This one is for movie buffs who love animals and also know how to read subtitles
Friday, October 9, 2015 at 8:40AM Pt 3 Everything you wanted to know about the foreign language film Oscar race.... * but were afraid to ask
Do you love animals? Who doesn't love animals? If you don't love them, we can't be friends!
A True Story From Nathaniel's Sick Bed/Office...
I've been sick all week. Yesterday, feeling vaguely human again, I risked a movie at NYFF which happened to be Taiwan's Oscar submission The Assassin. It is sure pretty but after falling for a red herring involving a blue bird I gave up trying to follow the plot. When I returned home I collapsed. I dreamt of being forced to pack up all my earthly possessions and load them on a barge that was heading to outerspace. In order to survive the interstellar journey by water we needed to wear very tight scuba space suits. I realized I couldn't bring my beloved Monty unless I could squeeze him into his own catsuit (literal catsuit, not sexy-diva figurative). He wouldn't comply and I was holding him tight and we were just sweating in those damn suits. I woke up abruptly buried in blankets and sweat with my cat sound asleep on top of me. He LOVES when I am sick. The feeling is not mutual in reverse and he has been.I can't even talk about it. I can't.
I got back to work when Oscar news dropped. I spent the day/evening frantically updating the foreign Oscar Charts and compiling that director trivia and collating all those subtitled trailers for you. I took one wee break to take an online quiz for The Lobster -- which is about people who become animals if they can't find mates - and somehow I came out as a bear? I am relatively hairless but I do love honey and fish. Type-type-type. Blog-blog-blog. Through my sniffles and remaining sickly delirium I thought 'No one appreciates all this work I do. Gah. I should just sail to outerspace!' and then I remembered the dream and that I was crazy and should go to bed again and I love my cat. The End.
My point is this: Animals and Oscars and Movies are all on my brain simultaneously. And though that's not uncommon, here is an incomplete list of this year's Foreign Film Oscar Contenders which definitely feature our furry / feathered / scaly friends.
Xenia (Greece)
Bunny Rabbits, apparently. This one is on the poster albeit in normal bunny rabbit size.
Arabian Nights: Volume 2 - The Desolate Ones (Portugal)
Mangy Poodles. Silent Parrots. Talking Litigous Cows! This is a must see for fans of animal-related cinema. [my confused review]
Sivas (Turkey)
The plot centers on a young boy who saves a sheep dog
The Wanted 18 (Palestine)
This documentary is actually about cows!
Baba Joon (Israel)
It takes place on a turkey farm
Stranger (Kazakshtan)
A young man with a tight relationship to nearby wolves
Rams (Iceland) and Lamb (Ethiopia)
What the titles say
Embrace of the Serpent (Colombia)
The animals only really get cool chapter marking cameos but see this movie! [my besotted review]
Brand New Testament (Belgium)
I know this satire is about God living in Brussells but somehow Catherine Deneuve and a Gorilla are involved??? I'm in. When can I see it?
Which of the foreign submissions are you most curious about?
ICYMI
All the trailers | submissions from women and newbies | prediction & charts
Bunnies, Oscars (15), cats, dreams, foreign films, zoology
Reader Comments (9)
I'm sorry to hear you are sick and I wish you get better soon. Your work is very much appreciated!
Also in Brazil's The Second Mother, the maid, besides cleaning, cooking, ironing and taking care of the kid, she also has to walk Maggie, the dog. I love it how she lashes out at Maggie because she is the only member of the family she is allowed to do so, when the family is out of sight, of course. It's a movie with so many rich details in each relationship and it's beautifully conveyed by the actors, most notably Regina Case.
We do appreciate your work! Now please get better, I'm sure Monty will still love you when you're healthy! :)
Deneuve and the gorilla isn't even the craziest thing happening in "Brand New Testament." And there are other animals - a bird, a fish - in pivotal roles, as well. Hope you'll get to see it soon, it's a wonderful movie.
From what I've read, Deneuve takes up with the gorilla because her husband isn't paying enough attention to her. The film opens commercially here today, so I'll comment more after I see it on the weekend.
There are drawings of animals in Félix & Meira...in the trailer, you see Félix has drawn a cat for Meira's daughter. Meirs draws also, sometimes animals.
Hope you feel better soon! (Is it too weird to say that I think that I would like to have that sort of dream?)
Feel better, sir!
I'd very much like to see Xenia, Arabian Nights, Lambs, Embrace of the Serpent and the gorilla/Deneuve one just for the WTF factor.
I've seen Rams and it's/they're quite good.
Maybe you should take the dream as a hint to watch animal themed movies today.
I prescribe a good hot bath, hot lemon tea, and a day at leisure watching, Watership Down,
Babe, The Black Stallion, Jaws, Life of Pi, Turner & Hooch, Warhorse, etc.
Please take care and I hope you feel better soon.
I know I'm slightly off topic, but I forgot "Best in Show" on my list, and remember, laughter is the best medicine.
In the Philippines' Heneral Luna, there is some altercation involving a basketful of ducks. But very minor :3
You are the best kind of crazy person.
The boys in Goodnight Mommy sure do love them some cockroaches and cats. Including dead ones.
XENIA is out right now at the IFC Center for those in NYC who wanna see as many of these films as possible before they don't get nominated and get sucked into the black hole of foreign cinema distribution.