OVP: Foreign Language Film (1999)

OVP: Best Foreign Language Film (1999)

The Nominees Were...

All About My Mother, Spain

Himalaya: Caravan, Nepal

East-West, France

Solomon and Gaenor, United Kingdom

Under the Sun, Sweden

My Thoughts: This is a momentous moment for the OVP this season given that we are having our first foray into the 1990's (yes, we did do a quick season in the 1930's, but the 1990's are where I first fell in love with Oscar so it's special to me).  When we move back to the 1980's & 1990's, the Best Foreign Language Film category (now known as International Feature), had a different aesthetic.  Whereas today we tend to see visionary filmmakers in the mix and provocative and groundbreaking subjects, the last two decades of the 20th Century tended to make movies in this category that are, well, a bit dull.  So color me surprised when I look at this list and realize-there's not a stinker in the bunch.  All of these movies are good movies, and two of them are approaching being great ones.  So let's take a look at the very rare lineup where I'd recommend every one of the pictures.

Given that it's directed by Pedro Almodovar and stars Penelope Cruz, All About My Mother is going to be the title you'll recognize if you see anything familiar in this lineup.  This is stylistically the most impressive of this field, and it's also the most inventive (and reflexive of modern tastes).  Almodovar does a great job playing with sexual fluidity and using melodrama & actresses (Cecilia Roth is devastating in the title role) to maximum effect.  I will say that if you want a more succinct, specific story (one that takes less twists-and-turns), you're not going to find it here.  In my opinion, the script is too indulgent toward the end (though the dialogue is aces).  But that's splitting hairs with a great movie.

Solomon and Gaenor is one of those pictures that could only exist in the 1990's.  The film's sexual politics are a bit played out, far too much focus on the same storylines, and it doesn't quite invest in the side characters enough.  But it's also wonderfully-lit, and very sexy.  Ioan Gruffudd makes the most of his eager handsomeness, and it's passionate (and the scene in the barn will make you perspire).  If that sounds a bit pervy, it's a good movie overall (I liked the leads), but also get a grip-movies are supposed to elicit emotions, and lust is definitely an emotion.

I am generally not besotted by stories about how impossible it is to make a movie (I feel like underscoring that constantly for The Revenant was the worst part of that press tour), but I will admit as a longtime fan of adventuring that I was into Himalaya being actually shot in the Himalayas.  The story here is a bit tried-and-true, and you can see every plot point coming, but film is a visual medium, and (like Solomon & Gaenor) you don't always need a great script to make your movie work.  This is a wonder to behold, and you'll feel something for the grandeur even if not for the tale at-hand.

East-West is dealing with the aftermath of World War II (this category's favorite subject), though it takes place entirely after the war in Russia (with a couple of sojourns into mainland Europe).  This is a case where the first twenty minutes play with cliche so much you might wonder if you're in for a dull-as-dirt story, but beyond that, I was totally hooked.  I honestly loved East-West (this was my second time through it), and the way that it plays with complicated sexual taboos (again, this is a movie that very much only could exist in the 1990's given that it is unfathomably horny), as well as the focus on swimming and the position of elite athletes in a Soviet Union trying to dominate the world.

For our final nominee we have yet another erotic love story (Y2K was making everyone thirsty), though Under the Sun is just as much about acceptance as it is about getting your groove back.  The movie's plot is telegraphed too much-you see every major plot point coming thirty minutes before it actually happens, and in a move that's supposed to have some intrigue, that's a problem.  But the central love story is deeply compelling, so you don't always care that it's predictable.  Kudos to the main three actors building the love triangle-this is a very much a movie where good acting is going to lift it up.

Other Precursor Contenders: Awards ceremonies like the Goyas and the Cesars aren't good representatives here since they're typically honoring the main films of a specific country, so I only count the Globes among the awards bodies we check-in with for International Feature Film.  The Globes chose All About My Mother against East-West, The Red Violin (Canada), Girl on the Bridge (France), and Aimee & Jaguar (Germany).  Of these, only Aimee & Jaguar was the only one that was submitted for an Oscar as the other two were ineligible (France was only allowed one submission, and The Red Violin had too many scenes in English).  Looking at the list of submissions, the biggest titles appear to be the Dardennes' Rosetta and Andrzej Wajda's Pan Tadeusz, the former I've seen, the latter I haven't.

