5 Days 'til Nominations: FOREIGN FILM FINALISTS
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 1:45PM Actually 5 days and 19ish hours but who is counting?
Gael García Bernal in "Even the Rain"
Today's Topic: Foreign Films
One has to wonder why Oscar has a finalist round that's only announced one week before the nominations. Like the visual effects nominations finalists, which get narrowed down to practically the shortlist before the official announcement, it seems unneccessarily sadistic like "omg you're going to be nominated. NOPE!" But for now 9 countries remain from the original 65*. They are....
- ALGERIA (Outside the Law) prev record: 4 nominations, 1 win.
- CANADA (Incendies) prev record: 4 nominations, 1 win.
- DENMARK (In a Better World) prev record: 7 nominations, 2 wins
- GREECE (Dogtooth) prev record: 5 nominations. Greece has yet to win.
- JAPAN (Confessions) prev record: 12 nominations, 1 win. Japan won Honorary Oscars before the category became a regular institution.
- MEXICO (Biutiful) prev record: 7 nominations. Mexico has yet to win.
- SOUTH AFRICA (Life Above All) prev record: 2 nominations, 1 win.
- SPAIN (Even the Rain) prev record: 19 nominations, 4 wins.
- SWEDEN (Simple Simon) prev record: 14 nominations, 3 wins.
So, no country will get to be a first time nominee this year.
Ulrich Thomsen and screen son in Golden Globe winner "In a Better World"
Star Power. Spaniard Javier Bardem and Mexican Gael Garcia Bernal (who have flip-flopped countries here) are both regular fixtures in this category, frequently starring in submissions and on Hollywood's red carpet. Danish star Ulrich Thomsen, is less globally famous, but he's a very familiar face in movies subtitled and otherwise.
TRAILERS TO ALL FINALISTS AND MORE INFO
Welcome Back: Denmark's Susanne Bier, who flirted with Hollywood (Things We Lost in the Fire with Halle Berry, a cancelled film with Michelle Pfeiffer) and who just won a Golden Globe for this very feature was nominated previously for After the Wedding; Algeria's Rachid Bouchareb was previously nominated for Days of Glory (Indigenes).
Surprise! The shocker in the lineup is Japan's violent Confessions about a teacher who aims to take revenge on children who she believes murdered her child. It's been compared to films like Battle Royale... i.e. the type of films that never get nominated. One has to assume it's something the special committee shoved onto the list. The large regular foreign committee chooses six films (top vote getters) and a special panel, the Executive Committee, adds 3 others to the list. Then the final round of voting commences. It's a polite way of keeping the foreign committee a little more in tune with what's happening in foreign cinema and a little less focused on, one presumes, heartwarming sentiment and pretty pictures... both of which translate quite nicely no matter the language, merci beaucoup. If your favorite is eliminated in the first round, maybe you're going to vote for one of the Executive Committee approved choices in the second round?
Japan's "Confessions"
That's the theory at least.
Snubbed: We'd originally believed that the Cannes favorite OF GODS AND MEN from France, about Christian monks in a Muslim village, was going to be an easy finalist and a threat for the win. It's quite thematically topical, serious and beautiful but maybe it proved a touch too reserved to generate passion? We'd also thought that maybethe Executive Committee would put the Cannes winner UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES into this final grouping but no dice. Other relatively high profile snubs include UNDERTOW (Peru) and KAWASAKI'S ROSE (Czech Republic) which both had regular theatrical releases in 2010 and WHEN WE LEAVE (Germany) about a Muslim woman (played by Sibel Kekilli) whose family turns on her when she decides to leave her husband and take her son with her.
[All the trailers below]
*The Academy's press release states that there were 66 films eligible but there initial press release some months ago -- and thus our charts -- only included 65 films were included. Apparently Afghanistan's entry BLACK TULIP which was disqualified was reinstated.
ALGERIA
CANADA
DENMARK
GREECE
JAPAN
MEXICO
SOUTH AFRICA
SPAIN
SWEDEN (Yes, that's Alexander Skarsgård's baby brother in the lead role)
Reader Comments (21)
The 66th (and final) submission was Afghanistan's "Black Tulip".
It was originally disqualified on a technicality relating to the national committee that submitted it, but it was eventually cleared to compete and added to the regular screening schedule.
I'm so excited for Japan, and so happy that I predicted it for the ninth and final slot!!! Tetsuya Nakashima is one of the world's most brilliant directors (see "Memories of Matsuko") and I'm hoping this will mean another nomination for Japan, and an international release for "Confessions"!
thanks have updated. but wouldn't you know my prediction page just went all kerfluey. ARGH. must rebuild.
Loved "Confessions". Great book and film.
I think the nominations will be:
Confessions
Even the Rain
Incendies
In a Better World
Life Above All
ANNE HATHAWAY... .CATWOMAN........DARK KNIGHT RISES
http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/anne-hathaway-cast-catwoman-dark-knight-rises-24021
Canada
Denmark
Mexico
South Africa
and... ???
The one from Greece seems too messed-up, but last year we had the woman with the potatoes in her vagina so who knows. :D
maybe Spain.
GREECE MADE THE SHORTLIST! HOORAY!
I didn't predict France to make it, so that's a pleaseant surprise. The shocker for me was China's submission being rejected-Aftershock, the IMAX movie about the earthquake.
If Confessions is like Battle Royale, I'm going to love it. Battle Royale made my Top 10 of 2000.
