The Oscar Race Starts Here

4 months ago 08th Jul 10:12

It's widely accepted that the beginning of the Oscar season is September but it seems that the race for the most coveted prize in the movie industry has come around early this year.

And although it's blockbuster season Johnny Depp's new movie Public Enemies has made everyone sit up and take note as Depp's performance as American bank robber John Dillinger is already surrounded in Oscar whispers.

The actor has had Oscar nominations for his performances in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Finding Neverland and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street but has never got is hands on the Best Actor gong... so could this be the role that finally brings him the recognition he deserves?

So seeing that the Oscar talk has already begun FemaleFirst is going to take a look at the possible runners and riders for the 2010 ceremony, oh and there are plenty.

Another movie that will probably lead the way is musical Nine which follows director Guido Contini as he prepares his latest picture and balances the numerous women in his life; his wife, mistress, muse and mother.

Nine sees the return of Daniel Day Lewis to the big screen since he picked up a Best Actor Oscar for his role in There Will be Blood in February. The film carries further poignancy as the script was written by Anthony Minghella before he passed away last year.

Causing waves at the Cannes Film Festival was Up, but we won't get the movie until October, and after the success at Wall-E at this year's Oscars, picking up Best Animated Movie, it's hard to see how this picture will be overlooked.

2010 will also see a return to the big screen for filmmaker Peter Jackson and his adaptation of the popular novel The Lovely Bones, starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon.

While it's a change of pace for the director, who last had Oscar success with King Kong, there is plenty of talk surrounding this film.

Biopic pictures are also popular at this time of year, this time around being no different, with at least three in serious contention.

How the Academy could have overlooked Gran Torino and Clint Eastwood's performance both in front of and behind the camera beggars belief but they have a chance to put it right with Invictus.

The movie is a biopic of Nelson Mandela with Morgan Freeman in the lead role and is bound to strike a chord with many a voter. Amelia is another biopic picture that could dominate nominations.

Starring Hilary Swank the movie follows the life of legendary American pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared while flying over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 in an attempt to make a flight around the world. This movie could secure Swank her third Best Actress Oscar.

The Soloist was the movie on most people's lips last year with many believing that Robert Downey Jr could, at long last get his hands on an Oscar, but a release date change saw it appear in U.S. cinemas just weeks ago.

Not here until September The Soloist sees the return of Atonement filmmaker Joe Wright as he look s at the lost talent of musician Nathaniel Ayers who is discovered living on the street of Los Angeles by a journalist.

However the fact that the movie has been moving around quite a bit on the release schedule isn't going to work in it's favour, which is a real shame for British filmmaker Wright who deserves all the success that comes his way.

Martin Scorsese could once again be in the mix with his new movie Shutter Island, which once again teams him up with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Set in 1954 the movie follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels who is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.

But after scooping Best Picture and Director for The Departed in 2006 it's unlikely that he will repeat that feat again so soon, although the movie itself looks great.

Other picture to be keeping an eye out for over the coming months include The Road starring Viggo Mortensen, A Serious Man, the newest offering from the Coen Brothers as well as The Tree of Life with Brad Pitt an Sean Penn.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw