Sony Classics; Fox SearchlightAnother day, another Oscar movie—make that another two Oscar movies, one of which, in fine Oscar tradition, has already been robbed!
Here's a look at the respective chances for Anthony Hopkins' Hitchcock and Marion Cotillard's Rust and Bone, both new in theaters today.
Truly, the Leading Man: Hopkins is Hitchcock's best shot at Oscar. As noted previously, oddsmakers have the onetime winner in the Best Actor mix alongside Silver Linings Playbook's Bradley Cooper and Les Miserables' Hugh Jackman. In other words, Hopkins looks like a maybe nominee, but not a lock like Lincoln's Daniel Day-Lewis, Flight's Denzel Washington, The Master's Joaquin Phoenix and The Sessions' John Hawkes.
But Won't Hopkins' Popping Off About "Disgusting," "Groveling" Academy Suck-Ups Doom His Shot? Like Phoenix's popping off about how awards season is "the worst-tasting carrot I've ever tasted in my whole life" is dooming his? Besides, here's betting Hopkins gets at least a few votes thrown his way for candor.
Truly, the Leading Lady: Like Hopkins, Cotillard is her film's best shot at Oscar. And like Hopkins, the gaming sites have her fighting for the fifth and final nomination in her category, in this case Best Actress. Of course, some of those same sites think Anne Hathaway is being positioned for a Best Actress run for Les Miz, which she isn't (look for her in Best Supporting Actress). So, maybe GoldDerby.com has the better read here—that site's Oscar-watchers have Cotillard as the best chance to defeat Silver Linings Playbook's Jennifer Lawrence.
What's His Hook? Hopkins is playing Alfred Hitchcock directing Psycho. He may as well be serving freshly popped kettle corn to Oscar voters—that's how irresistible that logline is to the movie-lover.
What's Her Hook? Cotillard is playing a double amputee. Top that, Lawrence.
Say, Isn't Helen Mirren in Hitchcock, Too? And also Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel, but yes, if we're talking awards, then we're talking onetime-winner Mirren, who, as Hitchcock's wife and chief critic, is definitely on the Best Actress radar. (Sorry, no Oscar buzz for Johansson or Biel.)
Ah, the Cruel Twist: If Hopkins wins, he'll outdo Hitchcock, who was never voted a competitive Oscar. (No, not even for Psycho.)
Ah, the Cruelest Twist: Despite being one of the more acclaimed French films of the year, Rust and Bone will not compete for Foreign-Language Film, as France didn't submit it. The film is eligible for Best Picture, but, like Hitchcock, it's not much more than a long shot there.
Potentially Mitigating Factors: One, Hitchcock is the second movie about Alfred Hitchcock to be released in as many months, after HBO's The Girl; two, Rust and Bone is under fire from an animal-rights group for its employment of killer whales.