Is SXSW Winner "Short Term 12" Capable of a Best Picture Nomination

Left to right: Brie Larson and Ketih Stanfield

I will admit that when compiling my previous entry, I was going largely based off of personal speculation and familiarity with the events of the Sundance Film Festival. In a surprise twist, two films have come out as considerable Oscar contenders for different reasons. There is the great looking documentary Blackfish (trailer here) and director Destin Cretton's Short Term 12. Having premiered as SXSW, the latter film has gone on to receive accolades, including winning the Audience Award in the narrative feature category. It is quickly being considered as one of the year's best. With official Oscar Buzz finally starting to heat up, will this SXSW favorite make it all the way to the Best Picture race?

A Look at Summer Films with Academy Award Potential

Still from Much Ado About Nothing

With the summer movie season heating up, there is a good chance that The Oscar Buzz may hit a dry spell. True, I once stated that June was the turning point for cinema. It would be that moment in which films suddenly stood a modicum of a chance to burst out onto the scene and get some Oscar attention. While The Great Gatsby showed us some hope, few films seem worthy of an entire entry around the speculation. Films like Star Trek Into Darkness and this week's Fast & Furious 6 at best are Best Sound Editing and Best Special Effects contenders. Still, over the summer months, I have decided to take a look at films that may have potential to break the mold and may be the buzz when nominations are announced next January. Maybe not all of these will be Best Picture material, but if they're even close, we're in for a very interesting ceremony.

Review: "The Great Gatsby" is a Great Looking Luhrmann Film but a Decent Fitzgerald Adaptation

Leonardo DiCaprio

One of the most iconic tales in American literature is F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." Symbolizing the American dream and the right to throw lavish parties, the story has withstood the test of time, many adaptations, and has even entered the lexicon of high standards for the medium. Yet, there seems to be little in the way of producing a top notch adaptation, which may be to the book's credit, though also can be seen as a challenge. Still, is it possible that director Baz Luhrmann has found the formula and made the ultimate adaptation with a star-studded cast?

Review: "To the Wonder" Lacks the Malick Charm

Left to right: Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko

One of the biggest disappointments that most film fans have had in 2013 is from one of the oddest film making decisions in years. The notoriously reclusive director Terrence Malick, whose 2012 output alone features three films, has broken his streak of productivity. Once known for waiting 20 years between projects, he attempts to make up for lost time, starting with the film To the Wonder, which stars Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko as a married couple going through a rough period. What is it about this particular story that saw Malick, coming off of his highly acclaimed The Tree of Life, turn in one of the more underwhelming films of the year?