Andrea Riseborough – This Had Oscar Buzz

379 – Amsterdam

2022’s Amsterdam was a high profile box office dud from disgraced director David O. Russell with timely themes, a big budget, and a ton of stars. The film tells a (partly true) story about fascist maneuverings in America, with Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot as a friendship trio who sets out to thwart them after being reunited post-WWII. Though the film earned some fans like critic Richard Brody, it received a somewhat indifferent release by 20th Century Studios and was quickly out of theatres.

This episode, we talk about the film’s scattered look at timely themes and it’s very quiet release. We also discuss Robbie’s high wire performance in Babylon in the same year, Taylor Swift’s brief (and much memed) role, and Robert De Niro joins our Six Timers Club.

Topics also include Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Emmanuel Lubezki’s light resume after winning 3 Oscars, and Drunk History.

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338 – The Death of Stalin

After passing off the reins of Veep, Armando Iannucci returned to movie screens with another political satire. Based on the graphic novel, The Death of Stalin farcically recounts the last days of the dictator and the scramble for power in the days after. With stars like Steve Buscemi, Jason Isaacs, and Simon Russell Beale, the film received solid reviews at its 2017 TIFF premiere and solid box office at its spring 2018 release. But thanks to BAFTA recognition and a Screenplay prize from the National Society of Film Critics, some folks predicted The Death of Stalin for a surprise Adapted Screenplay nomination that never came to be.

This episode, we talk about Iannucci’s career and how the surprise screenplay nomination for In The Loop stirred Oscar anticipation for this film as well. We also discuss the correct way to pronounce Buscemi, the film’s balance between serious-mindedness and farce, and our favorites from the film’s ensemble.

Topics also include the 2017 TIFF lineup and the 2018 Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor races.

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Class of 2022

An annual ritual returns! We are here to welcome the This Had Oscar Buzz Class of 2022! Off the top of the episode, we celebrate friend and former guest (and, spoiler alert, next week’s guest) Pamela Ribon on her Best Animated Feature Short nomination for My Year of Dicks and lament the To Leslie episode that could have been. We also get into the Riseborough situation and previous nominations that were rescinded. And of course we have our returning categories for movies we’re happiest (and saddest) to have missed out on Oscar nominations, most surprising to miss, most forgettable movie to receive Oscar buzz, and our most anticipated for a future episode.

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168 – Never Let Me Go (with Tara Ariano)

This episode, Extra Hot Great co-host Tara Ariano returns to us to talk about another much-requested film, 2010′s Never Let Me Go. An adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s incredibly lauded science fiction novel, the film stars a post-nomination Carey Mulligan opposite Keira Knightley and breakthrough Andrew Garfield as clones raised for the sole purpose of harvesting their organs for the regular people of society. The film was the sophomore feature of Mark Romanek and adapted by Alex Garland, and met a cold to mixed reaction on the festival circuit before quickly exiting theatres and the awards race.

The film still has its ardent fans (including a few of us on mic), but also fell victim to Fox Searchlight’s shifting awards possibilities in its muscular slate of films that year. We look back at Romanek’s reception in comparison to another music video director’s sci-fi-adjacent Oscar film, certain fall festivals going in and out of favor as perceived Oscar launch pads, Rachel Portman’s original score, and Mulligan’s roles between nominations.

Topics also include Andrea Riseborough facial blindness, “Gay or Just Nice to Me”, and Bad Art Friend.

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154 – Battle of the Sexes

One year after winning Best Actress for La La Land, Emma Stone returned with an even better performance but faced even tougher competition. In Battle of the Sexes, the recent winner starred as Billie Jean King as she faced off Bobby Riggs (played by Steve Carell) in the famed titular tennis match. Directed by Little Miss Sunshine duo Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, the film had a warm festival and critical reception before quickly underwhelming at the box office and hung on with mentions for Stone and Carell during the precursors.

But Battle of the Sexes was quickly put on the backburner as two of Searchlights other contenders became Best Picture (and Best Actress) heavy hitters: The Shape of Water and Three Billboards. This episode, we discuss some reservations about the film and praise the work of Stone, who go on to again outdo herself a year later with The Favourite. We also discuss Dayton/Faris’ Ruby Sparks, Billie Jean King as that Oscar season’s Real Philomena Lee, and Sarah Silverman as a stealth player.

Topics also include 2017′s Supporting Actor fifth spot in flux, the Original Song race, and hot nepotism with Louis Pullman.

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