The Edge of the Frame

In the last few months, this film has been one of the big mysteries of this Oscar season. Up until now, we haven’t really seen anything aside from a few stills. I’m not sure if any film other than “J. Edgar” has been as elusive in terms of how big of a contender it will be. Now, we finally have a trailer for Matt Damon’s project…and I still can’t tell what to think of it.

Most of this indecision can be attributed to the director’s hit or miss track record, especially with the Academy. “Jerry Maguire” was a huge hit with the Oscars. “Almost Famous” had big potential to take home the gold, but somehow missed out on Picture and Director nominations (though Crowe did nab an award for Best Original Screenplay). Then came “Elizabethtown.” Everyone thought it would automatically become a massive contender…and then people saw it, and that notion pretty much went out the window.

Trying to tell if this film is going to be the next “Jerry Maguire” or the next “Elizabethtown” is proving to be quite difficult, even with our first glimpse of it. There are moments that give it an air of striking originality and others so cheesy they made my teeth grit. Will the Academy embrace it? I’m going to go out on a limb and say no. The field is closing up, fast, and with new voting regulations for Best Picture, it’s hard to imagine it making the cut. I would never count out a dark horse Original Screenplay nomination, though. They seem to adore Crowe much more as a writer than director. Also, Matt Damon appears to give an honest and down-to-earth performance so I wouldn’t quite KO him yet from the Best Actor competition.

Check out the trailer, below: