Sean Baker has been proving himself as a thoughtful, innovative, and original filmmaker since the beginning of his career. Baker first came on the map with his 2015 film Tangerine, which tells the story of a trans prostitute on a quest through Hollywood to find her pimp on Christmas Eve. The movie was shot on three Iphone 5 cameras and proved that you can make a powerful film with the bare minimum of technology. What Tangerine lacked in technology, it made up with a powerful story, directing techniques, and performances.
Baker's followup film was The Florida Project, which followed Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her friends as they cause trouble to pass the time during Summer, living in the cheap motels on the outskirts of Disney World. Baker got a performance out of child actor Prince that was so real, even actors who have worked for decades would fail to compare. Prince played alongside Willem Dafoe, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, further proving Baker's capabilities as a director.
Baker's films are breathtakingly beautiful while also gritty, disturbing, and shockingly real, making him some type of cross between Terence Malleck and Harmony Korine. He is known for casting unknown actors who deliver superb performances. His upcoming film Red Rocket will be no different.
Simon Rex, who has had a very unconventional career, is getting high praise and early Oscar buzz for his leading role as an ex-porn star who returns to his hometown in Texas. The film has recently released a trailer to the film set to the tune of NSYNC's Bye, Bye, Bye, and audiences are eager to see the provocative movie.
Red Rocket made its world premiere at Cannes and received a five-minute standing ovation and everybody is talking about the epic comeback of Simon Rex. Let's dive into the film and explore the chances of Rex bringing home an Oscar for Best Actor.
Plot, Cast, And Release Date
Red Rocket follows Mikey Saber (Rex), a washed-up porn star who returns to his Texas hometown and disrupts the lives of his family and friends as he tries to find work and start a new life. Saber clashes with his estranged wife Lexi (Bree Elrod) and through a series of misfortunes, forms a relationship with an underaged doughnot shop clerk named Strawberry (Suzanna Son). Red Rocket's plot is provocative, shocking, and may upset some audiences. Like Baker's previous films, the cast includes a list of non or first time actors who play alongside Rex. Baker's choices in casting have delivered real and gritty performances in the past and it is expected to be no different with Red Rocket. Among others, the film's cast includes Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son, Brenda Deiss. The film, which was produced by A24, has been making its rounds through the festival circuit and had its world premiere at Cannes on July 14, 2021. It is set to be released in theaters on December 10, 2021.
Simon Rex’s Interesting Career
Rex was born in the San Francisco Bay Area and at the age of 19, and began making adult films under the alias "Sebastian". This certainly proves the correct decision of casting Rex for the role of Mikey Saber, since he most likely incorporated his actual experiences into his performance. From there, Rex took modeling gigs and worked with brands such as Levis, Clavin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger. His television debut was in 1995, when he was hired by MTV to be video jockey, where he worked for two years. In the years to come, Rex made several appearances on television shows and continued his music career under his alter ego, Dirt Nasty. Rex is probably most known for his leading role as the wannabe rapper George in Scary Movie 3, as well as his roles in the sequels. With a resume such as this, it would be unlikely for an actor like Rex to be cast in an Oscar worthy role. Baker obviously saw something in Rex and judging by what critics are saying, we might be looking at the comebacks of all comebacks.
What the critics are saying
Red Rocket currently has an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the overall consensus being "Led by Simon Rex's magnetic performance, Red Rocket is another vibrant, ground-level look at modern American life from director/co-writer Sean Baker." In a Variety article, Clayton Davis stated, "Rex embodies “Red Rocket’s” protagonist Mikey Saber through and through, and he’s a character that you simultaneously love and hate". Davis would also go on to praise the supporting performance of Bree Elrod as Saber's wife Lexi. In the past, we have seen the Academy notice and praise comeback roles such as Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler and Michael Keaton in Birdman. With that said, Rex's questionable past and the controversial storyline of Red Rocket could in fact hinder the chances of gaining recognition from the Academy. In an interveiw with The Hollywood Reporter, Rex himself stated, “It had been years since I really had people calling for auditions.” Regardless, Rex seems to have fallen into a role that was destined for him, and even though much of his work has been quite goofy in the past, nobody can deny that he has talent and charisma. Sometimes, all it takes is a good director to see your potential and give you a chance to shine. Baker is a force to be reckoned with as a filmmaker and he has been pushing the boundaries of cinema to new levels by taking risks in both production and casting. Everybody loves a comeback and although it isn't certain, a film like Red Rocket with an actor like Simon Rex will surely show that anything is possible if it gains the attention from the Academy.