2020 Nominee Watch – January 10th

While my efforts over the last week and a half have been focused on getting the early episodes of The Oscar Project Podcast off the ground, I wanted to take a little time to present the films that are hitting theaters this week.

The good news about these releases is that a few of them may be up for Oscars when the nominees are announced on Monday, January 13th. I can almost guarantee several nominations for 1917 and perhaps one for Just Mercy as well. Click through the find out where the contenders are and which films may have to wait for next year.

---

1917
I am extremely excited about seeing this film and so glad it's getting a wide releases ahead of the Oscars. Much has been made of this film in terms of being presented as a single shot. It is not, of course, and the work that went into making the film a seamless fluid piece cannot be understated.

The story is simple enough. Two young soldiers in WWI must trek across battlefields, treacherous landscapes and bombed out towns to deliver news that a group of their comrades are walking into an ambush the next morning. Pile on top of this that one of the soldiers' brother is in the group they are trying to save, and this film is sure to have you on the edge of your seat the entire time.

I've heard multiple reviews and interviews about this film and every single one raves about it. The Little Gold Men Podcast had an excellent interview with cinematographer Roger Deakins on a recent episode where he talked at length about the techniques that went into filming this story. Several reviews have mentioned that you don't really pay attention to the fact that there are no clear cuts in the film. The action has an ebb and flow to it where you still get "scenes" when lighting changes or the location has significantly changed.

---

While certainly a marvel of technology, I don't think 1917 will be relegated to just the technical categories this year. Nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects all seem like no-brainers. In addition, I could see Mendes getting a Best Director nomination along with a Best Picture nomination for the film.

Just Mercy
The other film that is expanding from limited to wide release this week hasn't had quite the fanfare as 1917, but I still think there is something here. It definitely takes on a more serious topic than the other fare I will get to shortly.

Michael B. Jordan (Creed, Black Panther) stars as Bryan Stevenson, a well known civil rights defense attorney who works a case to free a man who was wrongly convicted and sentenced to death row. Jamie Foxx (Ray, Django Unchained) plays the condemned man and has already been nominated for his acting for other awards so it wouldn't be a stretch to see him land a nomination from the Academy in a few days.

---

I think Foxx's role may be the one with the most potential to land a nomination here. Ultimately, it is an important story to tell, but something that I fear may be lost on some portions of the audience.

Like a Boss
If you're looking for lighter fare this weekend, here's your movie. Starring Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne as two long time friends that start a beauty company, only to have it drowning in debt. Selma Hayek shows up as a successful business woman who wants to buy their company, and save them from financial ruin.

It turns out however, that Hayek's character is only interested in getting her hands on their new product and passing it off as her own. Cue the devious revenge that the young entrepreneurs seek against their corporate overlord.

---

Don't get me wrong, there will be plenty of funny moments in this film. Haddish is usually good for a decent amount of laughs and I actually think Hayek will do a good job as the baddie here. Just don't look for this one to have much staying power as we move through the winter and certainly don't look for it come Oscar time next year.

Underwater
Kristen Stewart (Twilight) and T. J. Miller (Cloverfield) star in this film about a team of researchers stationed deep at the bottom of the ocean. The trailer begins by telling us that we're miles from the nearest surface land and seven miles beneath the surface of the ocean, so what could possibly go wrong, right?

Apparently everything. Just looking at this trailer, it feels like it wants to be Alien, just on Earth and under water, instead of millions of miles from Earth in space. We've had films like this before, including The Abyss, Deep Blue Sea, and most recently The Meg. If you've seen any of those films, chances are you can probably skip this one, and still be able to follow any conversation about it at your next party.

---

I understand that Stewart is trying to shrug off her typecasting from when she took on the role of Bella Swan in Twilight and prove that she can be a strong actor in Hollywood, I just think she needs to pick better options than this and the recent Charlie's Angels reboot.

This film may disappear from theaters faster than it takes for the oxygen to run out at the bottom of the ocean.

Limited Releases

• Afterward – A deep dive look at the relationship between modern Jews and Palestinians and how it relates to the horrors of the Holocaust.
• The Assent – Horror film about a single father who suspects his son may be possessed.
• Chhapaak – Indian film about a woman disfigured by acid and her fight to regain her life.
• The Corrupted – A man trying to win back the love and trust of his family finds himself embroiled in a web of lies and conspiracy.
• Darbar – Indian action film about a super cop who happens to be an awesome dancer while hunting down the criminals.
• The Dawn – Period horror film about a woman serving as a nun. Also appeared in last week's post.
• Dhurala – After the death of their father, a family tries to fill the void he left.
• Diving Deep: The Life and Times of Mike deGruy – Documentary look at the life and work of deep ocean explorer Mike deGruy.
• Earth – Disney's latest nature film about our home planet, narrated by James Earl Jones.
• Inherit the Viper – Josh Hartnett (Pearl Harbor) and Bruce Dern (Nebraska) star in this film about young men struggling to find their place in rural Appalacia.
• Les Misérables – French film about a regional police officer who moves to Paris and finds corruption everywhere.
• The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson – As if there hasn't been enough coverage of this over the years, now we get a fictionalized take on who killed Nicole Brown Simpson.
• Reality Queen! – A popular culture princess tries to prove that she's more than just a pretty face.
• Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon – A sequel I'm not sure we entirely needed, from the people who gave us the Wallace and Grommit shorts and films.
• Three Christs – Richard Gere stars as a psychiatrist working with three different patients who each believe themselves to be Jesus Christ.
• BanG Dream! Live: Roselia x RAS: Rausch und/and Craziness – Chinese female pop group concert film? Maybe? I have no idea.
• VHYes – A young boy tapes over his parents' late night TV recordings and wedding video to make videos of his own. (January 12th)
• 2050 – Dean Cain stars in this film about a man who discovers a parlor that offers sex robots. (January 14th)