http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=18698

Love in the Time of Cholera got a November release date. Bodes great for it with the director, release date, cast and source material.

If Liev Schreiber is to ever hit the next level, that's his chance, I think.

I think Alfred Molina will be in the running for a Best Supporting Actor nomination in The Hoax.

So Away From Her comes out today. It's receiving amazing reviews, 86% at Rotten Tomatoes, 100% COTC and 84 at Metacritic.

I think Christie is the first lock so far this year in the major categories. The movie might have a chance in other categories as well (especially Dukakis for supporting actress).

Yeah, I think Christie has a great chance for Away From Her. If she could get nominated in '98 for Afterglow, this seems likely. Dukakis has a strong chance as well, esp. since she is a former winner for Moonstruck. Depending on the competition, Gordon Pinslet (plays Christie's husband) could be nominated also.

Is this the year of films dealing with issues about aging? I expect some nominations for The Savages as well.

But I really am looking forward to Away From Her.

Calling ANYONE a lock at this point is foolish. However, I do think Christie is first true contender for any of the major categories this year. If Lions Gate is willing to push her, they'll push her. I think we should wait to see how it does though. If it can break say, $5M, I think she looks likely.

Weird thing about AFH though, is that even with an 84 score it has yet to get a single 100. How many other films have done that?

So when is Cannes

It starts May 16. Not too many major awards films premiering though outside of The Coen Brothers' supposed return to form No Country for Old Men. The films in competition:

Catherine Breillat's An Old Mistress (Une Vieille Maitresse)
Christophe Honore's The Love Songs (Les Chansons d'amour)
Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell And The Butterfly
Fatih Akin's Auf der anderen Seite des Lebens
The Coen Brothers' No Country For Old Men
David Fincher's Zodiac
James Gray's We Own The Night
Kim ki Duk's Breath
Naomi Kawase's Mogari No Mori
Emir Kusturica's Promise Me This
Lee Chang-Dong's Secret Sunshine
Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days
Raphael Nadjari's Tehilim
Carlos Reygadas' Silent Light
Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's Persepolis
Ulrich Seidl's Import/Export
Alexander Sokurov's Alexandra
Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof
Bela Tarr's The Man From London
Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park
Andrey Zvyagintsev's The Banishment

Premiering out of competition is Michael Moore's Sicko, Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Thirteen and Michael Winterbottom's A Mighty Heart (Potential Oscar vehicle for Angelina Jolie).

It bothers me that I should've seen Away From Her like, 3 months ago. Last minute deferrence on the one night it previewing killed my one chance to get a leg up on the award season buzz.

can Ashley Judd still score a nom with Bug? If this is really her big comeback and huge step forward after all those cheap thrillers (High Crimes, Twisted, etc. ), and Friedkin's best movie since The Exorcist, I'm seriously rooting for her... The release date and the film's content (which will generate obvious love-hate reactions) might be two hurdles difficult to overcome though.

For BUG??? That's just insane.

I said this elsewhere, but I think Keri Russell is the first legitimate acting contender of the year for Waitress.

I agree. Maybe some kind of Junebug small indie critics hit leading to a nom...?

Both Julie Christie and Keri Russell are being singled out in their respective universally-praised films. That's the key to be remembered and revived by critics at the end of the year. Both are strong contenders.

It's interesting to look at their reviews at Metacritic. Away from Her leads with a score of 84 to 72, but it has no 100 grade while Waitress has 2. Seem like the opinions on Waitress is a little more split, at least among the print critics.

I'd say Christie is ahead of Russell at the moment, mainly because when you get down to it, TV actress playing low-class pregnant waitress in light art house comedy <<<<< Oscar winning veteran playing Alzheimer's victim in dark-ish art house drama. However, if Waitress can break out and make at least $10 million at the box office, she could be good for a Golden Globe nom that could keep her name in the race. Still, Christie has the higher hand at the moment. The box office for both will be something to keep an eye on.

But some people are predicting her. It will never happen though. It's not the type of movie that gets any Oscar attention.

Something in mee keeps comparing Junebug to Waitress. Both young rather unknown actresses in small films playing pregnant women and being praised in and out.

Though Keri Russell is fairly well known. Atleast she used to be when Felicity was on. Would be great to see her get a nomination thats for sure!!

Spider-Man 3 should get a nomination for visual effects, but with the critisism in some reviews of those effects and the critical reaction to the movie it's chances of winning are a bit up in the air.

Could turn out like Episode III.

And both set in the south ? (i Think)

I don't think the reviews for either Waitress or Keri Russell are as strong as they were for Amy Adams/Junebug. Like I don't actually see any of those critics who are praising her actually singling her performance out as one of the year's best at the end of the year. She seems to be more in a Maggie Gyllenhaal/Agnes Bruckner type situation.

Oh, and although I think Julie Christie is the closest thing we have to a sure thing so far, I don't think she's the first real contender (among all top categories).

Do you guys think Mira Nair has a chance to score a nomination for best director? She's well respected and The Namesake is another film that has received across-the-board great reviews. Plus it's done pretty well at the box office with $11+ million so far.

It's interesting to note that all three films mentioned (Away From Her, Waitress, The Namesake) have been directed by women.

I'm actually beginning to think we might be female director nominated this year. At the moment I think the most likely would actually be Susanne Bier for Things We Lost in the Fire. It seems to have a baity premise with two recent winners (One of which could use a comeback), and her last film (After the Wedding) was nominated this year for Foreign Language Film, so she's not quite an unknown.

In the meantime, Away from Her goes up to 85, yet still doesn't have a single 100. Oh how I miss the days when Ebert was always reliable for a 4-star review.

I don't trust Halle Berry... Though it does seem like this is the year of the women.

I should know this, but has a women director ever won?

Nope, and there have only been three women nominees: Lina Wertmüller (Seve Beauties, 1976) Jane Campion (The Piano, 1993) and Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, 2003). Kinda pathetic, really. Even worse is when you consider that there has only been one black nominee (John Singleton, Boyz in the Hood) and one winner that wasn't a white male (Ang Lee last year). The directing branch is very much a White Boys Club.

Wow, Away frm Her has gotten four 100s and leaped up to 87, which I think makes it the best-reviewed movie of 2007 on Metacritic.

Isn't John Singleton still the youngest nominee as well?

Might as well make it the Geezer White Boys Club.