2019 Nominee Watch – December 6th

Despite the fact that we are right in the middle of awards season, there are not really any big awards contenders being released this weekend. The Aeronauts is one of the finalists for the Best Visual Effects award, but I don't see that or the animated PLAYMOBILE: The Movie having any sort of legs.

Even prediction sites like HSX.com have these two films very low at the box office. This may be the chance for anyone who hasn't gone already to check out Frozen II, Knives Out, or A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

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The Aeronauts
On the surface, this film looks like a high flying adventure, literally. It tells the story of balloonist Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) and scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) as they venture into the unknown of the sky in an attempt to measure the weather in hopes of being able to better predict it in the future.

This is the second film with Jones and Redmayne in leading roles, previously starring together in the 2014 film Theory of Everything, about theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, for which Jones was nominated for Best Actress and Redmayne won the award for Best Actor. While they played a married couple in that film, I wonder if there will be some romance in the clouds to be found in this film as well.

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Despite the trailer calling out Jones's nomination and Redmayne's win, I doubt that either of them will land any nominations for their roles in this film. Hawking was a well known figure even before the film, but these two characters are, unfortunately, not.

The film might garner some attention for visual effects, though as I noted yesterday, there is a lot of competition for that category.

PLAYMOBILE: The Movie
Usually I try to start of with something positive, but I can't really do that here. This film looks like a poor attempt to capture the hype of 2014's The Lego Movie and the sequel that followed earlier this year. It's no slight against the people who made the film and poured their hard work and energy into it, but sometimes something reminds you of another so much, you have to call it out.

Not only are the original toys sold in sets similar to the way LEGO sets are sold, but the characters have some similar features, including the way the hands and hair look. I'm not saying one is a rip off of the other, but there is way too much the same here for this to be considered a new concept.

The one big difference I see here is while both LEGO films told stories from the perspective of the figures as they were being played with, this one actually transports the children into the world of the toys. Again, not a completely novel idea, see Jumanji, Tron, etc.

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At the end of the day, this film will not have nearly the impact of the LEGO films, either at the box office or potentially at the Oscars. The only area I see a potential nomination would be in Best Animated Feature, but there are many better options this year, including The Lego Movie 2.

Limited Releases

• 2 Fingers Honey – I think it's a romantic comedy, but the entire trailer is in Macedonian, so your guess is as good as mine.
• Beyond the Law – Steven Segal stars in this film about a man trying to save a young man from the choices he's made.
• Daniel Isn't Real – A young man taps into his imagination to reconnect with the imaginary friend he had as a boy.
• The Disappearance of my Mother – Documentary filmed by a son about his mother who once was a celebrity model.
• En Brazos de un Asesino – Literally, In the Arms of an Assassin, this film follows a man who has a deep secret.
• Grand Isle – Nicolas Cage stars as a man who hires the man working on his house to kill his wife.
• Hold On – A woman who sings in church tries to get her break into the music business.
• I See You – A small town detective investigates the disappearance of a boy taken while on a bicycle ride in the woods.
• In Fabric – A comedy horror that follows a cursed dress through the hands of different owners.
• The Islands – Story of a Pacific island tribe and the woman who descends into an active volcano to save her people.
• The Kindness of Strangers – Several stories intertwine during a Manhattan winter.
• Knives and Skin – A rural town tries to find a lost teenager.
• Little Joe – A woman working for a company trying to find an anti-depressant "happy plant" brings one home to her son, with terrible consequences.
• Marriage Story – Scarlett Johansson (Avengers) and Adam Driver (BlackKklansman) star in this film about a happily married couple that end up moving toward divorce. (Netflix)
• Midnight Family – Documentary about a family who runs a for profit ambulance service at night.
• A Million Little Pieces – The story of James Frey that was on Oprah's book club many years ago comes to the big screen with stars that include Billy Bob Thornton, Giovanni Ribisi and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
• Most Likely to Succeed – Documentary about kids who are tops in their class and the struggle they face to continue their success.
• A New Christmas – A woman visiting New York helps a grieving man find new life during Christmas.
• Panipat – Indian film about an enormous battle against warriors from Afghanistan.
• Portrait of a Lady on Fire – French film about a painter hired to create a wedding portrait.
• Trauma Center – A woman tries to escape from a locked down hospital in the night when she witnesses the murder of a police officer.
• The Wolf Hour – A woman living in isolation in her apartment must find new inspiration from the outside world.
• Meet Me in St. Louis – 75th anniversary presentation of the 1944 Judy Garland classic. (December 8th)
• Safe Spaces – A professor in New York City reconnects with family when his grandmother is in the hospital. (December 9th)
• INXS: Live Baby Live at Wembly Stadium – The band performs in Wembly Stadium. (December 9th Special Engagement)
• The Hunt – A group of people are kidnapped and hunted for sport by societies elites. (December 10th)
• Light Side: A Journey with David Prowse – A look at the man behind the mask of the most iconic film villain of all time: Darth Vader. (December 11th)
• The Lost Footage of Leah Sullivan – A found footage film about a young woman investigating a cold case murder in her home town. (December 11th)​