Pro: Martin McDonagh landed a writing nomination for his debut, "In Bruges," and that was a mighty feat in and of itself. "Seven Psychopaths" is in many ways his "Adaptation," weaving the writer's (painstaking) process into the fabric of the narrative in fresh ways and giving a delightful cast of characters a lot to work with throughout. It could be something to pay attention to in the WGA field, where ineligible contenders pave the way for other possibilities.

Con: It's a dark film and a small one at that. It didn't really move the season's needle upon arrival and seemed marginalized from the start with its Midnight Madness spot at the Toronto Film Festival. CBS Films would have to be willing to really get in there and fight to find any traction whatsoever.

- Kristopher Tapley