Perhaps it’s the effect of the carbon monoxide from exhaust fumes, but actor Vin Diesel thinks the fifth entry from the über-successful "Fast & Furious" franchise might just be Oscar bait.
In a lengthy piece in the Los Angeles Times focusing mostly on the "Fast" films' appeal to blue collar fans, the bald-headed muscle man insists the actioner has a chance.
"I wouldn't be surprised if there is some Oscar talk around this," he says. "Sooner or later, people are gonna say, 'Wait a minute, just because [the movies] are for the working class doesn't mean they're not great.'"
Well, the same could be said of "The Fighter" and that was great. And an Oscar-winner.
The fact is, "Fast Five" is getting a far better-than-average critical response and made about a gazillion dollars in its first weekend of release ($86.2 million, the best opening weekend of 2011 to date). Are bucket loads of cash and some good reviews enough to overcome what some see as the Academy's bias towards a certain kind (read: artsy) of films?
Don't hold your breath. There are still only 10 best picture nominees and unless Vin was talking about sound editing or mixing, "Fast Five" doesn't really have a chance. Unlike us, it's simply not the kind of movie that the Academy grooves on.
