"Close" gains Oscar momentum

by Nathaniel R

A few nights back I had the pleasure to attend a screening and reception for Close, Belgium's Oscar submission hosting by legendary indie producer Christine Vachon. Vachon joked that when people mistook her for the producer of Close, since she was hosting the event, she didn't actually want to correct them. "I wish I had produced this!" 

The film, which is stronger overall and certainly less divisive than Dhont's debut, the trans drama Girl (2018), has been a major hit on the festival circuit. It's about the intimate friendship between two 13 year-old boys. We first meet them in summertime bliss but a return to school, followed by stares and mild teasing from other kids, makes them self-conscious about their friendship. Not everyone loves the film but those that do really spark to its observational strength, patience and naturalism, and the potency of its emotional throughline despite coming at the drama sideways with very little audience hand-holding. I myself was jolted back to memories of that age...

Click to read more ...

International Feature Race - Part 2: The Auteurs

by Nathaniel R

To broaden your appreciation of this year's Best International Feature Film Oscar race we already looked at some overall trivia. Now let's look at some stats involving the artists behind the camera. We'll highlight 14 of the directors in the mix this year from legends, to debuts, to queer artists, to a handful of filmmakers that we've interviewed already....

LEGENDS & MASTERS

Park Chan-wook. Photographed by Oh Suk Kuhn

• Park Chan Wook (South Korea's Decision to Leave) 
Remarkably this 59 year-old auteur and Academy member has never been submitted by South Korea before despite a rich filmography with classics like The Handmaiden, Thirst, Lady Vengeance, Oldboy and Joint Security Area behind him...

Click to read more ...

Best International Film Reviews: Belgium, Pakistan, and Ukraine

by Cláudio Alves

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us. No, not the holiday season. No, not even the awards season as a whole. It's time to delve deep into the submissions for Best International Film before the Academy's committees whittle down the 92 titles to a measly 15-wide shortlist from which the entire voting body will choose its five nominees. The list will be made public on December 21st, so until then, we shall explore the race's offerings, from its major contenders to more obscure selections. To start things off, let's look into three titles that feel bound to make the shortlist, both for reasons of quality, reputation, and international controversy…

Click to read more ...

Cannes at Home: Days 10 & 11 – The End Is Upon Us

by Cláudio Alves

The last days of the 75th Cannes Film Festival saw the premiere of many buzzy titles, including some that were declared Palme d'Or frontrunners on the spot. Albert Serra celebrates his first stint in the Main Competition with Pacification, a film that might not be for everyone but will undoubtedly satisfy the director's fans. Hirokazu Kore-eda returns after Shoplifters with another found-family crowd-pleaser, Broker. Lukas Dhont's Close reduced many to tears, but I'm not convinced. His debut was similarly acclaimed in Cannes, only to receive much-deserved backlash when seen by wider audiences. Kelly Reichardt seems to have delivered a low-key marvel with the Portland-set Showing Up, starring frequent collaborator Michelle Williams. Finally, Léonor Serraille closed the competition screenings with her sophomore feature, Mother and Son.

Just hours before Vincent Lindon's jury announces its choices, the Cannes at Home miniseries comes to an end with Serra's The Death of Louis XIV, Kore-eda's After Life, Dhont's Girl, Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy, and Serraille's Jeune Femme…

Click to read more ...

Cannes Diary #10: Children are the future?

by Elisa Giudici

CLOSE could be a surprise Palme d'Or winner

Today’s schedule was three main competition titles heavy with awards possibility. Two of them look at the world through the eyes of children, their ingenuity being endangered by adults but also by the mere fact of growing up and facing society’s expectations. The other is a political thriller that tries the patience! Let’s dive in...

Click to read more ...