![]() detective in Karyn Kusama’s “Destroyer” and newcomer KiKi Layne in Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk.” A24, which won one of its first Oscars for Brie Larson in “Room” in 2015, is not expected to be a big player this fall - but the company is planning a best actress campaign for Toni Collette in horror sensation “Hereditary,” which garnered $78 million worldwide earlier this year. Other contenders include two from Annapurna Pictures: Nicole Kidman in a similarly disturbing turn as a no-nonsense L.A. This year, however, the field is already crowded, with buzz centering on Lady Gaga for Warner Bros.’ “A Star is Born,” Olivia Colman in Fox Searchlight entry “The Favourite” (the Venice and Telluride hit skipped TIFF and will open New York Film Festival), and Melissa McCarthy as a literary forger in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”, also from Searchlight. If Portman remains in the conversation throughout the season, the campaign will harken back to Sony Pictures Classics’ last-minute TIFF deal for “Still Alice” in 2014, which ultimately scored Julianne Moore a Best Actress Oscar. Portman also did all her own singing for the role. As Celeste, Portman’s dance moves were choreographed by her husband Benjamin Millepied, and the pair re-teamed for the new role, which was modeled on several pop stars’ moves. “Vox Lux” finds the actress returning to similar territory on several fronts: The climax of the movie once again revolves around a dramatic stage performance under bright lights and flamboyant costumes. The film's stronger elements would make it worth of recommending to those who like Natalie Portman and can appreciate sometimes-audacious and challenging films.The movie, which begins in the late ‘90s and careens through 9/11 as the pop star’s loss of innocence comes to embody the national mood, suggests aspects of the unsettling allegorical storytelling found in Lars Von Trier’s movies (Corbet, originally an actor, appeared in Von Trier’s “Melancholia”), while Portman’s unnerving turn has generated instant recollections of her ambitious role as a disturbed ballerina in “Black Swan,” which scored her a Best Actress win seven years ago. While superficiality is an important topic, for a film that poses far deeper, existential and angst-filled questions, the film's attempts to thread loose ends of its messaging before the film's finale (a pop concert) feel somewhat skimpy. ![]() Despite such potentially-thoughtful commentary, it's not clear by the end of the film what Corbet really wants to say or offer as a message to the narrative besides simply saying that excess tackiness is bad. However, this is likely intentional, as Corbet's direction is intended to make the viewer critique popular culture and its effects on music and society, as well as the possibility that our social obsessions may breed tragic and wretched acts. With the exception of the memorial song sung by a young Celeste at a vigil for the shooting victims about ten minutes after film's commencement, the rest of the film's songs (which are pop-based) are generally not too appealing. Jude Law's supporting performance is outstanding, providing a powerfully subdued complement to the main narrative as Celeste's manager. The film is stunningly shot, and its score is often stirring and potent. The film gives viewers a grip on how those who get too all-consumed in the superficiality of pop music culture can lose control over their lives, although sometimes the dialogue and writing during these scenes can sometimes feel almost too on-the-nose to be truly impactful on the viewer. She plays Celeste, a now-famous pop star who survived a school shooting in 1999. ![]() While some of the praise for her role in "Vox Lux" may be somewhat overhyped, she does give a generally good performance in this drama directed by Brady Corbet. ![]() The reviews and trailer for this film promised a strong performance by Natalie Portman as a troubled pop star.
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