Will the next two weeks at Lincoln Center influence Oscar night?
NYFF: How America’s Smartest Festival Can Make or Break the Quest for Oscars Richard Linklater’s “Last Flag Flying,” starring Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell and Laurence Fishburne as a trio of Marine vets, met a mixed reception opening night at the 55th New York Film Festival, as attendees of the glittery opening-night gala at Alice Tully Hall read the trade reviews at the Tavern on the Green afterparty. As a platform, the NYFF is alluring. Not only does it provide Oscar-level prominence, but there’s an element of auteurist approval: It’s the sophisticated American festival that truly loves film for film. However, that’s also one of the reasons that it can be a bigger risk: Like Cannes, highbrow festivals often mean critics with highbrow expectations. And when they aren’t met, the fall can seem extra-steep. NYFF Director Kent Jones, who calls awards season a “cottage industry,” doesn’t even track the festival’s Oscar record; getting picked for the NYFF is its own rewar...