By all accounts, it appeared that Mona Fastvold and Brady Corbet wanted to apply the same savvy release strategy that they unfurled last year with “The Brutalist,” the runaway talk of Venice, with this year’s “The Testament of Ann Lee.” After its Venice debut, Corbet’s “The Brutalist” would go on to be acquired by A24 and finally secure double-digit Oscar nominations on its way to three golden statues. The recipe they concocted was already tested and revisiting it in theory should prove easier than creating it. It begins with an admirably (if not impossibly) ambitious project both in thematic and creative scope, designed to push the perceived possibilities of contemporary cinema. “The Testament of Ann Lee” not only demonstrates that quality in spades, but may even best the ambitions of “The Brutalist” by raising the challenge and incorporating elements of period history, biography and musicals into its cinematic vision. A substantial amount of fanfare that surrounded “The Brutalist” last year was also rightly attributed to its radical choice of format and Mona Fastvold, who is at the helm this time, is using the same VistaVision process which Corbet essentially resuscitated during last year’s awards circuit. However, the formula thus far has yet to yield the same results.
Unfortunately, its reception from audiences at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival has not been the same unanimous passion and awestruck disbelief that left viewers gleefully overwhelmed last year. That’s not to say the film doesn’t have its fans. There appear to be a significant number of viewers who easily found themselves riding the film’s wavelength, and several high-profile industry critics are already championing the film’s accomplishments, chief of among them the influential David Ehrlich at IndieWire. Nonetheless, the question remains what will the coveted Oscar voters make of the film?
It certainly seems after its debut that it won’t be as easy a sell this year for Fastvold and Corbet. The project certainly would already be in stronger position had it managed to be selected among the winners of the Venice Film Festival. One would have thought that Amanda Seyfried made a lot of sense for the Best Actress prize, especially considering that the much-lauded Emma Stone performance in “Bugonia” would be burdened by Stone’s previous success at the festival with “La La Land” (2016) and “Poor Things” (2023). Remember that last year Corbet’s “The Brutalist” was denied the Golden Lion and instead listed for the Best Director prize. Maybe there was even a possibility of the somewhat polarizing “The Testament of Ann Lee” snagging one of the top three prizes in recognition of the consecutive projects from the duo of Fastvold and Corbet? But at the end of the ceremony, not even a win for Seyfried would come to pass.
Nonetheless, given the festival’s track record in the Best Actress category and the fact that she is a previous nominee for her supporting turn in “Mank” (2020), Amanda Seyfried would still be the jewel of the film’s Oscar push. But which studio or distributor is positioned and willing to take on the challenge? On the Academy Anonymous podcast, we discussed a few Oscar mainstays that were possibly a little light in their treasure troves this year – Searchlight Pictures and Sony Pictures Classics, for instance. Those two awards behemoths certainly know how to run an Oscar campaign, and our impression was that one or both would likely wait out their TIFF premieres before finally taking the bait on Seyfried and “The Testament of Ann Lee.” But at this juncture, both have unveiled their contenders (“Rental Family” and “Nuremberg,” respectively) and although the response for each has not been rapturous, it hasn’t been completely disqualifying either. Perhaps they (along with every other studio hopeful) are patiently awaiting the results of TIFF’s prophetic People’s Choice Award before deciding to beef up their slate or press on. If so, we should know their strategy momentarily.
But it’s important to keep in mind that the sheer momentum from the Venice premiere of “The Brutalist” that catapulted the film straight to the Oscar podium is not something simple to replicate. It quickly cultivated that enthusiasm over a little under five months before Oscar nominations were announced. Undoubtedly the resources and branding of A24 helped seal the deal for the film, likely at the expense of their other hopeful “Sing Sing.” A24 came on board only a few days after Corbet was awarded Venice’s Best Director prize. We are now almost a week out from the winners having been announced at the Venice Film Festival, were Seyfried and “The Testament of Ann Lee” failed to make an appearance. The clock is steadily and surely ticking on the film, and every week that passes is critical in the life of the film’s Oscar prospects. And yet, there’s no “official” update. However –
Lo and behold, we have gotten word from a few sources at the Toronto International Film Festival that an unsuspecting partner may finally be stepping up to the plate in the form of….NETFLIX?! It may just be a rumor, but if not it appears that the streaming giant may be closing in on acquiring the new film from Fastvold and Corbet. It would make for a fascinating turn, considering that Netflix heavily campaigned their Cannes hit “Emilia Pérez” against “The Brutalist” at the Oscars last year. A collaboration between the two shouldn’t be surprising really. After all, the Oscar rivals of one year are often just fodder for the Oscar allies of the next – competition naturally yields not only respect but admiration. That’s the beautiful thing about the Oscar circuit, the intermingling of all these talented, influential artists and business people which often forges new creative partnerships. Remember, when Emma Stone was winning her first Oscar for “La La Land,” Yorgos Lanthimos was getting recognized for his English-language breakthrough “The Lobster” (2016). It may actually be the most natural partner for Fastvold and Corbet who witnessed first hand the streamer’s careful campaign of another unorthodox musical to historic Oscar success.
If Netflix acquires “The Testament of Ann Lee,” expect an impassioned push for the film across all categories. In fact, its release may even complete the streamer’s strategy around their other festival titles – “Jay Kelly,” “Frankenstein,” and “A House of Dynamite.” If they do pick up the film, you would have to imagine that they both see tremendous potential in the ambitious “Ann Lee” AND are likely sensing an opening in their Oscar slate after a less than stellar premiere for some of their titles. Even with their auteur-heavy lineup, they already had a sizable hole in their Oscar pursuits for the Best Actress category. If nothing else, Amanda Seyfried would now dominate their attention in that category. For filmmakers Fastvold and Corbet, you’d have to imagine there’s an element to partnering with Netflix that is probably bittersweet. It’s extremely unlikely the streamer will give the title robust theatrical exposure, to say nothing of projecting the film in VistaVision – although in all fairness (and disappointment) not even A24 committed to exhibiting “The Brutalist” in the specialized format last year. Regardless, after “Emilia Pérez” and “The Brutalist” were trounced by Neon’s “Anora” at last year’s Oscars, you probably couldn’t write a better revenge story than if this unlikely team crashed the Oscar race together this go-around.