We had one film release this past weekend with the potential for Oscar nominations.

The Water Diviner

Russell Crowe’s World War II drama has sparked a lot of positivity in Australia where it received numerous awards. However, the Academy is a far more fickle beast, making his film a far-from-obvious contender.

Releasing in the midst of April, a poor time for this type of film, The Water Diviner follows an Australian father as he traipses across the Middle East looking for his surviving sons, using techniques he often used for locating water in the vast desert-like condition of the Outback. The film seems to tap into the type of major epic style that once made films like Out of Africa a de facto frontrunner.

Times have changed, however, and this type of film just doesn’t appeal to Oscar voters anymore. Pair that with weak support from critics via mediocre reviews, and you have a film that Oscar voters will undoubtedly forget by the end of the year.