscar contenders.
The Lighthouse will be released on October 18, 2019 by the entrepreneurial A24.
A handsome and versatile actor, Robert Pattinson–the new Batman–has gone out of his way not to be typecast as a heartthrob after the Twilight franchise. Since then he has worked with the Safdie Brothers (Good Time), Claire Denis, David Cronenberg, and other indie directors.
And this year, he shines, alongside with Willem Dafoe, in The Lighthouse, which world premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Fest, where it won the FIPRESCI (international critics award). Most critics–including yours truly–singled out the dazzling technical aspects, darkly moody tone, astute direction, and the powerful performances of the two leads.
One of the best-reviewed films at Cannes, The Lighthouse is a stylized (black-and-white) gothic horror period piece (it’s set in the late nineteenth century).
Read our review of The Lighthouse:
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God knows how would the Academy deal with two male lead performances? There are several movies this season with similar problem: Pacino and De Niro in Scorsese’s The Irishman, Matt Damon and Christian Bale in Ford V. Ferrari, and of course, DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time….in Hollywood.
If you want to know more about the Oscars and the Road to Gold, please read my book:
If nominated, it would be the first time for Pattinson to be recognized by his colleagues in the Actors Branch.
For Willem Dafoe, however, it would be his fifth Oscar nod; last year, he was nominated in the lead category for playing Van Gogh in At Eternity’s Gate.