Films I Would Have Nominated: I don't see all of the submissions, and without a shortlist there's little room to corner down here, but I probably would've bumped one of these films for Rosetta.

Oscar’s Choice: Oscar found it was time to give this awards to Pedro, probably at the expense of France getting another statue.

My Choice: Here's the thing-these are my choices, and while I do like edgy and provocative film, I also have a traditionalist streak if it's done well.  Therefore, I'm going to make one of my biggest upsets in this category and pick East-West to beat All About My Mother.  Pedro's film is prettier (and perhaps even better acted), but I like the plotting in East-West better, and it's the film I responded to more.  Behind these two (in order) are Under the Sun, Himalaya, and Solomon & Gaenor.

Those are my thoughts-what about you?  Is anyone willing to come over and hang with East-West and I, or is everyone standing next to Pedro appalled?  Why was Oscar so horny in 1999 given the subjects of these films?  And do you think the Dardennes (the Academy is basically the only awards body not to recognize them yet?  Share your thoughts below!

Also in 1999: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup, Previously, in 1999

Past Best Foreign Language Film Contests: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

OVP: International Feature Film (2023)

OVP: Best International Feature Film (2023)

The Nominees Were...

Io Capitano, Italy

Perfect Days, Japan

Society of the Snow, Spain

The Teachers Lounge, Germany

The Zone of Interest, United Kingdom

My Thoughts: Trying to game out the Best International Feature race has become something of a guessing game in recent years, one that has invited a lot of heavy scrutiny online.  One example of this is Anatomy of a Fall, which was not chosen by France for this field, even though in retrospect it certainly would've gotten a nomination.  Instead, France chose The Taste of Things, an honestly better film that is far more within the more traditional confines of a category that has transformed dramatically.  In the 1980's, there wouldn't have been a question of whether the Oscars would pick a sentimental film about a husband-and-wife running a Michelin-style restaurant vs. a cold, methodical crime film about the intricacies of the French court system.  But in 2023, it's an easy answer-even if France didn't choose Anatomy of a Fall (and Emmanuel Macron's politics aided the choice), it certainly would've, for the record, gotten a nomination had it been their selection whereas The Taste of Things was not.

But let's take a look at the films that did get a nomination, including the one that would've been Anatomy's chief rival at the Oscars, The Zone of Interest.  Jonathan Glazer's masterpiece is a brilliant look at evil, and the way that it can infiltrate into our lives in ways that make it commonplace.  I love the use of sound design here, obviously, the way that it serves not just to underscore to the audience how vicious everyone in the film is, but also to show how easily this could be so many of the people we pass in the streets.  There's a specificity to the cinematography, and uniformly good acting (including Sandra Huller in an even better showcase than she got in Anatomy of a Fall).

Io Capitano was the most recent of any 2023 nominated films I've seen (it was one of the only films I wasn't able to catch before the Oscars came out).  The lead performance here is solid, but it doesn't make up for a bad script.  The movie is trying to do too much, alternating between magical realism, a family drama, and deeply unsettling reality.  The ending of the movie, in particular, feels wildly unearned, and honestly like it was recalling a moment earlier in the film that got cut on the editing room floor.

The Teachers Lounge is a good lesson in patience, and I don't entirely mean that as an insult.  The movie's thriller aspects makes absolutely no sense if you think about them for longer than three seconds (this school employs the stupidest people on the planet, and sometimes it doesn't even feel like they're doing it to advance the plot).  But if you are able to check out from that, especially in the first half, you do get a compelling movie that will keep you involved while you're actually watching it...just, again, a really stupid one.

Society of the Snow suffers from a trapping of this genre of movie (disaster film in extreme conditions), forgoing characterization in favor of showing realism.  There are too many side and supporting characters in this picture for my liking, and you don't get to grow with them so much as they just become placards on the screen when they die.  The actual filmmaking here genuinely works (the plane crash is harrowing, as is the later avalanche), but it stretches for too long when you aren't invested in the actual characters themselves.  A case of a movie looking good, but not being good.

