The Cannes Film Festival is fueling Oscar buzz. Awards Daily says raves are pouring in for Angelina Jolie and Clint Eastwood's Changeling which is based on a true story about a woman whose child was abducted in the 1920s and the government corruption she met in her despair. Apparently it might have a new title, The Exchange... I prefer the former. It's eerier --definitely has more flavor. Anyone surprised by the Oscar style hosanna! reviews needs their heads checked: Eastwood doesn't get bad reviews. Even when he maybe deserves them (see: Flags of Our Fathers). If this is as good as people are saying, it'll be thrilling to watch and possibly even a Best Picture contender. GreenCine is more cautionary about the nature of the reactions in their roundup. update and IFC does not like it.One interesting note about the reviews is the notion that the second half of the film is very ensemble driven. This could be great news for any number of character actors in the film (Jason Butler Harner, Colm Feore, Amy Ryan, John Malkovich, etcetera) since Eastwood is known to guide his cast to golden trophies of one sort or another. He's currently tied for 4th place in the record books for directors whose films have won the most acting Oscars.
No public comment yet from Julianne Moore about Angie working her corner --mom with missing/possibly dead/imaginary/mysterious child. She must be livid. I kid, I kid. But in all seriousness: This year's Best Actress race is going to be gargantuan. I can feel it. Two former winners (Jolie & Streep) with juicy roles. Three overdue A listers (Pfeiffer, Moore & Winslet) with juicy roles. And abundant others with less buzz and less Oscar history thus far... My Oscar predictions will be updated on June 1st.A Socialite's Life also covers the Changeling/The Exchange premiere... but to my disappointment The Fug Girls have not yet weighed in on Angie's retro earth mother muumuu.
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