The Toronto International Film Festival’s welcoming audiences and traffic-chasing media can deliver a mighty headwind for movies hoping to gain momentum in the Oscar race.
But not everybody gets that push.
And the reality does not always match the clickbait headlines.Yes, festival fave “Hustlers” rode a tsunami of press.
After all, Jennifer Lopez is an established global star who knew exactly what to do with her alluring role as a pole-riding stripper.
But while all that buzz might pull moviegoers into theaters this weekend, “Hustlers” (which B-movie distributor Stx took over from A-movie producer Annapurna) is far more likely to play for the Hollywood Foreign Press than the more tony Academy voters, who want their Oscar contenders to shine with the patina of art.
If the movie is a hit and Lopez’s team finds financial backing for an awards campaign, she could squeak into a Supporting Actress slot.
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