Taylor Russell Brings Cannibal Magic to 'Bones and All' - Will the Academy Bite?

One ​​might think of the reunion of Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet and his "Call Me by Your Name "Bones and All" director Luca Guadagnino would be all anyone could talk about after the film premiered last weekend in Telluride and Venice.

Instead, the name on everyone's lips will be Taylor Russell. The newcomer, who first rose to prominence with her role in "Waves" (2019), takes center stage and devours every morsel of her screen time. She brings grace and restraint, two qualities that don't exactly come to mind when you're talking about a coming-of-age story about cannibalistic teenagers brought together by a mutual bloodlust. I only wish I had more faith that Oscar voters would give the movie its own jolt, because genre movies always face a tough climb no matter how appreciated or loved they are by critics and audiences .

The last day of the Telluride Film Festival, I like to stroll around the annual picnic Labor Day, speaking with executives, awards strategists and filmmakers about the films that have touched them. I expected to hear people swoon over "Women Talking," a timely drama about Sarah Polley's abuse, or "Empire of Light," Sam Mendes' love letter to movies. To my surprise, Guadagnino's stylistic road trip seemed to have a mysterious hold on festival-goers and it was an attraction that crossed cultures and generations.

That's not to say that "Bones and All" is necessarily going to be a big awards movie. But there is a lot to admire here. Notably, Russell as Maren, a young woman whose appetite for human flesh keeps her from leading a normal life, proves she's a star. I imagine the smaller regional review groups will have no problem handing him a handful of accolades by the end of the year, but the stigma that comes with being in a gender image might prevent him from getting an Oscar nomination. That same bias kept Toni Collette in "Hereditary" and Scarlett Johansson in "Under the Skin" from earning serious awards. Hopefully word of mouth and a targeted MGM/UAR campaign can get Russell closer to the Oscars podium.

She's not the only worthy named actress from the movie as Mark Rylance builds a masterful rendition as than Sully, an older "eater" who likes Maren. Oscar winner for 'The Bridge of Spies', Rylance is considered one of the greatest living actors. Here it dives head first and never comes back up to breathe. The supporting cast roster would be instantly elevated with his name within its ranks. Michael Stuhlbarg begins to become the one-scene wonder king and he delivers another stupendous moment with Chalamet and Russell in this picture that rivals his work in "Call Me By Your Name."

Photos by Yannis Drakoulidis / Metro Goldwyn Mayer

Chalamet makes a valiant effort with Lee, lending him a swagger and an underlying sense of pain. However, the field of lead actors is far too crowded and there is an argument that an endorsement campaign would be more appropriate as the film clearly belongs to Russell.