14 DAY TRIAL // On July 16, one of the hottest movies of the year, arrives in theaters in the US: it is called “Inception,” is directed by Christopher Nolan (“Memento” and “The Dark Knight”), and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page and many other brilliant actors. As True/Slant puts it, rarely has a movie come out to such incredible pre-release hype and such rave reviews, which more than explains why it’s already generating massive Oscar buzz.
As the aforementioned movie publication notes, an Oscar for DiCaprio has been long due, since the Academy repeatedly shunned the actor – though he did score several nods throughout the years. However, initial reviews to “Inception,” which is not even out yet, are so raving (the film is rated 100% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with 15 reviews counted as of today, July 9 – truly a rare occurrence) that assuming Leo will be the next recipient of an Oscar for a Best Male Performance is not even that farfetched, come to think of it.
“But if the early buzz on Inception holds up, next year he just might be ready to give in to DiCaprio. It certainly would have taken him long enough. The star of Titanic, formerly the highest-grossing film of all time, has been Academy Award-nominated three times (for ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,’ ‘The Aviator’ and ‘Blood Diamond’). He’s toplined two Best Picture winners (‘Titanic’ and ‘The Departed’) and starred in two others (‘The Gangs of New York’ and ‘The Aviator’). He’s a rarity in Hollywood: an actor and a movie star, capable of carrying films that earn money and excellent reviews,” True/Slant writes. “Inception” may turn out to be so good that even the fact that it’s a sci-fi movie will not hurt its chances with the Academy, the same report argues.
“New raves seem to come in every day. And Oscar? The film’s sci-fi bent might hurt its Academy Award chances more than its mid-summer release date. No sci-fi film has ever won Best Picture (though Avatar presumably came close), but as The Hurt Locker, which was released in June of 2009, proved in March, it’s possible to launch a Best Picture frontrunner – and eventual winner – before December. As for DiCaprio, what can I say? Depp and O’Toole aside, no other previously nominated actor is more deserving of Oscar’s company. He already has the momentum of having starred in an early 2010 hit, the Martin Scorcese-directed ‘Shutter Island.’ And if Sandra Bullock can score for a middling effort like ‘The Blind Side,’ winning for a unanimously acclaimed film directed by the guy who got Heath Ledger a posthumous prize should be a cinch,” True/Slant believes.
Of course, whether the Academy deigns to consider a mind-twisting, sci-fi film for the official race is entirely up to the Academy and there is nothing anyone can do about it. On the bright side, judging by the incredible reviews that continue to come in from all over (including established, renowned publications like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter), at least one thing seems guaranteed: moviegoers will love “Inception.”
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