As discussed in yesterday’s Best Picture Contenders gallery, “Blue is the Warmest Color” is already a long shot for Oscar recognition, but it’ll become a longer one still if some enterprising publicist doesn’t save director Abdellatif Kechiche from himself. It’s no secret by now that there was bad blood behind the scenes of the French erotic drama, and Lea Seydoux has already been candid about her disdain for the Algerian-born filmmaker. Now Kechiche has fired back, claiming he considered replacing Seydoux on set, and arguing that the fallout has “soiled” the film to such a degree that it shouldn’t even be released. If this is some kind of warped publicity campaign, I’d rethink it. The film is done. It’s great. Maybe just let some things go? [The Playlist]
I love The Dissolve’s Performance Review series. Mike D’Angelo revisits the Best Supporting Actress race of 1976 to examine how Beatrice Straight won the Oscar for a five-minute performance. [The Dissolve]
Nathaniel Rogers on a Best Actor race that is nowhere close to being narrowed down. And yay for that. [The Film Experience]
Highlights from a masterclass with “Captain Phillips” director Paul Greengrass at Britain’s National Film & Television School. [Screen Daily]
“August: Osage County” and “Nebraska” have been selected for the Centerpiece slots at next month’s Hamptons International Film Festival. [Variety]
It may surprise you to learn that “Diana,” in addition to its other alleged shortcomings, is not historically accurate. [The Guardian]
Paul Sheehan states that “Prisoners” is a stronger Oscar contender than we thought, though curbs Hugh Jackman’s prospects with a photo gallery suggesting that hot guys don’t win Oscars. [Gold Derby]
The film also gets an entry in the NYT’s exellent Anatomy of a Scene series, in which Denis Villeneuve talks us through a key sequence. [New York Times]
Kate Erbland on the plague of pointless IMAX conversions. [Film.com]