From Cannes to Venice: Oscar whispers from Europe’s leading festivals

Don’t be surprised if The Brutalist commands Oscar nominations into the double digits

Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones in The Brutalist — the kind of movie the Academy devours with relish, with strong performances, a historic setting and ambitious vision. Picture: Venice Film Festival

The curtain has come down on Venice, with Cannes in the rear view mirror, and awards season chatter is in full swing.

Surprisingly, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, a three-and-a-half hour World War 2-era epic, didn’t win the top prize in Venice despite conclusively being the most acclaimed premiere. That went to The Room Next Door, Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar’s latest, which received promising though scarcely ecstatic reviews.