Few filmmakers are as consistently visually arresting as Wim Wenders, but it's not just in the cinematography that Perfect Days finds its grace.  The story itself is really special, looking at the life of a man who cleans public toilets (not exactly the thing you'd normally expect as the source of a great movie idea), and creates a compelling character portrait.  Wenders' film is a bit of miracle because it makes the mundane seem not only interesting, but also poignant.  Think of how much of our lives are filled with the routines of brushing our teeth, washing our car, making our meals...all in the quest of finding some sense of balance from any chaos that may enter it.  It's really good stuff-highly recommend if this is one of the 2023 titles you skipped.

Other Precursor Contenders: Awards ceremonies like the Goyas and the Cesars aren't good representatives here since they're typically honoring the main films of a specific country, so I only count the Globes among the awards bodies we check-in with for International Feature Film.  The Globes chose Anatomy of a Fall as their victor, beating Io Capitano, Society of the Snow, The Zone of Interest, Fallen Leaves (Finland), and Past Lives (United States).  It's worth noting that technically the Globes category name is "Non-English Language Film" which is how Past Lives makes it, even though the film has large portions in English (it's a good movie, but I personally think this is a weird nomination).  In sixth place, I'm guessing it was a battle between Fallen Leaves and The Taste of Things, both of which I predicted to get a nomination (I only got 60% of this lineup right).

Films I Would Have Nominated: Fallen Leaves and The Taste of Things are better than, well, 60% of the nominated movies.

Oscar’s Choice: With Anatomy of a Fall not in the running, we got what likely amounted to a landslide victory for The Zone of Interest, the only Best Picture in the heats.

My Choice: Yeah, there's just no beating The Zone of Interest-it's too good of a movie, and will be tough to beat even in the Best Picture field for me.  In a normal year, something as artful and special as Perfect Days would be worthy, and it gets a shiny silver medal, but you can't beat The Zone of Interest.  Behind these two are The Teachers Lounge, Io Capitano, and then Society of the Snow.

Those are my thoughts-what about you?  Are we all on the same page that this should be The Zone of Interest, or does someone want to pick something else?  Doesn't Wim Wenders feel like a really strong choice for an Honorary Academy Award at this point-how do we make that happen?  And where do you land on the "they've should've submitted Anatomy of a Fall" conversation?  Share your thoughts below!

Also in 2023: Animated Feature Film, Sound, Original Score, Original Song, Production Design, Cinematography, Costume, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup & Hairstyling, Previously in 2023

Past Best Foreign Language Film Contests: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

OVP: Foreign Language Film (2000)

OVP: Best Foreign Laguage Film (2000)

The Nominees Were...

Amores Perros, Mexico

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Taiwan

Divided We Fall, Czech Republic

Everybody Famous!, Belgium

The Taste of Others, France

My Thoughts: On occasion, you write about certain categories at the Oscars where no one has really considered them as a five-wide race, even when they were an undecided five-wide race, and that is today's lineup.  Crouching Tiger, 24 years later, is the highest-grossing, entirely subtitled film with the exception of The Passion of the Christ (which is not generally considered in the same category given it's in Aramaic (a dead language), has an American actor is its lead, and is directed by Mel Gibson, one of the most recognizable Hollywood superstars of the 1980's & 90's).  It was nominated for Best Picture, it made buckets of money, and was cited for more nominations than any other subtitled film (before or after).  There was no world where it was losing this category.

To be fair, it's pretty obvious why it should've won even without the insane momentum it had headed into the night.  Crouching Tiger is a beautiful, complete film, with a quick bit of world-building (it is a romantic fantasy, after all), but one that makes you invest in the story at-hand and the pairs of star-crossed lovers at its center.  The art direction, visual effects, cinematography, acting...Crouching Tiger is glorious, and pretty much perfect in every line of the end credits.  Really, it was a film that was going to be a challenge to beat even against the best opponents.

The biggest competition for it in 2000 was Amores Perros, a film from Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, a man who would go on to win back-to-back Best Director statues, and this was the start of his journey with Oscar.  I do not generally enjoy the films of Gonzalez Inarritu, and that extends to Amores Perros.  His films feel like a form of misery.  Life can be bad, and that can be reflected in art, but his films feel like torture, essentially the arthouse equivalent "...and then the dog died" sort of country music.  There's no artistry here.  I'd buy that the film is a metaphor for the hopelessness of depression...except that's all of his movies.  What it feels like is a film that wants you to be miserable, but doesn't have the good sense to create any sort of flare, other than to torture the actors.

