Could ‘The Bikeriders’ be Austin Butler or Tom Hardy’s ticket to an Oscar? – Miscellaneous

Kyle Kaplan

Jeff Nichols brings pure America to the Telluride Film Festival with his fantastic period drama “The Bikeriders,” which looks like a distant cousin to “The Outsiders.” It’s his finest directorial outing, and features a trio of spirited performances from Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy, all making their mark on what is undoubtedly a competitive awards season.

Based on Danny Lyon’s 1968 book of photos and interviews, “The Bikeriders” tells the fictional story of a Midwest Motorcycle Club, which can be seen through the lives of its members over a decade.

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Nichols, who writes and directs, has forged his own trail of talented American directors able to debate honest and poignant performances from the likes of Michael Shannon (“Take Shelter”) and Matthew McConaughey (“Mud”). He did it again with his co-star including Butler, Hardy, and Comer.

Butler shows he can do much more than just play Elvis Presley. After last year’s inaugural nomination for “Elvis,” his role as Benny, which is more accommodating than you might expect, will provide another opportunity to invite him to the party. Another interesting turn from the young actor.

Hardy has been a dynamite actor with his fair share of critical darlings and blockbusters to his credit. As Johnny, the leader of a motorcycle gang, you see the British actor blurring the line between Marlon Brando in The Godfather and Robert De Niro in Goodfellas. Hardy’s first and only Best Supporting Actor nomination was for his villainous role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant (2015). And that might put him in competition for a second.

The past few years have shown the industry’s appetite for an Oscar nomination, after her surprise Emmy win for BBC’s “Killing Eve” in 2017. When Julie Huntsinger, CEO of Telluride, spoke with diverse And about the lineup of the festival, she said that she did not recognize her. “I left the show and went to IMDb on my phone because I wanted to know who this actress was, and I was shocked that it was her.”

She was right. What a joy it is when you present the film with a Midwestern accent and manage to steal focus in almost any scene you’re in. Much discussion will center around where the campaign will decide, whether in the lead or supporting cast, which will also be the case for Butler and Hardy.

Like many films with a sprawling cast, expect the film to be a nominee in the SAG Awards’ Cast category. It features Nichols’ frequent collaborator Shannon, plus Mike Feist, Boyd Holbrook, Toby Wallace, Norman Reedus, and Emory Cohen.

Although most of Nichols’ six films were critically acclaimed, only one was nominated for an Oscar for any of his films: Best Actress for “Loving” star Ruth Negga. With the guidance of distributor 20th Century Studios, perhaps it can handle more. Naming the output would be more than overdue and due.

Artisan Classes is nice to look at, featuring stunning cinematography by Adam Stone, and crisp editing by Julie Monroe.

Will she be able to ride at the Oscars? As a start to Telluride, I would suggest this.