What is it? Drama in which a suicidal American (Matthew McConaughey) travels to Japan's Suicide Forest, where he befriends another man (Ken Watanabe) also looking to kill himself. Why is it a major player? 2014 Best Actor winner Matthew McConaughey teaming up with Gus Van Sant for a drama about depression may have seemed like an odd proposition a few years ago, but now The Sea Of Trees seems like a perfect match of boundary-breaking director and major star looking to push himself to the limits. And while the film sounds almost too bleak for Oscar, it's apparently ultimately a story of redemption, which the Academy loves. Also, AMPAS has a fondness for actor-y pieces that highlight the strengths of the performers; The Sea Of Trees is a two-hander - written by Buried's Chris Sparling, who knows his way around a single-location movie - that should offer McConaughey and co-star Ken Watanabe (don't be surprised if he gets a second Oscar nom in Best Supporting) ample opportunity to do some of their best work. What's more, once you're in the Oscar club, you're in, and set for a good few years of repeated nominations, so expect McConaughey's name to be bandied around for Best Actor in 2016.