April Foolish Predictions #3: Foreign Language Film
Friday, April 5, 2019 at 9:20PM And now we move to (nearly) the silliest category to try to predict a year in advance, Best Foreign Film. Individual countries don't begin announcing which films they're submitting until the summer (and usually wait until the end-of-September deadline) so it's a bit like blindfolding yourself and pointing at a spinning globe. Nevertheless we just like to have predicted the five countries so we have stats later on about how well we did while blindfolded (it's a sickness, this punditry calling).
Previous famous nominees or winners of the Foreign Film Oscar
But mostly we threw up this early chart because we wanted to freshen up the foreign stats & Oscar history portion of that traditional annual page. Take a look won't you? Tell us if you learned anything new! We've been brainstorming behind the scenes at TFE at a way to deep dive into this category's history but we keep hitting the roadblock of films being unavailable (a far worse roadblock in this category than in others) due to... well, you know, the films being from other countries and distribution sometimes not extending much beyond their initial theatrical runs decades ago.
Reader Comments (16)
Having seen quite a few French films over the past month (French Film Festival down under).....they could go with BY THE GRACE OF GOD, it's good, but it does feel very much like SPOTLIGHT and so maybe the Academy would feel "seen it" if they submitted it. I'd prefer for them to go for either the Juliette Binoche vehicle WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, or the wonderfully acted and written IN SAFE HANDS (they didn't go with social issues last year by submitting CUSTODY, so maybe they've learnt from their mistake?)
I’d say Korea will break through. Spain, Denmark, Mexico, Italy.
Totally psyched for Ema. Every film Larrain has made has been exciting and surprising, and the concept of telling some of the story through dance has me really intrigued.
Travic C - I share your opinion on "By the Grace of God". It's a very good film but it's much more classic than anything Ozon has done before, which could mean that it's perfect for the Academy but on the other hand the fact that it's similar to Spotlight might hurt its chances.
I'm so glad you mentioned "Who do you think you are?" because Binoche is absolutely brilliant in it!
I just saw "Synonyms" and it's a pretty unique experience. I can see why some think it's flawed, but it's very bold and original as far as both its form and subject matter are concerned (maybe too much for the Academy?), and it's the kind of film that you can't help repeating in your head afterwards which doesn't happen to me often these days.
And I can't wait for the next Larrain and Almodovar either!
Ooh review the 3 USSR winners! War & Peace, a Kurosawa, and the never mentioned Moscow Doesn't Believe In Tears.
Having seen Pain & Glory here in Spain, I hope the Spanish Academy submits it (looks like the safest bet). With a less convoluted story than other Almodovar films (it actually reminded me of Things to Come), it is nevertheless my favourite Almodovar film since Volver (and I actually LOVE Broken Embraces), but I would understand if some people felt underwhelmed.
Antonio Banderas, who I normally do not like much, is absolutely fantastic, as well as all of the suppoting cast (nice to see Julieta Serrano onscreen again). Can't wait for it to be released in other countries to see if critics are as enthusiastic as here in Spain (even Carlos Boyero, a film critic from El País with a famous feud with Almodovar, did not hate it).
Fingers crossed for Portugal's DIAMANTINO
Shouldn't Del Toro now be in that "only directors of foreign film nominees to go on to direct a Best Picture winner" section with Shape of Water?
MJS -- WHOOPS. You're right. It happened so recently I forgot.
Should we look closer to:
PAIN & GLORY - SPAIN - Pedro Almodóvar
EL CUENTO DE LAS COMADREJAS - ARGENTINE - Juan José Campanella
MONOS - COLOMBIA - Alejandro Landes
EMA - CHILE - Pablo Larraín
SUICIDE TOURIST - DENMARK - Jonas Alexander Arnby
I'm going to do a "Talk to Her" again, and dare to say, that given that "Pain & Glory" is a so obvious frontrunner for the win, Spain won't submit it, closing Almodovar the chance of a 2nd win in foreign film... and allowing him to compete with actual chances to win on the rest... as it's a powerhouse film for Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Film Editing, Score and Production Design (even if, definetly, is a power house because how sutile it is in some of these aspects: the cave, for example, is a magical restraint achievement in production design).
The Spanish Academy prefered Mondays in the Sun over Talk to Her. Get over it. It was way too Ken Loach for the American taste but it deserved a shot and it featured a mesmerizing Bardem.
Synonyms will probably be France's submission. It sparked much more debate and passion over there than here in Israelm where critics loved it but everyone seems to have forgotten it after one week.
Thanks a lot
Thanks a lot man
Peggy Sue, I have little doubt that they sent "Mondays in the Sun" thinking Bardem would be nominated for Actor, and "Talk to her" could do well - as it did - in the main categories. But the Spanish Academy can't stand Almodovar, normally (and with strong reasons, he's got one of the hugest egos in a country where strong egos abound).