Oscar Campaign Bust: 2012 Films

More For Your Consideration ads are being released for this year's films, but some are clearly out of Oscar contention. Ultimately, I don't see any of the following films getting nominated.

   

 

Images via AwardsDaily

Oscar Campaign Bust #6: Casino Royale & Quantum of Solace

007 has received no Oscar love since For Your Eyes Only (1981).

Skyfall is finally opening in the U.S. this week. Since it is getting some Oscar buzz, I thought it would be interesting to look back at the last two campaign efforts in the Bond franchise.

After a 4-year absence, Bond returned in 2006's Casino Royale, with Daniel Craig taking over the classic character in this reboot. In the wake of great reviews and a healthy box office take, it became the highest grossing 007 film, and awards talk began. A new, grittier Bond that was actually successful had to lead to some awards, right? And so it did. From the studio's campaign, the film received 9 BAFTA nominations, including a Best Actor nod for Daniel Craig and a win for Best Sound. The film's original song "You Know My Name" even got a Grammy nomination the following year. But Oscar never came calling.

Two years later, Bond and Craig were back in Quantum of Solace, and audiences were ready for more...until the film was released. The backlash began with mixed reviews, followed by the general disappointment of fans everywhere. (I think it's a mishandled gem, but that's neither here nor there.) Despite the negative reaction, the film became the second highest grossing Bond film ever. So, the studio went for it again, campaigning the film in technical categories. And it worked, to some extent. The film actually received 2 BAFTA nominations and 2 Critics Choice nods. While the original song "Another Way to Die" wasn't as popular, it did get some awards attention as well. Still, Oscar passed on the film.

Now, Skyfall will be trying for a third time (as a Craig-helmed 007 film), and it appears to have the best chance at nabbing some Oscar nods. It has a realistic shot at 5 nominations. Will it get them? We'll have to wait until January to see.

THE CAMPAIGN

THE CAMPAIGN
Written by Shawn Harwell and Chris Henchy
Directed by Jay Roach
Starring Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis and Dylan McDermott

Marty Huggins: Bring your brooms because it’s a mess!

One of my biggest complaints with politics is that they are often far too transparent to be truly taken seriously. At times, it seems that some politicians are hardly even trying to mask that they are not acting in the best interest of the people they are elected to represent but rather in their own. Why then should I lend any more credence to a film that makes about as much effort when it comes to crafting an original take on the modern electoral process, as these politicians do pretending like they care about anything more than their bank account balances?

THE CAMPAIGN promises a good race but really only delivers about as much excitement as one would ordinarily expect from a tiny district congressional election. It isn’t because there isn’t enough talent to make it happen; THE CAMPAIGN boasts talent aplenty in fact. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis play Cam Brady, a four term congressman looking for his fifth, and Marty Huggins, a local man with no real mind for politics, or much else for that matter. Their characters are ferocious in their competition with each other and Ferrell and Galifianakis are even more intense with their portrayals. These boys commit but unfortunately, they aren’t committing to the right material. Shawn Harwell and Chris Henchey’s screenplay is nowhere near as funny as it could be and even less satirical than it needs to be. What is an American political comedy without bite anyway? A soggy apple pie? Who wants to eat that?

An election movie in an election year is far too easy an opportunity to pass up and director, Jay Roach, takes a far too easy approach to the subject. THE CAMPAIGN is like modern American politics for dummies, but written by the dummies.

Oscar Campaign Bust #5: J. Edgar

In early 2011, Leonardo DiCaprio was finally going to receive his fourth Oscar nomination, and possibly win the whole thing for his riveting portrayal of J. Edgar Hoover. A full campaign was launched to nab this generally generic biopic a Best Picture nod, and director Clint Eastwood's film looked primed for at least some technical nominations and a nod for Best Actor. The film was pushed on voters, and sometimes that's all you need. As the award season played out, DiCaprio was nominated by the Screen Actors Guild, the Golden Globes, and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. The film even took home top ten awards from the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute. Everything was lined up for Leo. Then the Oscar nominations were announced without his name being called. 

Did it deserve to be nominated? Certainly not for Best Picture (or even Best Makeup), but DiCaprio's performance - one of his best - deserved more consideration. Then again, so did Michael Fassbender's in Shame.

Oscar Campaign Bust #4: I've Loved You So Long

I haven't done one of these since April, so I thought I'd finally post a fourth entry. You can see the previous ones here, here, and here.

In 2008, this French film starring Oscar nominee Kristin Scott Thomas was released to rave reviews. As a woman returning to society from a lengthy prison stint for murder, Scott Thomas gave a devastating, heartfelt performance, backed by a strong performance from Elsa Zylberstein as her sister. Both actresses received some awards recognition, and Scott Thomas even received BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Cesar nominations. The film also had Sony Picture Classics backing it, which only improved its awards campaign. Despite these credentials, it did not receive much Oscar consideration, because The Class - by rule - was the only film that France could submit for Best Foreign Language Film. So, the film's best shot was Best Actress, and it came up just short. 

Did it deserve to be nominated? Yes, if not for Best Foreign Language Film, then at the very least for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress.

Oscar Campaign Bust #3: Shutter Island

Since I haven't posted an entry into this series in months, I thought it was time to revive it.

This 2010 psychological thriller from Oscar winner Martin Scorsese had technical prowess and a fantastic performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, a three-time Academy Award nominee. It was a stylish throwback to classic movies, and it seemed to be ripe for Oscar notice. But it was supposed to be released in the fall of 2009. Instead, it was moved to a February 2010 theatrical release. Though it would become Scorsese's highest grossing film in the U.S., critics could not reach a consensus, and the film was relatively forgotten when awards season came.

Did it deserve to be nominated? Yes, at least for Best Actor, Best Art Direction, and Best Cinematography.

Oscar Campaign Bust #2: The Libertine

This 2005 film about John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester, featured a phenomenal performance from Johnny Depp, great costume work, and a haunting score by Michael Nyman. The film was yet another product of The Weinstein Company that came and went ignored by Oscar's radar.

Did it deserve to be nominated? Yes, at the very least a Best Actor nod for Johnny Depp in what I consider to be the finest leading male performance of the Aughts.

Oscar Campaign Bust #1: Breaking and Entering

This 2006 drama featured a great cast with an Oscar-winning director at the helm, and was even distributed by The Weinstein Company (who just backed The King's Speech in 2010) in a December release. Despite these pluses, the film fell flat with most critics and awards groups and was not nominated for any Oscars.

Did it deserve to be nominated? Yes, at least for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress (Binoche in the correct category), and Best Original Screenplay.