Thursday, July 14, 2016

Oscar Watch: Aquarius (2016)





When Aquarius made its premiere at Cannes, it received a lot of waves for the performance by lead actress Sonia Braga. It didn't receive distribution right out of the gate but Netflix did eventually pick it up. The fact that Netflix picked it up may be a bit cautionary because they tried to make Beasts Of No Nation into an Oscar contender yet it didn't quite pan out due to it not making much box office business and Idris Elba being the one carrying most of the film's weight since he was its best shot at getting a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. 

But because the Oscars aren't like the Olympics which happen every four years, they may go for another round and promote Aquarius for awards season. It is Brazil's selection for Best Foreign Language Film and it seems like the kind of performance-driven film that actors often love. It also helps that Sonia Braga isn't a complete unknown in Tinseltown since she is a 3-time Golden Globe nominee and both a BAFTA and Emmy nominee. At the very least, the Globes might cite her. 

However, the film's length is about 140 minutes and the story of an aging music critic who rebels against developers looking to buy her apartment complex doesn't exactly scream Oscar bait. But to avoid a threepeat of #OscarsSoWhite, Netflix could make Sonia Braga's performance a part of the Best Actress conversation if they play their cards right this time around. 

But what do you guys think? Do you think it looks like a legitimate Oscar contender and do you think it looks like a great film in general? Please feel free to write your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading! 

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