2018 Nominee Watch – December 14th

After two weeks of very limited releases and nothing substantial coming out in terms of wide releases, things are going to pick up for the next three weeks through the end of the year.

This weekend we get a film from the writers of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Clint Eastwood's second film of 2018, and an animated Marvel feature focusing on everyone's favorite neighborhood boy who was bitten by a mutant spider.

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Mortal Engines
This film boasts Peter Jackson's name attached to it and initially I thought it was directed by Jackson which would have been his first non-documentary film since the final installment of The Hobbit back in 2014. Alas, Jackson is listed as a producer and writer (along with long time partners Philippa Boyens and wife Fran Walsh). That said, this trio has been a strong collaborative group when working from established source material in the past, so I have a feeling they will give Mortal Engines a fresh take in bringing it to the screen even if Jackson himself is not directly behind the camera.

​I just started reading the book that this film is based on and already it's an intriguing concept. The visuals in the film make it feel like a cross between The Hunger Games, The Matrix, and Divergent with London looming throughout the trailer like Jackson's own version of Minis Tirith from Return of the King.

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There are a few areas where I could see Oscar nominations coming for this film, including Visual Effects and Best Adapted Screenplay. I doubt a film like this will land any acting or directing nods, since most of the names in those positions are not well known, and this style of film typically doesn't lend itself to those nominations.

Other potential categories include Sound Mixing, Sound Design, Production Design, and possibly Cinematography.

​The Mule
If you are looking for a tough drama to work through this Christmas season, Clint Eastwood's latest directorial (and acting) entry might be the one for you. In The Mule, the 88 year-old Eastwood portrays a WWII veteran who is caught transporting drugs through rural Michigan.

The central conflict in this film seems to be the need to find purpose in ones work while at the same time supporting a family and being there for those you love. Eastwood's lead is clearly trying to prove something by taking on a risky venture such as running drugs, something that his family doesn't understand and ultimately holds against him when he gets caught. There is an obligatory "one last time" line in the trailer that we've heard many times before with characters who are in too deep and can't find their way out of the dark lives they've created for themselves.

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​Eastwood has been a stellar director for going on 25 years now with two Best Picture and two Best Director Oscars to his name. His list of nomination includes several others in those same categories along with several for acting. I would be surprised if he was passed over for all three categories this year and he may even get a nomination in all three.

The supporting cast around Eastwood looks to be equally strong with appearances by Bradley Cooper, Michael Peña, and Lawrence Fishburn, just to name a few. Expect the writing to be strong here and the acting to be on point as well. Just be ready for a heavy film at the end of the night.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
With the first Marvel related release since June (other than the special version of Deadpool earlier this week) we get an animated version of Spider-Man, with a twist. Now there are many spider-men, or rather, spider-people.

This film looks to be a fun departure from the heavy drama that we've seen in many of the Marvel films over the last two years and brings with it an all-star cast voicing the various spider-people from across the various universes. I'm excited to see what folks like Nicholas Cage, Chris Pine, Hailee Steinfeld, and John Mulaney bring to their various versions of the webslinger. If the trailer is any indication, the film is funny and doesn't hesitate to poke fun at the entire idea of a massive universe of comic book figures stretching across multiple films (MCU anyone?)

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When it comes to the Oscars though, there's really only one spot for this film to land, and that's Best Animated Feature. I think it is a strong contender for a nomination at least, though the field has become very crowded in the last month or so. Ralph, The Incredibles, and The Grinch will likely take three spots, leaving the remaining films to fight for the last two. This means that a deserving film might get left out and there is a remote possibility that is Spider-Man.

Limited Releases

• Backtrace – Sylvester Stallone stars in a film about a man who is broken out of prison to help locate money that was stolen years before.
• Beyond White Space – A group of interstellar mercenaries track a space monster in hopes of a big payday.
• Capernaum – A young boy sues his parents for giving him life.
• Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israel – A group of Jewish baseball players come together to form the Israeli baseball team for the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
• If Beale Street Could Talk – A woman tries to prove her fiancé's innocence to get him out of prison before their baby is born.
• The Quake – Norwegian film about a massive earthquake hitting the capital city of Oslo.
• The Second Time Around – An elderly woman finds new love upon moving into a nursing home.
• That Way Madness Lies – Docudrama about a woman and her brother as they struggle to deal with psychological disorders, homelessness, and navigating the mental health system.
• The Wedding – A young man prepares for his wedding with a secret.
• The House that Jack Built – Matt Dillon plays serial killer Jack who makes his way through many years of killing that develops his madness.