PREDICTIONS:
1. Mexico-Seen it, it's #10 of the year for me, and it'll probably win. Good, because it's far and away the most deserving.
2. Canada-Almost certainly in. It looks like a fascinating story, and it's their type.
3. Algeria-that trailer is so Americanized. But it looks good anyway, and I could see it making the five.
4. South Africa-Supposed to be incredibly sad and heartbreaking. In.
5. Japan-The fact that it made the 9 is big. I think it'll just barely make it.
6. Spain-Seems political, although I couldn't understand it. Yay or nay?
7. Denmark-Looks like an American film in a different language. No.
8. Sweden-What the hell is going on? Looks very, very silly.
9. Greece-I've seen it and it's great. But it will never make the Top 5 unless another upset happens.
PREDICTIONS
1. CANADA- Everyone who sees it loves it. Definitely in, and probably will win.
2. DENMARK- Golden Globe just added momentum but this film is total Oscar bait. Definitely in, and will challenge Canada for the win.
3. MEXICO- Dark and depressing, but Javier Bardem's performance and critical acclaim mean it's probably in.
4. SOUTH AFRICA- Sentimental South African AIDS drama. Oscar has nominated one before, but the new voting system has often weeded the sentimental favorites out.
5. JAPAN- Everyone who sees it thinks it's brilliant....I had faith it would book the ninth shortlist spot, and I think it will get the fifth nominee slot too.
6. ALGERIA- American critics have loved it...European ones less so. I'm betting it's nationalist slant will doom it to 6th place.
7. SWEDEN- A real crowd-pleaser but probably out of its league here. Could be a sleeper.
8. SPAIN- This cerebral look at money politics, indigenous people and Christopher Columbus is probably too smart for its own good.
9. GREECE- The Greeks should be happy to make the shortlist, but I agree with Andrew that this original, surreal, sexual film's journey is likely over.
"DOGTOOTH"!!!!!!
Nate, I actually think Greece was the real surprise here. It has the critics' love, sure, but In Contention and the blog "Foreign Film" were predicting 'Boonmee' over it (and that's if one of the more out-there films of the year got in at all). Spain was also way down on peoples' lists.
Given one man's (Mark Johnson's) influence over the process, if he likes "Dogtooth," then I imagine it could legitimately be in. For now, though, I'll take the safe road and go with (in order of likelihood):
1. Canada, "Incendies"
2. Denmark, "In a Better World"
3. Mexico, "Biutiful"
4. South Africa, "Love, After All"
5. Japan, "Confessions"
with Algeria's "Hors-La-Loi" in the sixth spot.
I imagine if the more liberal members of the panel have to work hard to get "Biutiful" in, then Japan is out and Algeria in. If "Biutiful" is generally liked by all, then the more liberal folks may have more power to push for something crazy, most likely Japan. But I'm totally making this up so what do I know?
Yes, go Dogtooth,go Greece. I am going to dance in the streets !
To the "mean" owner of this blog : you thought they wouldn't publish a shortlist ! You thought Dogtooth wouldn' make it ! Guess what ! In your face ! Hahaha
(PS ofcourse I am joking)
Just think that Dogtooth was imo the SECOND best greek film of the year (try to find the second national film award winner,Strella,also a provocative film,the relationship of a transexual hooker with a man who just got out of prison (after 20 years for murder)...and that's not only this...
So, other than Confessions and Dogtooth, what film do people think was pushed through by the special committee? I'm only suggesting Dogtooth because that is just a weird-ass choice for the shortlist. Like, Taxidermia weird.
Then again, if the Academy embraces Black Swan like all the other awards groups, it might be the year for horror/thriller/weird films at the Oscars.
Otherobert,
I'm pretty sure Spain's intellectual "Even the Rain" was the third choice of the Elite committee....along with Japan and Greece.
Rachid Bouchareb was also nominated for Dust of Life.
Does anyone know when the last time South Korea got nominated?
Or what year Mother counts as...
Does anyone know when Confessions, Incendies, and Life Above All are coming out in the US, if they ever do?
Too bad about Romania. I guess the style is too down to earth for the Academy. They should be in it eventually.
@OtherRobert, AD is the foreign film man (I use him to be in-the-loop about these things), but I personally wonder if Mexico wasn't the third film that the Executive Committee shortlisted. It's gotten mixed reviews and is very dark whereas Spain is about a filmmaker and has implications about New World/Old World exploitation. Seems baity to me.
But the truth is: we'll probably never know for sure.
Ripley, Mother was submitted for last year's cermeony. It's eligible for every category but Foreign Language film for this year's ceremony, but it didn't send out screeners so it probably won't show.
I loathe "Dogtooth" - so much so that I walked out on it - but I want it nominated just because it would truly be SOMETHING. Nobody would ever expect it and it'd certainly be a surprise. I love that it's included in the shortlist, although I do suspect it'll prove too out there for the Academy's final five ala "Samson & Delilah". And, yes, "The Milk of Sorrow" had a woman with a potato up her clacker, but it was also dealing with the generational hurt from civil war.
Ripley -- MOTHER was submitted by Korea for the 2009 Oscars but it didn't make the shortlist so technically it's eligible in other categories this year since it opened in 2010 in LA.
Andrew R., "Incendies" is opening in NYC and LA on April 1st, according to the Sony Pictures Classics website.