International Oscar - French finalists and Chart updates
Friday, September 15, 2023 at 9:30PM by Nathaniel R
Anatomy of a Fall
Oscar often shouted "Viva La France!" in the 20th century. They're still enthused in the 21st century but they're no longer broadcasting it as loudly. France hasn't won since 1992's Indochine 31 years ago. Still they've continued to collect frequent ominations. In fact, they're the most nominated country of all time by such a significant margin that it's difficult to imagine another country catching up (especially with closest rival in this regard, Italy, being less frequently nominated these days). This year France is choosing between five pictures, two of which (at least) would make formidable contenders if selected. The other three might, too, but their profiles are considerably lower at the moment. The finalists are...
- Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet)
While winning Cannes hardly makes you an automatic Oscar player, the Palme D'Or certainly grants you a boost of international prestige that can go along way. This was one of Elisa's two favourites at Cannes. This mystery / courtroom drama with German movie star Sandra Hüller in the lead role is well positioned to become an Oscar player. If it can fend off these other four titles to become France's submission...
The Animal Kingdom - The Animal Kingdom (Thomas Cailley)
A sci-fi movie about a world where humans have started mutating into animals. Romain Duris and Adele Exarchopoulos star.
On the Wandering Paths - On the Wandering Paths (Denis Imbert)
A drama about a writer who explored France on foot after waking from a coma. Oscar winner Jean DuJardin (The Artist) stars.
Sons of Ramses - Sons of Ramses (Clement Cogitore)
A fortune-teller finds his business affected by street children from Tangier. Karim Leklou stars
The Taste of Things - The Taste of Things (Tranh Anh Hung)
(Also known as The Passion of Dodin Bouffant) A historical drama about a cook and the gourmet she has worked with for 20 years. Like Anatomy of a Fall it was popular at Cannes and it has movie star power too: Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel headline. Tranh Anh Hung isn't a stranger to the Oscar race, having scored Vietnam its only nomination with The Scent of Green Papaya (1993). Elisa loved this one at Cannes.
INTERNATIONAL OSCAR CHARTS ARE BEING CONTINUOUSLY UPDATED...
And in case you haven't been following the updates to the charts (it's been daily news in this regard) we have about half of the list now. Here's what we have so far (with 47-50ish more titles to go)
CHART 1 (A-G) - 16 submissions thus far
- Armenia - Amerikatsi (currently in US release)
- Australia - Shayda (Sony Pictures Classics in the US, TBA)
- Belgium - Omen just announced
- Bhutan - The Monk and the Gun (REVIEWED)
- Bolivia - The Visitor
- Bosnia & Herzegovina - Excursion
- Brazil - Pictures of Ghosts (REVIEWED)
- Bulgaria - Blaga's Lessons
- Canada - Rojek
- Chile - The Settlers (REVIEWED)
- Colombia - A Male
- Croatia - Traces
- Czech Republic - Brothers
- Estonia - Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
- Finland - Fallen Leaves (REVIEWED)
- Georgia - Citizen Saint just announced
CHART 2 (G-N) - 16 submissions thus far
- Germany - The Teachers Lounge (REVIEWED) Sony Pictures Classics in the US, TBA
- Greece - Behind the Haystacks
- Hungary - Four Souls of Coyote
- Iceland - Godland (Now Streaming on Criterion Channel)
- Indonesia - Autobiography
- Iraq - Hanging Gardens
- Israel - Seven Blessings
- Japan - Perfect Days
- Kyrgysztan - This is What I Remember
- Latvia - My Freedom
- Lithuania - Slow
- Luxembourg - The Last Ashes just announced
- Montenegro - Sirin
- Morocco - The Mother of All Lies just announced
- Netherlands - Sweet Dreams
- North Macedonia - Housekeeping for Beginners
This last title, Housekeeping for Beginners, just won the Queer Lion at Venice.
CHART 3 (P-Z) - 12 submissions thus far
- Peru - The Erection of Toribio Bardelli
- Portugal - Bad Living
- Romania - Do Not Expect Too Much From The End of the World (REVIEWED)
- Slovenia - Riders
- South Korea - Concrete Utopia (REVIEWED)
- Switzerland - Thunder
- Taiwan - Marry My Dead Body (Streaming on Netflix)
- Tajikistan - Melody
- Tunisia - Four Daughters (Kino Lorber in US, TBA)
- Turkey - About Dry Grasses (REVIEWED)
- Uruguay - Family Album
- Yemen - The Burdened just announced
Reader Comments (8)
Proving that every 5th french movie must star Jean Dujardin.
I wonder why for the International Film lists you listed how many times many of the European countries made it as finalists, but you didn’t acknowledge the two films that made it to finalist status for Taiwan (Seediq Bale and A Sun)
Minority opinion: I actually like it if France won't submit a film that caters to the Academy voters' taste. Titane might be borderline unwatchable for viewers but Julia Ducournau's film shows cinematic daring and innovation, and mastery of craft in storytelling. I know this can veer dangerously to being elitist but I'd go for edgier fare anytime even if it won't necessarily bring in a huge crowd. Its robust afterlife might be its own reward as I imagine the film being programmed in midnight movies everywhere. But what film really represents a country best? Who are the arbiters of national taste in films?
For the life of me, I wish France submits Stéphane Brizé's Hors-Saison (Out of Season). So poignant without being cloying, subtle but not overly precious. It might just score Cesar nominations. Or maybe not, but Alba Rohrwacher and Guillaume Canet conveys so much through multiple economies of scale.
Of all the submitted films listed above from various countries: I really like Godland from Iceland. I hope it makes the shortlist although I suspect it is under the radar even if it got good English-language reviews. But as what the Lucas character (Elliott Crosset Hove) said: "It's like magic."
ajnrules -- i assure you these omissions are never intentional. It's just a lot of information and if something accidentally gets deleted from one chart to the next year;s version i dont want incorrect info so i wait to update (and then sometimes forget)
owl - it's an interesting exercize to choose a movie to represent a country but i kind of hope that's not why they're intrinsically choosing them. Movies shouldn't bear the burden of being a definitive picture of their country's cinema at the moment -- they should just bear the burden of being good.
ajn -- continued -- and now that you mention it i'm noticing a few other countries i forgot to add finalists too (like Turkey) so I have to rescour the charts now to make sure that's all in there.
Was Woody Allen’s Coup de Chance eligible to be selected as the French entry?
@Finbar : I think Coup de Chance is released in French cinemas too late for this year's eligibility window.
@Finbar : I checked and "The Taste of Things" is actually released after Coup de Chance :) so it seems the Allen movie was eligible but hasn't been selected among the 5 finalists.