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.
Lover of film, writer of words, pretentious beyond belief. Thinks Scorsese and Kubrick are the kings of cinema, but PT Anderson and David Fincher are the dashing young princes. Follow Brogan on twitter if you can take shameless self-promotion: @BroganMorris1