Everybody's Famous! isn't much better.  The movie is definitely more fun than Amores Perros (so is a dental exam), and in the beginning it says some interesting things about fame.  But it becomes so stupid, the kind of comedy that would never be nominated for an Oscar if it were in English, and the bad continually outweighs the good the further into the conversation we get, the plot becoming too silly and ridiculous by the end of the picture.  Forgettable, and for a reason.

If you follow this category long enough, you'll know that there's virtually always a film about World War II.  This year, it's The Zone of Interest; in 2000 it was Divided We Fall.  The film talks about a group of people who hide a man fleeing a concentration camp in their home, and the ramifications of that for their lives.  The film uses this for comedy, and while you can make absurdist black comedies about anything (including World War II), it doesn't work for Divided We Fall.  The comedy bits are either not that funny or read like they aren't supposed to be funny, and it gets in the way of the film's central thesis about how tyranny changes who we are.  It doesn't work, but you can see what they were going for.

The Taste of Others is also a comedy, albeit one that at least works with its comedy even if it doesn't work with its plot.  The film is essentially an extended episode of Seinfeld, with the characters discussing life (and sex...mostly sex), with some genuinely funny bits, but it goes nowhere, and it doesn't lean into the pleasures of sex (for a group of people having a lot of it, no one seems to be enjoying it).  The characters are oftentimes indistinguishable...one man shaved his mustache and I was genuinely confused as to who he was afterward for WAY longer than I should've been for a movie I was watching in one sitting.

Other Precursor Contenders: Awards ceremonies like the Goyas and the Cesars aren't good representatives here since they're typically honoring the main films of a specific country, so I only count the Globes among the awards bodies we check-in with for Foreign Language film. The Globes went with Crouching Tiger as their winner, beating Amores Perros, The Hundred Steps (Italy), Malena (Italy), & The Widow of St. Pierre (France).  Some notable films that were submitted but weren't nominated at the Oscars in 2000 were Denis Villeneuve's Maelstrom (Canada) & Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love (Hong Kong).

Films I Would Have Nominated: With the exception of Crouching Tiger, In the Mood for Love is so much better than the other four films that cinephiles should've considered criminal charges against the Academy for ignoring it in such a field.

Oscar’s Choice: If you told me Crouching Tiger got 90% of the vote in 2000, I'd tell you that you're being too conservative in your estimate.  A slam dunk win.

My Choice: Crouching Tiger would've beaten In the Mood for Love, but at least that would've been a competition.  Absent that other masterpiece, there's no comparison to the rest of a really mediocre lineup.  For posterity, I'd rank the rest as The Taste of Others, Everybody's Famous, Divided We Fall, and then Amores Perros.

Those are my thoughts-what about you?  Is anyone going to defend one of the losers, or do we all agree that Crouching Tiger is the mandatory winner here?  I'm assuming most pick Amores Perros as their runner-up, but for those with AGI allergies, what do you like best?  And why on earth did they skip In the Mood for Love?  Share your thoughts below!

Also in 2000: Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup, Previously in 2000

Past Best Foreign Language Film Contests: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

OVP: Foreign Language Film (2001)

OVP: Best International Feature Film (2001)

The Nominees Were...

Amelie, France

Elling, Norway

Lagaan, India

No Man's Land, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Son of the Bride, Argentina

My Thoughts: Much of these 2001 write-ups have been focusing on some of my favorite films of all-time.  Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Moulin Rouge, AI...all of these movies sit prominently on my favorite movies list.  As a year, it's a good vintage.  But even in a year this strong, you're going to come across a dud, and that was the case for me with the Foreign Language Film (now called the International Feature Film category) race of 2001.  This is a middling crew, and one that even looking back on it, before I got into my notes, I wasn't sure which I would pick, given that none of these were huge draws for me.

