Clint Eastwood’s been on a roll. His last two films, “Mystic River” and “Million Dollar Baby” were justifiably feted by many critics as the best of their respective years. They were character pieces that earned their kudos the hard way, through touching, authentic performances and gripping stories that Eastwood allowed to take root in their own time. As an actor, he may have made his name with flashy gunfights and tough guy talk, but as a director, he’s always been at his best delivering intimate moments in which real people strain under the weight of real problems.

In his…
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I know what you’re thinking. Doesn’t it seem just downright ridiculous to talk about 2008 Oscar contenders when the 2007 picture is anything but clear? Probably. But that won’t stop us anyway. Nowadays, people are always fascinated about “what’s next?” Often so much that they ignore the present. We’re going to make the same mistake here today. Besides, with news coming out everyday after future projects, wouldn’t it be fun to be the first ones to assess their Oscarworthiness? Here we go.

2007 was a year of big directors wielding big projects. You have Eastwood with “Flags of Our…
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It’s time for another round of trailer reviews as we weigh in with our initial impressions on this fall’s Oscar contenders.

BREAKING AND ENTERING:

At first, it seems to be a simple tale of suspense and deceit, but upon further examination, there appears to be a more profound complexity. Despite a glamorous cast of stars, the characters seem anything but vain, which bodes well for the story. One possible concern is that the film may be recognized for its potential surprise ending rather than overall character-driven drama.

Best case scenario: Match Point
Worst case scenario: Derailed…
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Martin Scorsese has been teetering on the edge of irrelevance for a decade now. With the plodding “Gangs of New York” and the uneven, episodic “The Aviator,” the director who made some of the finest fever dreams of the 1970′s (Taxi Driver), 1980′s (Raging Bull) and 1990′s (Goodfellas), was relegated to making bloodless, historical duds with stories that were well researched, but not well told. Some wondered if the man who was playing himself in American Express commercials and Saturday Night Live skits had lost his nerve. There were even whispered comparisons to Francis Ford Coppola’s late career crash…
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After much deliberation, Oscar Frenzy is pleased to announce our fall predictions for Best Picture. More than previous years, there has been surge in Oscar predictions among leading Oscar sites and blogs. To check out what everyone else is forecasting, click on the PredictMatrix. Meanwhile, here are our picks (in alphabetical order):

BREAKING AND ENTERING (The Weinstein Company)
FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (Paramount/Dreamworks)
THE GOOD SHEPHERD (Universal)
LITTLE CHILDREN (New Line)
UNITED 93 (Universal)

BREAKING AND ENTERING:

This film has been on our radar ever since March. Minghella is due for a breakthrough, after both The Talented…
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