OSCAR BAIT

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Albert Nobbs
How could Glenn Close not land a Best Actress nod for this one? Adapted by Close and Booker Prize–winning author John Banville from a short story by George Moore, the movie is about a 19th-century Irishwoman who disguises herself as a (male) butler in order to escape destitution. As if that weren’t enough, it was directed by Rodrigo García (HBO’s In Treatment), a man known for drawing great performances out of his female leads. The film got mixed reviews at the recent Telluride Film Festival, but Close’s performance was well-received. Score: 3

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Anonymous
Hello, what’s this? Schlockmeister Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, 2012) forsaking explosions for a tale of the Bard? Yes, but this is an extreme tale of the Bard, focusing on the scandalous and universe-upsetting theory that Shakespeare didn’t actually write all those plays! Noted thespians Vanessa Redgrave, David Thewlis and Derek Jacobi will survive with their reputations intact, but don’t expect much beyond a Best Costume Design nod. Do note, however, the movie’s undeniably award-worthy tagline: “We’ve all been played.” Score: 2

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The Ides of March and The Descendants
George Clooney will surely be pulling awards season double-duty this year with these two flicks. The Ides of March (which Clooney directed, co-wrote and, naturally, co-starred in) is a political drama featuring Ryan Gosling as an upstart media strategist who uncovers damaging secrets about a Democratic presidential candidate (Clooney). The movie didn’t knock ’em dead when it opened the Venice Film Festival last week, but it still earned solid praise. The Descendants, meanwhile, wowed just about everybody at the recent Telluride Film Festival and is now being proclaimed a certain Best Picture nominee. It’s the latest from Academy fave Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways), and features Clooney as an absentee dad forced to take care of his daughters after his wife falls into a coma. Aw. Score: 3 (The Ides of March) and 5 (The Descendants)

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The Eye of the Storm
Australian Fred Schepisi (The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Six Degrees of Separation) is arguably one of the greatest living film directors, but because he occasionally has to pay the bills (ahem, It Runs in the Family), he never gets the credit he deserves. His latest, about a brother and sister vying for their mother’s inheritance, got rave reviews at the recent Melbourne International Film Festival, as did his sterling cast: Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis and Charlotte Rampling. The film doesn’t have a U.S. distributor yet, but that’s sure to change post-TIFF. Score: 5

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50/50
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a Hollywood movie about a hunky young cancer patient, so it’s hard to know how this one will go over. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the lead, while Seth Rogen plays a thinly veiled version of himself in the best friend role. (The screenplay is by Rogen’s real-life pal Will Reiser, who battled cancer in his 20s.) The studio has been holding advance screenings of 50/50 for months, trying to build early buzz. Word is that the mom character, played by Anjelica Huston, has the most award potential. Score: 3

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Machine Gun Preacher
Have you seen the poster for this one? Has World Vision? Score: 1

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Martha Marcy May Marlene
The recipient of very strong reviews at Sundance in January, writer-director Sean Durkin’s debut film is being talked about as this year’s Winter’s Bone. Elizabeth Olsen (yes, of those Olsens) plays the title character, a young woman trying to extricate herself from the clutches of a religious cult led by John Hawkes (whom you may remember from, yes, Winter’s Bone). Score: 4

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Moneyball
Having read the Michael Lewis book this Brad Pitt vehicle is based on, we have our doubts about whether it can work as a film—it’s less about the game of baseball and more about the business of stats and draft picks. But word is that director Bennett Miller (Capote), who replaced Steven Soderbergh on the project, refused to deliver a conventional sports-flick narrative. Plus, the screenplay was given a polish by Social Network scribe Aaron Sorkin. Who better to turn data-crunching into dialogue? Score: 3

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W.E.
When the Weinstein Company acquired Madonna’s sophomore directorial effort earlier this year, word was that it was a legitimate Oscar contender. But when audiences finally got a look at W.E. at the Venice Film Festival last week, buzz predictably turned to boos. Apparently, Madge’s look at the relationship between King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson (recently featured in The King’s Speech) is at best a new camp classic, and at worst a reprehensible whitewashing of the couple’s well-documented Nazi sympathies. If you’re already slated to attend the screening, bring hydrangeas. Score: 1

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Winnie
We have nothing against former American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson—she was the only good thing in the simpering Dreamgirls—but isn’t it a bit premature for her to be playing the wife of Nelson Mandela? It’s like when Madonna forced her way into the role of Eva Perón—aren’t you supposed to earn iconic parts? And it sure doesn’t help that Winnie Mandela has spoken out against the movie. Score: 2

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