Jacques Audiard's 'Rust And Bone' Hits On Nov. 16th; Peter Jackson's 'West Of Mempis' Arrives On Dec. 28th

Two films, picked up by Sony Pictures Classics circa the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival, have now been slated for awards season contending release dates, and it's fair to say both could have a shot at some kind of Oscar recognition.

First up, Jacques Audiard's powerful "Rust And Bone" starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts, will start rolling into theaters on November 16th. The film centers on the unlikely relationship between a troubled marine park worker (Cotillard) who loses her legs in a horrific accident, and a down-on-his-luck single father as they both try to change their fortunes. It's another piece of powerful filmmaking from Audiard, and was one of our favorites at Cannes where we called it "a towering picture" that is tremendously moving, with a story that goes to surprising, unexpected places. And the soundtrack is intriguing too with a great score from Alexandre Desplat (natch), and tunes by Bon Iver, Lykke Li, The B-52s, Colin Stetson and....Katy Perry (in what is, strangely, one of the most moving moments of the film). Cotillard is an early contender for Best Actress -- she gives a knockout performance -- and this should be high on your Must See list this fall.

Next, the story of the West Memphis Three gets told again in the Peter Jackson produced, Amy Berg directed "West Of Memphis." The documentary is yet another look at the controversial case, but this time, it offers up evidence that seems to point to the person who actually committed the crime. We caught the film at Sundance and called it "an emotionally effective investigation into how real-life villainy may be more insidiously present than commonly assumed, how persistently elusive the truth can be and how a genuine sense of hope can persevere after years and years of trials and other tribulations." With a fresh take on the story, we figure this might have a shot at Best Documentary. We'll find out when it opens on Dec. 28th. [Variety]