Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
One of the highlights of this year’s Cannes Film Festival main competition was Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) which revolved around a New York family and the art exhibition of the patriarch played by Dustin Hoffman.
It was also inadvertently controversial in France as it represented one of two official entries accepted by the Festival from Netflix, something that didn’t go down well with French exhibitors who don’t approve of the day and date Netflix distribution model. Nevertheless the movie was very warmly received as Baumbach’s first-ever competition title and, in addition to Hoffman, had the most impressive ensemble cast of any movie in that competition including Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Emma Thompson, Grace Van Patten, Elizabeth Marvel, and many others who pop in and out.
Although Netflix has broken into the Emmy race with a total nearing 100 nominations this year, it has yet to get beyond some short and feature Documentary nominations (including a win last year for Documentary Short) at the Oscars. If ever there was a movie that could change that, it is this one which I praised highly in my coverage from Cannes and suggested that both Hoffman, who just turned 80, and Adam Sandler, of all people, deserve awards recognition for their superior work in a remarkable ensemble.
It won’t surprise anyone to find out Sandler has never been Oscar nominated, but he truly deserves consideration here. Hoffman has won two Oscars for Kramer Vs. Kramer and Rainman, both as Best Actor along with five additional nominations in the same category, the last coming for 1997’s Wag The Dog ( a movie that seems more prescient than ever). It has been 20 years since that last nomination and a Best Supporting Actor nod for Meyerowitz would be a first for him in that category. Baumbach’s script is one to look out for as well.
Check out the new teaser trailer of the Netflix film, their best yet, which will have a stateside debut appropriately at the New York Film Festival in September. It opens on Netflix and in select theatres on October 13th.
