2019 Nominee Watch – December 13th

It may very well be Friday the 13th this week, but there's no reason to dread with some decent films hitting theaters. There are a few that look like Oscar contenders and some hidden gems in the limited release listings.

Check out the full breakdown.

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Black Christmas
I'm not entirely sure hoe I'm supposed to do an extended write up on this film. It's a horror film set a Christmastime so I'm sure it will ignite many discussions about whether it is a Halloween film or a Christmas film like The Nightmare Before Christmas. Wait, no it won't, because by next week, no one will ever talk about it again.

It has the producer of Get Out and Halloween attached to it which is designed to draw fans of those movies to see it but I don't see much of a draw other than that. Oh, Cary Elwes is in it so that could be a plus.

Basically we've seen this a million times before. A group of young girls, sorority sisters this time, are being chased by a mysterious killer and they have to fight back to save themselves.

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Most of the names here are not well known and I don't think this is the film that will get them any Oscar attention. If you're a die hard horror fan, you may want to see this one. If you're just looking for a controversial Christmas movie, watch Die Hard again.

And yes, Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

Jumnaji: The Next Level
I was pleasantly surprised by the remake that came out a few years ago. There was just enough newness in the film to make it feel fresh, but also a few good callbacks to the original 1995 film starring Robin Williams.

The good thing is that the cast is back from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, but this time the in game characters are inhabited by different real world people. This obviously creates new twists since Kevin Hart's in game character is now inhabited by Danny Glover while Danny DiVito inhabits Dwayne Johnson's Dr. Smolder Bravestone. The reveal of who was in whose body at the beginning of the previous film was hilarious, and this version only seems to up the ante a little in that department.

The crew is warned that not everyone will leave the game alive this time and it's nice to see new locales including snowy mountains and desert landscapes, beyond the familiar jungle. Rest assured there will be plenty of action in this one to go around.

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Really the only place I see potential for any Oscar nominations for this film is in the area of Best Visual Effects. Best Sound Mixing or Best Sound Editing are also possibilities, but beyond that, there isn't much to go on here.

Richard Jewell
It's been over twenty years since the Centennial Park bombing that took place during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, but I can still remember the controversy that surrounded those events like they were yesterday. This film, directed by Clint Eastwood, depicts those events, focusing on the man who found the bomb and alerted authorities before being accused of placing the bomb himself.

Much like the events of the time, there is some controversy around this film, specifically in its depiction of reporter Kathy Scruggs. The film apparently takes some license with her character offering sexual favors to a source in exchange for information, something her newspaper said never happened.

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With an all star cast including Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, and Olivia Wilde, there is certainly some room here for a potential nomination for a supporting actor or actress. Eastwood is always  up for consideration for the directing award and his films often get noticed for Best Picture.

I would be surprised to see this film skipped entirely by the Academy this year.

Limited Releases

• Bombshell – Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie star in this film about several women working at Fox News who set out to expose CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. The film co-stars John Lithgow, Kate McKinnon, and Allison Janney.
• Chinese Portrait – A documentary look at the people of China filmed in mainly static poses with no real narrative.
• Code 8 – A man with outlawed special powers fights against the military.
• Colewell – A woman who has been the postmaster of a small town for many years is forced to make hard decisions when the postal service closes her office.
• Cunningham – A documentary biography about dance company leader Merce Cunningham.
• Hell on the Border – The first black U.S. Marshall in the American West tracks down a dangerous criminal.
• A Hidden Life – An Austrian man who is a conscientious objector refuses to fight for the Nazis during World War II.
• Mardaani 2 – Indian film about a woman who seeks to find a man who is raping and murdering young women.
• Mob Town – A meeting of mobsters in upstate New York in 1957.
• Spiral Farm – Several outsiders strive to form a life in an isolated community.
• Uncut Gems – Adam Sandler plays a New York City jeweler who makes a series of big gambles that could pay off big while balancing multiple aspects of his life.
• Seberg – Kristen Stewart plays Jean Seberg, a French New Wave icon who is targeted by the FBI because of her involvement in with civil rights activist Hakim Jamal. (Oscar Qualifying Run)
• Gorillaz: Reject False Icons – A documentary look at the band during their rise to stardom. (December 16th Special Engagement)