I have been a fan of Reitmans since he first started out, and am really looking forward to Labor Day. However, it appears that this is a major departure in style for the director, according to early reviews. At first I was a bit disappointed, but the reviews were also positive, so my disappointment quickly evaporated. This major shift in tone did sort of start with Young Adult, which was a lot darker than his previous efforts, and I wonder if the Academy will embrace such a stark turn. From the first look, it does appear that at least its actors are in the running, particularly Winslet, who apparently is as great as always. I am looking forward to the film, and in terms of Oscar race? We'll have to wait and see. Here are some early reviews/comments on the film:
One of my favorites, Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood at Indiewire writes:
"Reitman takes us on a ride that never flags and often surprises with real emotion. He deploys multiple flashbacks, which are not easy to manipulate. Winslet has trod some of this ground before, as her mousy Mildred Pierce also harbored a strong sexual drive. This delicately sensual performance, though, should generate Oscar talk. But Brolin matches her as a strong, dangerous and sexy leading man."
Scott Feinberg at The Hollywood Reporter makes these comments about the film and its Oscar chances:
"The second big takeaway is that Reitman, with this film, reaffirms his credentials as an actors' director. I'm not sure if it's attributable more to the way he writes his characters or directs his actors, but he has always been able to help coax actors to give him their best -- Aaron Eckhart, Ellen Page and George Clooney, if not Charlize Theron, were never better than they were when they worked with him -- and this film is no exception. Winslet is always great, but Josh Brolin has only rarely played parts worthy of his talents and/or made the very most of his parts, and on this film he does both."
At the end of the day, it will come down to the box-office play, the overall critics reviews, and how the rest of the competition ends up. Once again, I say, we'll have to wait and see.
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