With studios delaying releases until 2021, let’s be frank, there just won’t be that many Oscar contenders in 2020, but there are exceptions, and Francis Lee’s “Ammonite” is one of them. Chosen to be part of this year’s nixed Cannes and Telluride Film Festivals, this lesbian romance will finally screen at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September. TIFF wanted the film so badly to be the first festival to screen “Ammonite” that they persuaded its distributor, Neon, to pull its screenings from the upcoming Deauville Film Festival in France.
Early word-of-mouth for “Ammonite” is very strong, but it does give off similar vibes to last year’s Celine Sciamma stunner “Portrait of A Lady on Fire,” which, much like Lee’s film, also had two tightly-corseted, socially restricted women taking walks down the tip of the coast only to, eventually, fall madly in love with each other. Kate Winslet is being heavily discussed as a Best Actress contender for next year’s Oscars and Saoirse Ronan, playing Winslet’s young lover, could also figure prominently in the race.
“Ammonite” also stars Gemma Jones, James McArdle, Alec Secareanu, and Fiona Shaw in supporting roles. Here’s the official synopsis for the Winslet-Ronan romance:
“In 1800s England, acclaimed but unrecognized fossil hunter Mary Anning (Kate Winslet) works alone on the rugged Southern coastline. With the days of her famed discoveries behind her, she now searches for common fossils to sell to tourists to support herself and her ailing mother. When a wealthy visitor entrusts Mary with the care of his wife Charlotte Murchison (Saoirse Ronan), she cannot afford to turn his offer down. Proud and relentlessly passionate about her work, Mary initially clashes with her unwelcome guest, but despite the distance between their social class and personalities, an intense bond begins to develop, compelling the two women to determine the true nature of their relationship.”
“Ammonite” is scheduled for a November 13 release via Neon
The man doesn't stop. James Gunn has confirmed he's already hard at work writing his next film, even as ‘Man of Tomorrow’ makes its way toward theaters next summer.