2019 Nominee Watch – February 13th

You'll notice that the Nominee Watch is earlier in the week than normal because this is an odd week for releases with Valentine's Day hitting on Thursday. We have a few wide releases hitting theaters on Wednesday and another on Thursday with only limited releases coming out on Friday.

​If you're looking for any Oscar potential films for your Valentine's dates, check out the post for more information.

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Alita: Battle Angel
With all of the big names behind this film, you'd expect it to be a strong player at the box office and even potentially with the Academy when it's time for the next round of nominations.

An adaptation of a manga series by Yukito Kishiro, the film is set in a distant future where a man assembles a cyborg named after his deceased daughter, Alita. In what seems very much a modern day version of Pinocchio, Alita does not know she's not really the daughter and only comes to terms with this throughout the film.

The high point of this film looks like it will be some stunning action sequences, as one might expect from director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Machete). The visual effects throughout the film might make this an early front runner for an Oscar nomination, assuming it isn't forgotten because it was released so early in the year.

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The names behind the film (including James Cameron and Jon Landau producing) are big, and there are some good names in front of the camera too including Jennifer Connelly and Mahershala Ali. Alas, the only areas where I see potential for Oscar nominations would come from the technical categories like visual effects, sound mixing/editing, and possibly cinematography or production design.

Happy Death Day 2U
I'll admit right up front, I have absolutely no interest in seeing this film. The concept looks preposterous and it is a follow up to 2017's Happy Death Day a film that did decently at the box office, but I don't remember any additional buzz about it.

If you've seen the first film, chances are that you will find nothing new here. The original was already a retread of horror tropes found in films like Final Destination (and its unending sequels) and the Scream films. The fact that they revisited everything yet again just screams of a money grab to me.

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If you've been reading this site for any length of time, you know my opinions on horror and the fact that the Academy pays it little attention as well. Expect miserable reviews for this film and even lower expectations from the Academy.

Isn't It Romantic
Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) hits the screen starring in this romantic comedy about...well, romantic comedies. She plays Natalie, a young woman with a hatred of romantic comedy films who hits her head in the subway and wakes up to find herself living in the perfect world she abhors on the silver screen.

Wilson is always full of laughs and combining her talents with her Pitch Perfect co-star Adam Devine as well as Liam Hemsworth (no, think Hunger Games, not Thor) and Priyanka Chopra (Baywatch, Quantico) there will be plenty to keep fans and non-fans of rom-coms happy throughout.

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Ultimately, this looks like a fun date movie, especially if one half of the date loves classic rom-coms like Pretty Woman​, Sleepless in Seattle, or even How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (my personal favorite). Wilson is certainly not your typical lead in these films, but I love her approach and think she will nail the role.

Don't look for any Oscar nominations here though. Rom-coms don't get much Academy attention and while this one might break the mold a bit, there's nothing completely new to catch the eye of the voters.

Limited Releases

• Birds of Passage – A Mexican man becomes involved with a drug cartel only to see his family ripped apart by the ongoing drug war.
• Fighting With My Family – A brother and sister duo get a chance to try out for the WWE and make it to the big time with stars like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. (February 14th)
• Donnybrook – A man fights in a bare knuckle brawl in hopes of winning $100,000 and changing the fortunes of his family forever. (February 15th)
• Hotel by the River – South Korean film about a man spending the weekend at a hotel with his sons who seeks after two women also staying at the hotel. (February 15th)
• The Lears – A modern retelling of the Shakespearean classic King Lear starring Bruce Dern, Anthony Michael Hall, and Sean Astin. (February 15th)
• The Maestro – Biopic about budding film composer Jerry Herst seeking guidance from master teacher Mario Castelnuevo-Tedesco following WWII. (February 15th)
• Mega Time Squad – After a crime goes bad, a man must travel through time to protect his past/future self from those chasing him. (February 15th)
• Pig – When Iranian film directors are being murdered, one blackllisted director is curious why he's not a target. (February 15th)
• Ruben Brandt, Collector – Animated film about a man tormented by nightmares inspired by legendary works of art. (February 15th)
• Sorry Angel – Several men face love and rejection in Paris. (February 15th)​

• A Tuba to Cuba – The Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans travels to Cuba in search of the roots of their musical tradition. (February 15th)
• My Fair Lady – Special limited engagement of the 1964 classic film. (February 17th)