At the time, the biggest and most important film of this bunch for American audiences was Amelie.  It was a hit (by subtitled standards in 2001) and scored five Oscar nominations.  For me, the movie is somewhere in the middle.  I loved the aesthetics, which inspired many imitators (including one of my favorite TV series, Pushing Daisies) in the coming years, and it's got a lot of whimsy, and solid casting from lead Audrey Tautou.  But it also needlessly leans into its gross-out elements, frequently to the chagrin of the overall plot, and I don't think it quite accomplishes the juxtaposition to the lovable lead character that it was hoping to achieve.

Amelie's biggest competition in 2001 was No Man's Land, which was an unusual war film.  Part satire, frequently meant to be darkly humorous, it's a movie with a solid premise (three wounded soldiers stuck in a trench in 'no man's land' where one can't move because he's on top of a land mine).  It doesn't always work, with the lack of growth between the two men a plot hole that feels like it's conveniently forgotten, but the ending is brilliant, and leaves the audience culpable to a terrible secret.

Comedy is such an unusual choice for Oscar in this category, and something that he rarely does anymore, but was very popular to nominate from the late-1970's to the early-2000's.  The strange thing about it is that this branch will nominate films that, were they in English, Oscar wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole.  A good example of that is Elling, which is underwritten, and the central friendship only feels unique if you are somehow someone who has never been friends with someone who is dissimilar to you.  More forgettable than bad, but since Oscar made me watch it...not into it.

Son of the Bride is a sweet, if overdone movie.  Starring Ricardo Darin (who regularly shows up in this category this century if you look out for him), this time getting to be a little bit sexy (not usually his MO), it's filled with a lot of heart and has an interesting story to follow.  I'm not a huge fan of the "straight guy figures out he's been taking everyone for granted" motif, but if you're going to lean into that, at least make it an old-fashioned family-style movie such as Son of the Bride.

Given that its Bollywood releases are relatively profitable in the United States, and its sheer output, it's honestly kind of surprising that India only has three nominations (and no wins) at the Oscars, and Lagaan is the first time we've gotten to one of those citations (links to past contests at the bottom of this article).  The film, for most of its runtime justifies its length, and would make a decent 150-minute movie.  The problem is that it's a 224-minute long movie.  The central love quadrangle is not handled well (it's clear from the opening song how it will end), and large swaths of the film feel like we're spinning wheels.  But the cricket match is riveting, and Aamir Khan is strong in the central role.

Other Precursor Contenders: Awards ceremonies like the Goyas and the Cesars aren't good representatives here since they're typically honoring the main films of a specific country, so I only count the Globes among the awards bodies we check-in with for Foreign Language film. The Globes went with No Man's Land, here over Amelie, Y Tu Mama Tambien, Behind the Sun, and Monsoon Wedding.  Y Tu Mama Tambien is a good example of something we'll see a lot of the earlier we go back with this category-it was nominated for the Globes in 2001, but it was actually Oscar eligible in 2002 (and got in for Best Original Screenplay there).  Some notable films that were eligible for Oscar in 2001 were the Globe-cited Behind the Sun, The Son's Room (which won the Palme d'Or), and Michael Haneke's The Piano Teacher.

Films I Would Have Nominated: I have not seen The Son's Room yet (it's the last screening I want to do before I get to my My Ballot in a couple of weeks for 2001), but The Piano Teacher beats every film in this lineup.

Oscar’s Choice: In an upset at the time, No Man's Land was able to beat Amelie, possibly the most Oscar-cited film in this category to lose...ever?

My Choice: It's between these two films for me as well, and I'm going to go with Oscar's pick, as I think the ending is more subversive than Amelie, and while the French film is more influential, in a silo I think No Man's Land is better.  I'd follow that with Son of the Bride, Lagaan, and then Elling.

Those are my thoughts-what about you?  Are you mad that both Oscar & I skipped out on the iconic French confection (usually more my jam) or are you staying put with No Man's Land?  Why do we think that India is so under-represented in terms of nominations for this category?  And had it been eligible, would Y Tu Mama Tambien have broken through here?  Share your thoughts below!

Also in 2001: Animated Feature Film, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Score, Original Song, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup, Previously in 2001

Past Best Foreign Language Film Contests: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

OVP: International Feature Film (2022)

OVP: Best International Feature Film (2022)

The Nominees Were...

