Oscar Buzz ... For Benjamin Button?

This year's Academy Awards haven't even happened yet. But already Variety is underway, predicting next year's most likely contenders. An interesting look at the cinematic year ahead ... with David Fincher being not only a top contender, but also in the perfect year-end release position to finally snatch at least a nomination.

It came a little surprisingly that Fincher's "Zodiac" didn't nick one single nomination for this year's awards show. Especially so since "Zodiac" was a perfect display of Fincher's craft, talent and maturation as a director. For "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" however, I personally sense even more Oscar potential: A screenplay by Academy Award winner Eric Roth, lead performances by Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt, and the pioneering use of photorealistic digital face-replacements throughout the film. Sure sounds like one heavy-hitting contender to me.

And apart from Fincher's latest feat, the Variety article allows for a further glance at highlights that will come out in 2008. Enjoy:

Variety: Speculation On Next Year's Contenders

3 comments:

  1. i hope fincher will finally win some recognition from his colleagues. zodiac was a perfect fit, unfortunately they didn't think so.

    cheers, t.

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  2. If Fincher never wins the best director Oscar I won't be too perturbed because I'd rather see him be in company with guys like Kubrick and Hitchcock who were always so ahead of the curve that it took people years to realize that in retrospect they should've trounced the award competition on that given year. Zodiac not being receiving one nomination is a farce that just proves how dependent box office is on the whole process despite what the voters insist on the contrary...as if something like Gladiator would've prevailed in the top category had it flopped ignominiously during its initial May '00 release. If Zodiac cracks 100 mil that buzz of success carries over into the fall around the dvd release and the studios shatter the piggy bank to promote it zealously for the top shelf nominations it so richly deserved.

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