Paul Greengrass‘ Western News of the World (starring Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel) looks very good. Both in terms of quality and cinematography. I could easily see it picking up a Best Picture nomination as a kind of ode to the old kind of blockbusters that Hollywood no longer funds – think Unforgiven or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Fincher‘s Mank could fill that position this year but that’s kind of a different feel – Citizen Kane wasn’t a big Hollywood blockbuster in the same way the films Greengrass‘ movie is paying homage to. I could also see a Director nomination for Greengrass, Actor for Hanks, maybe even Supporting Actress for Zengel, depending on how good she is in the movie. (It feels like it’s been a while since the Academy nominated a child performance – Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit is the last one I can think of off the top of my head. Has there been another since then?) Plus Cinematography, Production and Costume Design, possibly Sound, maybe Screenplay depending on how much dialogue there is in the movie. Given Zengel‘s character’s monosyllabic nature, the talking might be a bit sparse.
The only thing that’s a little off-putting in the trailer is the music. It’s meant to stir emotions in you but it makes the trailer feel a bit Disney-ish, and much fluffier than what the visuals seem to be conveying. I’m guessing it’s not part of James Newton Howard‘s score?
Beyond the Popcorn 