All Quiet on the Western Front, Germany

Argentina, 1985, Argentina

Close, Belgium

EO, Poland

The Quiet Girl, Ireland

My Thoughts: A year after three of the International Feature films were nominated in other categories, 2022 brought that watershed moment back to earth with only one film nominated, and it was dominating the other nominations to the point where this category became something of a gimme answer in terms of  your predictions.  This, of course, is one of the main reasons that I love doing this project.  I don't have to pick from the expectations that AMPAS has set up-I just get to pick based on the actual nominees they pulled together.

This is good, because as we've established (links to all past 2022 contests at the bottom of the page), I'm not a fan of All Quiet on the Western Front.  I think the concept behind the movie is really smart, and I loved the 1930 version.  But I think remakes, especially of good movies, need to justify their existence, and this movie doesn't.  More violence, more realism...this is the movies, that's not the sole reason to do something.  The film feels like by giving us this more authentic visual appearance that they are taking away from the humanity of the movie, and all of the "ticking clock" moments with Daniel Bruhl steal from the movie's claustrophobia.  Anyone who has seen the original got nothing out of this, including me.

The Quiet Girl is another movie that feels like you're trying to justify its existence the entire film.  The movie is pleasant, don't get me wrong-watching a young girl go from being sad to finding an identity with temporary parents who love her in a way she's never felt...this is the sort of movie that, had it been in English, would've made a fortune in the 1980's.  But there's nothing special here, and I think most of the critics who celebrated this were more so focused on how they don't make this type of movie in America anymore...not on whether or not it was any good.

Argentina, 1985 is one of those movies that I imagine are kind of hilarious on some level for people from the country it's based in to read American reviews.  The trial in question here, which I knew next-to-nothing about, is as famous in Argentina as the OJ Simpson verdict would be in the United States, so there's more pressure in the home country to make this compelling as opposed to the US where you have actual suspense in the outcome.  I don't think it ended it well, and it didn't have enough perspective along the way to give us a proper conclusion, but I was intrigued even if the film itself isn't particularly special.

EO is not a film that you can accuse of being staid, predictable, or without humanity.  It's an odd movie, sometimes a manipulative one, but it's one that is going outside its mold which already gained some points for me.  I loved the lack of proper narrative, as we see the world through the eyes of a donkey, and in many ways this is the most Malick-like film I've seen in a while that wasn't from the master himself.  It's always hard to give credit for solid acting to an animal, but, like, you'll love EO by the end of this (and you'll love the camerawork even more).  The French acting legend (I won't spoil who) randomly showing up in a cameo actively made me gasp, which is really all I want from a movie.

Finishing off the quintet is Close, one of those movies that holds up better when you're watching it than when you actually think back on it.  The film's first half, when it looks at the two main boys' lives and the toll that happens when homophobia (even if they might not be gay-the film isn't totally clear on that, and I honestly feel like this is a rare time that actually works better for the plot) starts to judge the closeness of their friendship.  The back half of the film, when tragedy ends their friendship, is less interesting, particularly as it doesn't have the clarity in the screenplay to take the lens off of the two boys, which it needs to do in order to talk about one of the boy's mothers, who becomes crucial to the resolution of the movie.  Interesting, but not ultimately successful.

Other Precursor Contenders: Awards ceremonies like the Goyas and the Cesars aren't good representatives here since they're typically honoring the main films of a specific country, so I only count the Globes among the awards bodies we check-in with for Foreign Language film. The Globes went with Argentina 1985 as their winner (a fact I had totally forgotten), atop All Quiet on the Western Front, Close, Decision to Leave, and RRR.  From the shortlist of 2022 contenders, I'd say the most likely options were Decision to Leave (South Korea), Joyland (Pakistan), Bardo (Mexico), and Saint Omer (France).  Bardo obviously made it in another category, so it'll be remembered as the probable sixth place, but my money is that it was Decision to Leave, given its overall critical acclaim.

Films I Would Have Nominated: Decision to Leave is better that every other movie nominated here, and Oscar needs to issue a formal apology for not nominating it.

Oscar’s Choice: The easiest of victories for All Quiet on the Western Front.

My Choice: I'm picking EO, and by a relatively wide margin; in a set of movies that aren't trying, it does, and frequently succeeds.  Behind it I'd go with Close, Argentina 1985, The Quiet Girl, and All Quiet on the Western Front, in that order.

