Trailer: Conviction

Based on a true story, Conviction is definitely awards bait: inspirational, dramatic, a showcase opportunity for makeup artists. Of course, in my opinion, Hilary Swank already has two Oscars too many, so I for one will not be disappointed if this crashes and burns. Still, it’s backed by a studio that knows what it’s doing in the Oscar race (Fox Searchlight, responsible for the rather successful campaigns behind Crazy Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, Juno, The Wrestler, Little Miss Sunshine), and it would actually be cool to see Sam Rockwell become a player in the Supporting Actor race. Anyone who’s heard me rhapsodize about his performance in last year’s Moon will know he’s one of my favorite working actors and has been churning out great work for the past decade (besides Moon, there was Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, The Assassination of Jesse James, Snow Angels, hell, he was even great in Galaxy Quest). His scenes look like the bright spot here.