I received three packages today. The first is a double feature from Focus Features with Hyde Park on the Hudson and Promised. I also received This Is 40 from Universal and The Imposter from Indomina Media

Hyde Park on Hudson

Stars: Bill Murray, Samuel West, Laura Linney, Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Marvel, Elizabeth Wilson, Olivia Williams
Director: Roger Michell
Premise: From IMDb: “The story of the love affair between FDR and his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley, centered around the weekend in 1939 when the King and Queen of the United Kingdom visited upstate New York.”
Oscar Chances: Weak: On paper, it looked like a can’t-beat proposition for several nominations. After critics saw it, that “can’t-beat” became “can’t be.” While the film could have a lot of fans in audiences, I think its chances peaked before anyone saw it.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Kevin Loader, Roger Michell, David Aukin)
• Best Actor (Bill Murray)
• Best Supporting Actor (Samuel West)
• Best Supporting Actress (Laura Linney, Olivia Colman, Elizabeth Marvel, Elizabeth Wilson, Olivia Williams)
• Best Cast
• Best Director (Roger Michell)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Richard Nelson)
• Best Film Editing (Nicoals Gaster)
• Best Cinematogrpahy (Lol Crawley)
• Best Production Design (Simon Bowles, Celia Bobak)
• Best Sound Editing (Matt Collinge, Danny Sheehan)
• Best Costume Design (Dinah Collin)
• Best Visual Effects (Adam Gascoyne)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Morag Ross, Norma Webb)
• Best Sound Mixing (Chris Burdon, Matthew Collinge)
• Best Original Score (Jeremy Sams)

Rotten Tomatoes:
58% (19 critics; as of 12/3/12)
Metacritic:
48 out of 100 (6 critics; as of 12/3/12)

The Imposter

Director: Bart Layton
Premise: From IMDb: “A documentary centered on a young Frenchman who convinces a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who went missing for 3 years.”
Oscar Chances: Unknown: Critics seemed to like it, but its lack of political nature may be a hindrance. There are a lot of potential nominees this year and I could easily see this one getting squeezed out.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Documentary

Rotten Tomatoes:
96% (98 critics; as of 12/3/12)
Metacritic:
77 out of 100 (27 critics; as of 12/3/12)

Promised Land

Stars: Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Scoot McNairy, Titus Welliver, Hal Holbrook, Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt
Director: Gus Van Sant
Premise: From IMDb: “A salesman for a natural gas company experiences life-changing events after arriving in a small town, where his corporation wants to tap into the available resources.”
Oscar Chances: Unlikely: The film is releasing very late in the year and while that might have worked several years ago, these days that type of opening is poisonous. If there’s someone who can make it work, it’s Matt Damon, but the film won’t have had a chance to get out to theaters by the time Oscar voters make their decisions and late-arriving screeners tend to get put aside until it’s too late.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Chris Moore)
• Best Director (Gus Van Sant)
• Best Cast
• Best Actor (Matt Damon)
• Best Supporting Actor (John Krasinski, Scoot McNairy, Titus Welliver, Hal Holbrook)
• Best Supporting Actress (Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt)
• Best Original Screenplay (John Krasinski, Matt Damon, Dave Eggers)
• Best Cinematography (Linus Sandgren)
• Best Film Editing (Billy Rich)
• Best Production Design (Daniel B. Clancy, Rebecca Brown)
• Best Costume Design (Juliet Polcsa)
• Best Sound Editing (Robert C. Jackson)
• Best Sound Mixing (Felix Andrew, Leslie Shatz, Colette Dahanne)
• Best Visual Effects (Dick Edwards)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Kelley Mitchell, Kay Georgiou)
• Best Original Song (“Snake Eyes” written by Kenneth A> Pattengale, Joseph Edward Ryan)
• Best Original Score (Danny Elfman)

Rotten Tomatoes:
No reviews posted yet (as of 12/3/12)
Metacritic:
No reviews posted yet (as of 12/3/12)

This Is 40

Stars: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow, Megan Fox, Melissa McCarthy
Director: Judd Apatow
Premise: From IMDb: “A look at the lives of Pete and Debbie a few years after the events of Knocked Up.”
Oscar Chances: Unlikely: Another film that feels like it’s late to the party. Apatow hasn’t exactly been Oscar friendly in the past and while this has the far more friendly Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann in the lead roles, I just don’t think the film is likely to succeed with Oscar voters.
Campaign-Proposed Categories:

• Best Picture (Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend)
• Best Director (Judd Apatow)
• Best Actor (Paul Rudd)
• Best Actress (Leslie Mann)
• Best Supporting Actor (Albert Brooks, John Lithgow)
• Best Supporting Actress (Iris Apatow, Maude Apatow, Megan Fox, Melissa McCarthy)
• Best Adapted Screenplay (Judd Apatow)
• Best Cinematography (Phedon Papamichael)
• Best Film Editing (Brent White, Jay Deuby, David Bertman)
• Best Production Design (Jefferson Sage, Leslie Pope)
• Best Costume Design (Leesa Evans)
• Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Kimberly Greene, Erin Woolridge, Linda Arnold, Michael Moore)
• Best Sound Mixing (Ken McLaughlin, Marc Fishman, Adam Jenkins)
• Best Sound Editing (George Anderson)
• Best Original Song (“Dull Tool” written by Fiona Apple)

Rotten Tomatoes:
91% (11 critics; as of 12/3/12)
Metacritic:
No Score Yet (3 critics; as of 12/3/12)