What is it? Biographical drama about the time author David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) spent with troubled author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel). Why is it a major player? Oscar likes to see its comedians go serious and tackle drama with success - think the reception for Jonah Hill in Moneyball or Steve Carell in Foxcatcher - and it likes it even better when an underestimated star comes out of nowhere to deliver a career-shifting tour de force. That's the kind of performance Jason Segel is said to give in James Ponsoldt's The End Of The Tour, and the loud raves coming out of Sundance for his turn in Ponsoldt's biopic declared him the first Best Actor Oscar frontrunner of the year. Eisenberg, of course, could be set to receive a Supporting Actor nom, as the two stars are working here with the kind of meaty material thesps love to get their teeth into. Don't doubt that there'll be the kind of love for this film that was reserved for another Sundance breakout hit, Whiplash, in 2015: Ponsoldt is an strong up-and-comer after Smashed and The Spectacular Now, and The End Of The Tour is, as a biopic, more likely to bring him Oscar recognition than ever.
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
