We are now in September, meaning it’s the brink of “awards season movies.” The summer blockbusters have come and gone, and for much of the fall and winter our cinema appetites will be filled with indies and historical dramas that are looking for that golden statue. One very unique film amongst this category is This Must Be The Place, the upcoming Paolo Sorrentino film starring Sean Penn as a former rock star who travels the country in search of the Nazi who killed his father in WWII. What makes this supremely interesting to me is the complete physical transofmration Penn makes as the lead character. As you can see in the picture above, he’s gone all out Goth. And as you’ll see in the trailer, he embeds an unusually charming, docile demeanor that we’re not used to seeing from the two-time Oscar winner. More after the break.

The film boasts a stellar supporting cast of veterans, including Oscar winner Frances McDormand. What also strikes me about this film is its tone. The story elements involved are very serious in nature, but has a very charming, quirky and almost sweet sentiment attached to it. If Penn knocks this out of the park and there is a weak field in the category of Best Actor, I think this is an all but certain nomination for him.

This Must Be The Place hits theaters November 2nd. Watch the trailer below.

[via Deadline]

What Do You Think? Discuss.