2018 Nominee Watch – November 9th

This week we have a slew of animated features hitting theaters, some from the list of potential nominees I posted last week. The main attraction will of course be Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, but also keep an eye out for Ruben Brandt, Collector if it hits a theater near you.

Check out the post for the rest of the list of films hitting theaters this weekend.

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Dr. Suess' The Grinch
At first I thought this film might be a tad on the unnecessary side considering we already have the classic animated version of The Grinch story that airs every year on television, and the 2000 live action version starring Jim Carrey and directed by Ron Howard. But I think I've come around and look forward to seeing what the creative minds at Illumination Entertainment have come up with in their take on this classic story.

If you've been around for a few Christmases, you surely know the story of The Grinch who hates Christmas and tries to steal it from the nearby residents of Whoville. I shouldn't need to put any spoiler alerts in here to say that The Grinch ultimately realizes through his travels that it's not the presents, decorations, food, and toys that make Christmas, but the love that we share with each other and the time we spend together that really matters.

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This is not really a story you can do much with in terms of changing the formula. It is what it is, and that's WHY it's such a classic. I expect this will stick much closer to the original made for television version than the live-action version, especially given some of the familiar scenes that we already see in the trailer. Max pulling the sled and burying himself in the snow, bags full of presents flying out of chimneys onto the sleigh, etc. This will feel very familiar to anyone who has seen the original (and let's face it, who hasn't?)

Where I would expect some movement away from the original is in the development of The Grinch as a character. This Grinch (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) seems a little less filled with hate and more dislikes the Whos just on principle. He also seems a bit funnier and wittier than his previous animated counterpart.

Despite a fairly crowded field of animated films vying for a nomination from The Academy this year, I think the Grinch looks beautiful and has a good shot at a nomination. The soundtrack may also get some attention with a number of new songs by artists such as Run-D.M.C., The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Pentatonix, and Danny Elfman. This will surly be a hit with kids, and I'm sure there will be plenty of nostalgia and inside jokes for adults as well.

​The Girl in the Spider's Web
While this is technically a sequel to David Fincher's 2011 film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it brings an entirely new cast and crew to the franchise including Claire Foy (First Man, The Crown) taking over the lead role from Rooney Mara.

On the surface, this film appears to be taking a page from Matt Damon's very successful Bourne series. There is plenty of action to be had, and the exotic European locales make an appearance as well. We see fast cars, gun fights, and a main character to struggles to find a place in the world, when it seems like the entire world is chasing after her.

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The premise here in the extended scene that opens the trailer, is that Lisbeth is trying to help women who are victims of abuse by men, not through the court system, but through brutal revenge, torture, and blackmail. I'm very interested to see how Foy handles this action character since it's a bit of a departure from the young Queen Elizabeth II and Janet Armstrong.

Ultimately, I fear there isn't enough here to sustain the action and while there were a number of Academy Award nominations for the previous film, I don't see any in the offering here.

Overlord
I haven't heard much about this film but it appears to be a World War II horror film in which a group of American soldiers are dropped behind German lines during D-Day and stumble upon a secret Nazi laboratory where people are undergoing human enhancement testing.

Pause a moment and digest that, and also consider that J.J. Abrams attached his name to this one as a producer. Being that he's only producing the film, I wouldn't go into it expecting anything to the level of Lost, Cloverfield, or Super 8, but I am willing to be surprised.

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Again, I haven't heard much about this, but early reviews have been positive. On the award front, there is always the possibility of some nominations in production design, sound editing and mixing, and even effects for a big WWII period piece. However, as has been noted many times already, horror does not do well with The Academy, so that may counteract any potential it has for a nomination in these other categories.

Limited Releases

• El Angel – Crime drama about a young man in Argentina who get pulled into the world of drugs.
• Chef Flynn – Documentary about Flynn McGarry, a young cooking prodigy who struggles to deal with the attention of his fame.
• The Delinquent Season – Two couples deal with love and betrayal that could ruin the lives of all involved.
• The Divide – Black and white drama about a woman who returns to the ranch of her aging father who struggles with memories of her.
• Here and Now – Sarah Jessica Parker plays a singer deciding to put her career on hold in order to spend more time with her family.
• In a Relationship – Two young couples deal with just getting started and finding things getting stale.
• In Searching – A young man fights for the girl he loves and tries to return a lost item.
• Infinite Football – Documentary look at the game of soccer.
• Lez Bomb – A young woman tries to tell her family that she is a lesbian over Thanksgiving dinner.
• Liz and the Blue Bird – Limited release of Animated Feature hopeful about two high school friends.
• The Long Dumb Road – Two men travel across country together after a chance meeting.​

• The New Romantic – A college student finds a sugar daddy to help with her sex column.
• Outlaw King – Chris Pine (Star Trek) plays Robert the Bruce, outlaw king of Scotland. (Netflix)
• Pimp – A young female pimp learns the ropes from her father.
• Postcards From London – A young man finds his place in an underground world of male escorts.
• River Runs Red – Taye Diggs, John Cusack, and George Lopez star in a crime drama where unlikely friends fight against a corrupt system.
• They Fight – Young men learn boxing in this documentary.
• Time Freak – Romantic comedy where a teen builds a time machine to get a second chance at the love of his life.
• Weightless – A man tries to figure out if he will look after a son he's never seen since he was born.
• The Amityville Murders – A man is possessed and goes on a killing spree in a haunted house. (November 13th)
• Blue My Mind – A teen girl struggles to fit in with the popular girls and maintain a relationship with her mother while going through incredible physical transformations. (November 13th)
• Conundrum: Secrets Among Friends – All hell breaks loose when a group of old friends takes a vacation together. (November 15th)
• Jinn – A teenage girl deals with her mother's conversion to Islam and what it means for her own beliefs and relationships. (November 15th)
• Ruben Brandt, Collector – In this Animated Feature contender, a man goes on a quest to find the paintings that are attacking him in his nightmares. (November 15th)