Bill Murray has officially entered in the race for Oscar nomination after the interpretation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park on Hudson earned high praise from film critics. The film was presented this week at the Toronto Film Festival and for several months even though it was rumored that has the potential to attract many awards, it is now clear that the film’s success is largely based on the role of Murray.
The actor of 61 years admitted that he was caught off guard when he was first approached for the role: I thought – Oh, I was asked to interpret the Roosevelt? How to approach such a monster? The decision to accept the role of the 32-th President of the United States – the man who led America on the Second World War, a period marked by strong global economic crisis – was very inspired by Murray, which now was joined by Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Master) during the actors most likely to be nominated for an Oscar.
Todd McCarthy from Hollywood Reporter noted that: It takes a few minutes to get used to it, but as soon as it merges with the role of the 32-th President, idiosyncratic comedian manages to deliver a very sleek role. Catherine Shoard from The Guardian wrote about the interpretation that (Laura) Linney is great, as well as Murray, who is not afraid to show that, in some respects, Roosevelt was the product of a new era.
Despite the positive criticism received, Bill Murray testified he did not believe that Hyde Park on Hudson would be a very strong candidate for an Oscar, at least not in the way in which was King’s Speech in 2010. The fight for Oscars this year could turn into a battle of Presidents, if Daniel Day-Lewis manages to bring to life an Abraham Lincoln as compelling in Lincoln, the biopic directed by Steven Spielberg. Of course, the performance of Philip Seymour Hoffman, who just won the Venice interpretation, is hard to beat.
