The Unscheduled Contenders

So, we're four months from the end of the year, and there are already "Best of 2012" compilations and lists starting to float around. The Venice Film Festival is currently in full swing, and the Toronto International Film Festival is just around the corner, meaning that we're at the beginning of awards season, but it doesn't mean that we know who all the contenders are yet. Anybody trying to make predictions now based on the existing film slate is jumping the gun because there are still several anticipated titles that aren't on any release schedules yet. A couple of the big ones to keep an eye out for below:

"To the Wonder" – Terrence Malick's latest film debuted yesterday at Venice to divisive reviews, and most of the news coverage has focused on how most of the marquee names associated with the production have seen their roles drastically reduced or cut out completely. In the wake of complaints that "To the Wonder" is too esoteric, it is clearly not going to be the crowd pleaser that "The Tree of Life" was, to the degree that you could call "Tree of Life" a crowd pleaser. The chances of it finding a US distributor are likely, but a big Oscar push doesn't seem to be in the cards.

"The Sapphires" – The Weinstein Company picked up "The Sapphires," about an Australian singing group of indigenous women who performed for the troops in Vietnam, after its debut at Cannes. It has all the earmarks of a feel-good foreign comedy that's not too foreign for American audiences. It's been scheduled to screen at Telluride and Toronto, but there's no release date yet. There's every reason to expect that "The Sapphires" will show up sometime in the fall, but then the Weinsteins do have the frustrating habit of sitting on some of their acquisitions if their chances at awards time don't look good.

"The Place Beyond the Pines" – Derek Cianfrance's action film follow-up to "Blue Valentine" will also star Ryan Gosling, and is set to premiere at Toronto. Open Road films will distribute, but hasn't landed a release date yet, and the film has been largely staying under the radar so far. However, this is the only film Ryan Gosling potentially has in the race, since "Gangster Squad" was delayed and Nicolas Winding Refn's "Only God Forgives" has been moved to next year. Open Road may want to take advantage of the opportunity and push for a Best Actor nod, though it's a pretty crowded field this year.

"The Company You Keep" – Robert Redford's latest political thriller will be premiering at Venice, with a cast full of heavy hitters including Susan Sarandon and Julie Christie. Redford himself will be in the lead role, as a former Weather Underground member on the run from the FBI. It will be his first appearance on screen in five years. Sony Pictures Classics has the US distribution, but a release date will probably depend on how the film's awards chances are perceived. Redford keeps attracting amazing talent to his projects, but his track record hasn't been great over the past few years.

"Great Expectations" – You'd think that a new adaptation of "Great Expectations" directed by Mike Newell, starring Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter would have attracted more attention. Lionsgate is releasing the film in the UK in November, but no deal for US distribution has been announced yet. Then again, this year is going to be crowded with costume dramas like "Les Miserables" and "Anna Karenina" so getting lost in the holiday rush may be a concern. There's not much information available yet, but we'll probably hear more after it screens in Toronto.

"Mr. Pip" – We go from "Great Expectations" to a longshot entry, about a white schoolteacher living in Papa New Guinea who bonds with one of his students over the work of Charles Dickens during the country's civil war in the early 90s. No distribution and no release dates yet, but "Mr. Pip" does have the benefit of being based on an award winning novel by Lloyd Jones, and will star Hugh Laurie.

"Imogene" – Kristin Wiig stars in a comedy about a woman whose fake suicide leads to unintended consequences, directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman. Not too many major comedic heavyweights this year amid all the prestige pictures, so this one may get snatched up to fill the niche. Female led films are always stealth contenders, and I wouldn't be surprised if this grabs some acting nods.

And finally, we can clear a few names off the list of contenders, who have all been delayed until at least next year: The Coen Brothers' "Inside Llewelyn Davies," Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby," Brian DePalma's "Passion," Nicolas Winding Refn's "Only God Forgives," Ruben Fleischer's "Gangster Squad," Michael Hoffman's "Gambit," and Park Chan-Wook's "Stoker."
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