2019 Nominee Watch – September 20th

After a few down weeks, we are starting to hit full stride for films coming out in the fall in time for consideration for the major awards. We get huge stars including Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Maggie Smith, Donald Sutherland, Sylvester Stallone, Demi Moore, Nicholas Cage, and Laurence Fishburne, just to name a few.

​There are definitely some Oscar contenders in this pack so check out the full post below.

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Ad Astra
Ever since I first saw a glimpse of a trailer for this film I have been eagerly anticipating its arrival. I get the same feeling from this trailer as I did from the concept of films like Gravity, Apollo 13, and Interstellar.

The story here is that astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) takes to the stars ("ad astra" is latin for "to the stars") with a twofold mission to find his lost father astronaut Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) and also stop a catastrophic cosmic explosion that could wipe out the entire solar system.

I think this is the first major science fiction film Pitt has been involved with and I personally can't wait to see what he's able to do with the genre. It feels like the one last peak he hasn't climbed in his extensive career and while there appear to be plenty of action sequences in the film, I also expect to see a good deal of scenes where he is alone, dealing with everything that faces him on his mission.

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Films like this often get dumped into the technical categories at the Oscars, and I see no reason why Ad Astra won't be nominated for things like Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. I can also see a potential nomination for Best Original Screenplay and even a nod for Pitt himself in the lead role.

Downton Abbey
I have never seen the television show upon which this film is based, but I've heard of the acclaim it has received over the years.

This film picks up following the series and depicts the Abby in preparation for a 1927 visit from the King and Queen of England themselves. (That's George and Mary, Elizabeth II's grandparents)

​There is sure to be glorious sets, costumes and fantastic British accents throughout. The cast you know and love from the show is all here, including Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley and Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley.

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I can't say much about the film itself having never seen the series, but early reviews have been favorable. It may garner some nominations including for Best Costume Design and perhaps even Cinematography.

If you're a Downton fan, definitely check this one out soon!

Rambo: Last Blood
Now the fifth film in the Rambo franchise that began back in 1982 with First Blood, Last Blood sounds like it could be the end, but then Stallone's other major franchise (Rocky) is still going strong with the spin-off series of Creed films.

This film reunited John Rambo (Stallone) with a long lost niece named Gabrielle (Yvette Monreal) whom he takes in and lives with on his remote ranch. When she is kidnapped by members of a Mexican drug cartel, Rambo must call upon his past training to try and save her.

If you've seen any of the other films in the series, you know what happens from there. Lots of fighting, lots of blood, lots of explosions. And of course lots of Stallone sneering at the camera.

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Knowing that action films in general don't often get much love from the Academy, and pile on that this is a sequel, I doubt very much there will be any nominations for Stallone and company this time around.

Early reviews have been mild at best, unfavorable at worst, so don't expect too much from this film.

The Wedding Year
Sarah Hyland and Tyler James Williams star as a newly dating couple that has to deal with attending seven weddings within the span of a year. This is bound to put pressure on any couple, let alone one that hasn't been together very long.

​There are bound to be plenty of pithy relationship tropes in this film and I'm not sure why it's getting a full wide release, though Box Office Mojo does not currently have it listed among wide releases this weekend.

The hook here is that they are banking on the success of the director of Legally Blonde to make this a hit, but I fear it will be too much of more of the same in this genre.

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This is another category that traditionally does terribly with the Academy and this is no exception. Don't expect any nominations here.

And if you go see it with your boyfriend/girlfriend, be prepared to have the wedding conversation when it's all over.

 Limited Releases

• 7 Days to Vegas – A washed up Hollywood actor makes a bet that he can walk to Las Vegas in seven days.
• Always in Season – Documentary look at the history of lynchings and hangings in America as it relates to public "suicides" or black men in modern society.
• Ambition – A young female violinist reaches for stardom and fame and must face the specter of a similar girl who was killed.
• American Dreamer – Comedian Jim Gaffigan stars in this thriller about a man desperate for money who resorts kidnapping a child.
• Auggie – Richard Kind stars as a man who retires alone from a position he's held for many years finds love in a virtual existence thanks to special glasses that tap into his subconscious.
• Bloodline – Seann William Scott (American Pie) stars in a horror thriller about a man dealing with fatherhood in a very violent way.
• Britt-Marie Was Here – Swedish film about a woman who leaves her long marriage and takes a job as a house cleaner.
• Coming up for Air – When a teen diver is afflicted by mental illness, his mother must deal with the fallout.
• Corporate Animals – Demi Moore stars in a film about high profile CEO who leads her team on a trek into a remote cave system only to become trapped together.
• Diego Maradona – Documentary look at the world famous soccer player from Argentina.
• Don't Be Nice – Slam poets in New York City practice before the 2016 National Championships.
• Loro 1 – Part one of a pair of films about a Roman business man who manages trafficking young escorts.
• Loro 2 – Part two of the above film that focuses more on Prime Minister Berlusconi.
• Promare – Anime film about a supernatural occurrence that must be defeated.
• Right Before Your Eyes – A man who is a recovering alcoholic struggles with not being able to see his son.
• Running With the Devil – Nicholas Cage stars as a drug lord that must find and recover a shipment of cocaine that is hijacked.
• Tazza: One Eyed Jack – Korean film about a young man who falls into trouble gambling and must find a way out.
• Trauma is a Time Machine – Exploration of a woman's self destruction after being raped.
• Villains – Two basic criminals must deal with a homeowner when they break in and find a girl chained up in their basement.
• Where's My Roy Cohn? – Documentary look at lawyer Roy Cohn who worked with leaders including Senator Joseph McCarthy and Donald Trump early in his career.
• Who Shot Colosio? – A dramatization of the life of Mexican politician Luis Donaldo Colodio who was killed during a run for the Mexican presidency in 1994. (Netflix)
• Zeroville – James Franco, Seth Rogan, and Megan Fox star in a film about a young seminarian who worships films and goes to Hollywood.
• The Zoya Factor – A woman becomes a lucky charm for the Indian Cricket team during the 2011 World Cup.
• The Shawshank Redemption – There's a reason this film is the highest rated film on IMDb, it's a great movie. What I find a little hard to believe is that it's 25 years old already. It's one of those I always watch when I catch it on television, but it will be nice to sit through it in a theater for once! And don't forget to "Get busy living, or get busy dying." (September 22nd Special Engagement)
• Anthropocene: The Human Epoch – Canadian documentary about the current era in which humans have moved from being a participant to become a dominant force on Earth. (September 25th)