As the Venice and Toronto film festivals clank into action, we gird loins for the beginning of the absurdly elongated Oscar season. One of the first matters of business is the host.
Following last year’s disastrous turns by Anne Hathaway and James Franco, it has been confirmed that Eddie Murphy will wield the envelopes. Given that the dreaded Brett Ratner is producing the show, the announcement wasn’t surprising. Ratner directed Murphy in the upcoming thriller Tower Heist. To be fair, it’s not a bad idea; though his recent films have bombed, Murphy remains a very funny guy.
Events at the Venice Film Festival, which ends tomorrow, and the Toronto Film Festival, which kicked off last night, offer pointers as to what might triumph at the biggest of awards ceremonies.
Early favourites such as David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Methodand George Clooney's The Ides of Marchhave been greeted with cautious hurrahs at Venice. Steve McQueen's Shame,a story of sexual obsession, has received genuine raves, but that film may be a bit recherchéfor Academy voters.
The rising force in the Oscar derby is, undoubtedly, Tomas Alfredson's film of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. The espionage drama, which opens here next week, has been praised to the skies at Venice.
Quite right too. It’s the only one we’ve seen from that pack and it deserves every one of its breathless encomiums.
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