2018 Nominee Watch – November 21st

For everyone in the United States, happy Thanksgiving a few days early!

This week brings the largest list of wide releases since mid-summer and there are some true contenders in the pack. I would say at least half of the films releasing this week in wide OR limited outings will be in consideration for Oscar nominations come January with several being complete shoe-ins for their categories.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and that you get to see some movies over the long weekend!

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Creed 2
The Rocky franchise returns to the big screen this holiday week with the sequel to 2015's Creed which featured Michael B. Jordan as the son of Rocky's friend and in-ring foe Apollo Creed. In this film, we pick up in a similar spot as we did early in the Rocky films with Adonis (Jordan) starting to build a reputation and a family, thus giving him more to lose when he faces his fiercest foe yet, the son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed his father in Rocky IV.

It's clear that these films have taken on a more serious tone than what we saw with the original Stallone films in the 70s and 80s, and we can also see that Jordan has been working out, putting on some weight and plenty of raw muscle to transform himself from Killmonger in Black Panther to the Adonis Johnson we see in this film.

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There will surely be elements of this film that hearken back to Rocky IV with the introduction of Drago and his son. While we're not in the heart of the cold war anymore, our current relations with the Russians don't seem much better than they were in the early 80s. Add to that the death of Apollo at the hands of Drago, and there will be plenty of talk of revenge.

In terms of the Oscars, I'm not sure that there will be any nominations coming for this film. Stallone received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the first Creed film, but I feel like that was a one time thing and won't be repeated with this film. Jordan is usually very strong, but I'm not sure he can sustain the character enough for a nomination for the Lead Actor category against other strong options.

​The Front Runner
I feel like we haven't heard from Hugh Jackman in a little while, but I"m excited to see a film like this be his return to the big screen. I am personally a little young to remember details of Gary Hart's run for president in 1988, but the information I've read about leading up to this film makes me want to learn more.

Jackman plays Gary Hart, a senator from Colorado who was running for president in 1988 before dropping out of the race amid allegations of an extramarital affair. What intrigues me about a film like this is that we've seen so many examples of behavior like this from other politicians, including one who was already IN the White House. Some have evaded the scandals while others fall to the pressure and attention their actions bring, but the one thing that often gets left out of the picture is the impact on the families involved.

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While the trailer lauds Jackman's performance and cites sources predicting that it is an Oscar worthy performance, I worry that a lukewarm reception by critics might ultimately cost him a nomination here. There is an increasingly strong field of actors to be considered for a lead role nomination, and this one may end up being passed over.

One other category I see a potential nomination for this film is in Best Adapted Screenplay. 

Green Book
I think there is a tie for the film releasing this week that I want to see most and this is one of the two. I love seeing actors that I'm familiar with in one type of role take on something completely different and I think that is true of both Mahershala Ali playing pianist Don Shirley and Viggo Mortensen playing Tony Vallelonga in this film.

I loved Ali in Moonlight and totally believe he deserved the Oscar win from two years ago. Having also seen him in the last two Hunger Games films, the image I have of his roles is a bit harder than what he portrays in Green Book. Similarly, the visions I have of Mortensen are overwhelmingly of him with long curly hair and a worn face as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings films and as the cruel Master Chief in G.I. Jane so to see him with a thick New York accent, and having put on a few pounds to boot, is a bit of a shock to the system.

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The relationship between Don and Tony is definitely the main point of this film, but with the backdrop of looking at how difficult it was for a black man to travel through the Southern United States, even as recently as the 1960s. I love the interplay between the two lead characters and what appears to be an almost brotherly affection that develops. Despite their differences, these two men seem to understand each other.

In terms of Oscar potential, I'm not sure if this falls into Best Original or Best Adapted screenplay, but either one will see a good chance of a nomination. Ali and Mortensen could both be nominated, though hopefully not against each other both in the Lead Actor category. The film has already won a bevy of awards across the festival circuit and I have a feeling some nominations are forthcoming from The Academy as well.

Ralph Breaks the Internet
Yes, this is the OTHER film releasing this week that I have been looking forward to seeing ever since hearing about it. I am a huge fan of the original from 2012 with it's myriad references to classic video and arcade games that I grew up playing and loving. This film looks to take that feeling and expand it to something else I've loved using and playing with over the past 20 years, the internet!

Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) return and must go on an adventure to the internet to find a part to replace the broken steering wheel of Vanellope's game, Sugar Rush. Also returning at Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer) and Calhoun (Jane Lynch) from the original cast while we see a number of new faces including Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, and Alfred Molina joining the voice cast.

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I already have a viewing of this film planned for this weekend and I think it's safe to say I'm looking forward to it as much if not more than my kids are. They use the internet, but I grew up with the internet and started using it when it first became popular. I remember my dad buying an Internet Yellow Pages book at the computer store before search engines were even a thing. Imagine trying to put that book together now, it's just not possible!

The one thing I think we can count on for this film is plenty of inside jokes and pop culture. You've likely heard about the inclusion of all of the previous Disney princesses having a slumber party with Vanellope which brings back most of the original voices and there is at least one trailer which features another Disney property, stormtroopers from Star Wars. Beyond this though, I think there will be a greater message about our society and our reliance on the internet that will go over the heads of most children, and unfortunately many adults.

In terms of the nominations, you can bet on Ralph receiving a nomination for Best Animated Feature and I think it will give Incredibles 2 a strong run for its money for the win in that category. The only other potential category I could see would be an Original Song or Original Soundtrack nomination. I would personally love to see Imagine Dragons get nominated for their song "Zero", just to be able to see them perform it live at the Oscars in February.

Robin Hood
As if we didn't need another Robin Hood film, Hollywood is happy to oblige every few years. I did a quick search on Wikipedia and came up with no less than 11 films about the famous Robin of Loxley including the 1938 version with Errol Flynn, the animated version Disney released in 1973, Kevin Costner's 1991 Prince of Thieves, and of course Mel Brooks's parody from 1993, Men in Tights.

This newest version features Taron Egerton (Kingsman, Sing) in the title role with assistance from Jamie Foxx as Yahya/John, Tim Minchin as Friar Tuck, and Jamie Dornan as Will in their fight against Ben Mendelsohn's evil Sheriff of Nottingham. While I appreciate the ability to endlessly adapt the Robin Hood story for film, I have doubts as to whether this version can hold up to Prince of Thieves as the modern gold standard. It's hard to find a better supporting cast than Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater in the band of merry men, fighting against Alan Rickman's classic portrayal of the Sheriff of Nottingham. And top that off with Sean Connery showing up as King Richard and you pretty much hold all the cards. The only possible exception was Patrick Steward as Richard in Men in Tights, but we're splitting hairs at that point.

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Still, I'm open to exploring different parts of the story and this version definitely seems to focus more on the backstory of how Robin was trained and eventually became the man famous for stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.

Will it win any awards, probably not. If you're looking for action this holiday week, this is probably your best bet, but it will be just that. Action and fun with perhaps a little drama on the side. You know the story, so enjoy this for what it is.

Limited Releases

• The World Before Your Feet – In this documentary, a man goes on a quest to walk every mile of road, path, and sidewalk in the five boroughs of New York City over the course of six years! Submitted for Best Documentary Feature for 2018.
• Roma – Academy Award winning director Alfonso Cuarón delivers a story about one middle-class family in Mexico City in the 1970s. Submitted for Best Foreign Language Film for 2018. (Netflix December 14th)
• ​Clyde Cooper – In a clear B movie (if that) a man hires an investigator to find a woman he calls the "love of his life." (November 22nd)
• Becoming Astrid – Biopic about Astrid Lindgren, the Swedish author behind works such as Pippi Longstocking and The Brothers Lionheart. (November 23rd)
• The Favourite – Rachel Weiss and Emma Stone play two women vying for the favour of England's Queen Anne. (November 23rd)
• Invisible Hands – Documentary about the scourge of child labor that spans the globe. Submitted for Best Documentary Feature for 2018. (November 23rd)
• Shoplifters – A father and son duo of shoplifters help a young homeless girl they meet and bring her into their home. (November 23rd)
• Write When You Get Work – Comedy/drama set in a New York City prep school for girls. (November 23rd)

• Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle – The latest entry into the live action version of the classic Jungle Book story by Rudyard Kipling. Featuring the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan, Christian Bale as Bagheera, Cate Blanchett as Kaa, and Andy Serkis as Baloo. (November 29th) (Netflix December 7th)