TIFF ’24: Conviction of Character in “Quisling – The Final Days”

By Abe Friedtanzer

Those with unshakable principles are typically fascinating subjects for film and television, even if those principles contrast sharply with what audiences believe to be right and moral. In the opening scene of Quisling – The Final Days, Vidkun Quisling (Gard B. Eidsvold), the minister president of Norway during the Nazi occupation, announces the death of Adolf Hitler over the radio and frames it as a great loss for the nation. His arrest and imprisonment by the new government follow swiftly, and he remains steadfast that he did the right thing at every turn throughout the entire ill-fated process…

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7 More Films (Some Surprises) Join the International Oscar Race

by Nathaniel R

While Denmark and Germany have been Oscar's two favourite countries in the past 20 or so years, they weren't always the biggest draws. Four traditionally powerhouse countries in the International Oscar Race -- France, Italy, Sweden, and Spain -- haven't had as much consistent pull of late but underestimate them at your own peril. All four have now announced their horses for the Oscars so it's an exciting week for news in this category. And they weren't the only countries to share their golden news this week. The charts are updated but let's talk about 7 of the new submissions... 

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International Oscar Race - Australia's Choice. Plus Mexican and Swedish submission finalists

by Nathaniel R

"Shayda" will be Australia's Oscar submission

We've already shared some news in our favourite non-acting Oscar category. The most exciting thing at the moment is the Danish finalists which include a film called either Promised Land or Bastard (depending on where its playing). Elisa tells us that its going to be a major contender and could even bag Mads Mikkelsen the Best Actor win in Venice. Other recent Oscar updates for this category involved submissions from Estonia, South Korea and Uruguay and a finalist list from Netherlands, and news from Switzerland, Chile, and Tajikstan. We now have 13 submissions. The charts have been updated. The latest exciting news is the finalist lists from two important countries who historically perform well in this category, Mexico and Sweden... 

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Denmark's Three Oscar Submission Finalists for 2023

by Nathaniel R

Mads Mikkelsen in "The Promised Land", a Danish Oscar submission finalist

We've shared this observation before but Germany and Denmark have (so far at least) been to the Oscars of the 21st century what France and Italy were to the 20th century. The two countries cannot be discounted in any upcoming Oscar race. Since 2000 Denmark has received 8 nominations and 2 wins (their grand total now being 14/4) and they've made the finals three additional times in that time span, too. Germany is Oscar's current favourite country scoring 9 nominations, 3 wins, and 5 additional finalists since 2000 (their all time stats are now 21/4). Germany has submitted the contemporary drama The Teacher's Lounge which premiered at Berlinale and will be at TIFF soon for the upcoming Oscar race. Now we know the three Danish finalists for the submission honor though their choice won't be announced until late September. They are...

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Reader's Choice: Babette's Feast (1987)

This weekend's topic, currently streaming on HBOMax and Criterion Channel, was chosen by readers. This article contains spoilers so if you've never seen the film, correct that first.

for such a delicious movie, the first shot of people and food isn't very appetizing!by Nathaniel R

How far does the "foodie" movie subgenre stretch back? It's difficult to tell from the internet alone, which tends to think movies of all genres began in the 1980s; online "best of all time" lists are of little use when you're curious about film history. We know at least that the subgenre was in full swing by the 1990s with arthouse hits such as Like Water for Chocolate, Eat Drink Man Woman, and Big Night arriving semi-annually. Was the watershed moment, at least for US moviegoers, bout a half a year stretch between the fall of 1987 and the spring of 1988? In that time the hilarious Japanese "ramen western" Tampopo (1985) was slowly collecting its fult following and Denmark's Babette's Feast was a hit at arthouse theaters and took home the Oscar.

Whether or not Babette's Feast was the first truly popular foodie title with movieogers, it was at least a grand appetizer or sensational first course for the now robust subgenre...

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