2018 Nominee Watch – August 17th

After a few weeks busy with wide releases, we only have two joining the party this weekend and one of those was delayed from earlier this month (Mile 22). Nothing in the wide release category this weekend will likely make much of a splash at the Oscars, but there are a number of potential nominees from the limited releases. John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection and Minding the Gap both jump out at potential winning documentaries while Memoir of War may turn some heads in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

I have to note the recent addition of the Best Popular Film category. Despite the addition here, I don't see any films released in recent weeks falling into this category.

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Alpha
I haven't seen much marketing around this film until just the last week or two and it feels a bit like the film 10,000 BC from a decade ago. That film received considerably more pub in advance of its release, but ultimately fell flat with dismal scores on Rotten Tomatoes (8%) and Metacritic (34%)


The premise here is that we are witnessing the birth of the relationship between dog and man and we get to learn why dogs are often described as "man's best friend." I had the distinct feeling that I'd seen this film before when I watched the trailer, and then I remembered Pixar's The Good Dinosaur from a few years back and realized the story here seems to mirror that animated film.

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​The fact that Alpha is reminding me of multiple other films leads me to believe that it will not live up to what little hype I've seen. Much like last week's Dog Days, if you're a dog (or wolf) lover, you will probably check this one out. I'm sure the imagery will be stunning, but I fear the acting will be lackluster with a cast that includes no major A list actors.

As far as Oscar nominations are concerned, I don't see anything in the future here. There is nothing especially spectacular in the offering and you will probably be able to pick this up in the $5 bin at Wal-Mart within six months.

​Mile 22
Marky Mark is back in the action genre this summer with his latest film, Mile 22. Charged with escorting a foreign informant from a holding cell to the airport to get him out of the country, Wahlberg and company face strong resistance that involves lots of shooting, blowing things up, and hand-to-hand fighting.

Wahlberg's co-stars include Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead), Ronda Rousey (Furious 7), and John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich, In the Line of Fire, Dangerous Liaisons). While there are some strong names on this list, I feel like they will be slightly overshadowed by the action and violence prevalent throughout the film.

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Piggybacking on films like The Taking of Pelham 123 and Unstoppable, there seems to be too much emphasis on the action that will disrupt the journey to the escape plane rather than the reasoning behind why it is so important in the first place. Director Peter Berg also seems to like working with Wahlberg, previously directing him in Patriots Day, Deepwater Horizon, and Lone Survivor. The latter two both received Oscar nominations, but in the sound categories and/or visual effects.

If there are any nominations in the future of this film, it will be in these same categories, especially with the level of destruction seen throughout the trailer alone. If you're looking for a new action flick this weekend, Mile 22 is a good bet. Just don't count on anything more than guns and explosions.

Limited Releases

• ​Benched – Two little league coaches with different ideas about winning struggle to lead their team to victory.
• Billionaire Boys Club – Two young men face financial ruin after their money making scheme goes awry. Starring Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver, Divergent), Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects, Seven), and Taron Egerton (Kingsman, Sing).
• Blaze – Biopic about singer Blaze Foley directed by Ethan Hawke (Training Day)
• Breaking and Exiting – When a young thief discovers a woman trying to commit suicide in a house he's robbing, he decides to help save her from herself.
• Down a Dark Hall – Fantasy horror film about several young girls sent to a reform school only to face off against evil powers.
• Dr. Brinks and Dr. Brinks – The estranged children of husband and wife aid workers are forced to confront the loss of their parents and their relationships with each other.
• Juliet, Naked – An aging rock star (Ethan Hawke) who hasn't been heard from in years surfaces with a new album.
• The Little Mermaid – A live action (non-Disney) retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen story moves the action from Denmark to Mississippi.
• Memoir of War – French film about a woman struggling to save her husband at the end of World War II.

• Minding the Gap – Young skateboarders face reality as the grow up and begin creating families of their own. (Hulu)
• Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich – Comedy horror film where puppets come to life and go on a killing spree.
• Songwriter – Follow singer Ed Sheeran as he creates his 2017 album Divide.
• We The Animals – Three young boys are forced to grow up without a father after he leaves the family.
• A Whale of a Tale – International activists strive to stop whaling in a small Japanese town.
• The Wife – Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction) stars as the wife of a famous author set to receive the Nobel Prize. She was once an author herself but stopped writing to support her husband.
• The Night is Short, Walk on Girl – Japanese animated film about a girl and her one night adventure drinking and partying through the city. (August 21st and 22nd only)
• John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection –  Documentary about John McEnroe's pursuit of the 1984 French Open championship against Ivan Lendl. (August 22nd)