By the end of September or come mid-October, we’ll start having a clearer picture about the viable Oscar contenders this year, and which failed to make the mark. For better or worse, the Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival are often where the awards-season movies that have a good shot for gold are weeded out from the pictures that don’t. And one you’ll want to keep an eye is Damien Chazelle‘s “La La Land.”
Two years ago, the writer/director made a huge wave with “Whiplash,” which earned five Oscar nominations, winning three including Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing and Best Sound Mixing. So Chazelle’s follow-up, an ambitious musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, was already going to be on many radars, and according to Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera, who will be presenting the World Premiere of the movie, the excitement is justified.
“For me, the movie that has the biggest chance to become an Oscar contender [in the festival lineup] is ‘La La Land.’ It is classic American cinema at its best: a musical with two great stars showcasing amazing moves like we aren’t used to seeing anymore,” he told Screen Daily.
Sounds very promising, and overall, Venice has a very strong lineup this year. Even more, Barbera says there’s one more title to be added, and while he can’t reveal it just yet, there is one movie he says that won’t be there.
“I tried to get ‘Sully,’ but it was simply not convenient for [Warner Bros.] as Clint Eastwood wouldn’t be coming and Tom Hanks would’ve been too busy promoting ‘Inferno.’ That is my biggest and only regret this year,” he said.
Bummer. But if you have any guesses on that final movie might be — it’ll be Out Of Competition, and will be “a special event” according Barbera — let us know.
“La La Land” opens on December 16th. Venice runs from August 31st to September 10th.