Those are my thoughts-what about you?  Are you with Oscar, favoring the young men in the trenches, or do you want to join me as a donkey crisscrosses Europe?  Which of the four runners-up do you think was closest to another nomination?  And how did they skip Decision to Leave?  Share your thoughts below!

Also in 2022: Animated Feature, Sound, Score, Original Song, Production Design, Cinematography, Costume, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup & Hairstyling, Previously in 2022

Past Best Foreign Language Film Contests: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

OVP: International Feature Film (2021)

OVP: Best International Feature Film (2021)

The Nominees Were...

Drive My Car, Japan

Flee, Denmark

The Hand of God, Italy

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, Bhutan

The Worst Person in the World, Norway

My Thoughts: The international feature films of 2021 actually did quite well overall when it comes to extending beyond this category for the Oscars.  Three of these films were nominated in other categories, which while not a record, definitely is unusual.  Of course, one of these three films was cited for Best Picture, which basically made it impossible for the other contenders to take home the trophy.  But we're not beholden to other categories here, and as a result we have more options than just going with the frontrunner.

But we'll start with that frontrunner, because why not?  Drive My Car's most noted characteristics, as least during the Oscar discussion, were its length (clocking in at three hours, I picked the wrong theater to go to given mine was an old-timey one-screen theater without reclining seats) and the fact that the credits start forty minutes into the movie.  But the movie itself never feels long, which is  impressive given its a fascinating look at how we handle grief, hardly a subject that flies by.  I thought that the side characters weren't fleshed out enough, but overall this has a strong central message, and a good lead performance from Hidetoshi Nishijima.

Flee we talked through in our last writeup for Animated Feature (links to all past categories at the bottom of this page), and I don't have a lot different to say since these categories are basically judging the same thing (the cumulative film).  The movie's approach is too sporadic, the non-linear approach to the material not aiding a story that is about hiding.  The film is too dry, and doesn't have enough connection to the material to stay with the viewer long after it's done.

The Worst Person in the World is the last movie to get into multiple categories at the Oscars, for writing.  The film is at once a tragedy & a comedy, and while other films toe that line with a bit too much weight on one or the other, this one finds the balance quite naturally.  The two leads are amazing, and it does a really smart job of talking about how much of life is about making choices when we can't possibly know all of the outcomes of our decisions.  The third act is a killer, and excellently scripted.  The biggest fault the movie has-the narration, which is unnecessary, adds nothing, & should've been scrapped.

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom wins the "best title" trophy of these five hands-down, but it's not nearly as consequential as the other nominees, and doesn't make up for it by being particularly adorable or heartwarming.  Cute, but wholly predictable fish-out-of-water story that doesn't give us enough reason to get invested in this world other than the children are adorable.  Also, it definitely needed to use the yak more (in and out of the classroom).

The final nomination is The Hand of God, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, the closest thing we have to Fellini these days, though I'm not as consistently enamored with him as I was with the original Italian maestro.  I didn't love this the way I did The Great Beauty, but I liked it more than something like Il Divo.  The cinematography is gorgeous (when is it not for Sorrentino), and the random chaos of the first half of the movie had me confused but fascinated.  The twist, though, caught me so off-guard that I wish I'd spent more time with the oversexed but ultimately joyous characters of the film's first half (which, admittedly, is the point).  A better movie in retrospect than when I first saw it, but still not as good as it should've been.

Other Precursor Contenders: Awards ceremonies like the Goyas and the Cesars aren't good representatives here since they're typically honoring the main films of a specific country, so I only count the Globes among the awards bodies we check-in with for Foreign Language film. The Globes went with Drive My Car, over the Oscar-cited Hand of God, as well as Compartment No. 6 (Finland), A Hero (Iran), and Parallel Mothers (Spain).  In terms of the ten films that were on the shortlist but didn't make it, I'm going to guess that Compartment No. 6, A Hero, or maybe Great Freedom (Austria) was the sixth place...probably A Hero given they love Farhadi as a rule.

Films I Would Have Nominated: I normally take a pass on recommending here, but given the nominees they went with, I surely would've included A Hero, a strong film from Farhadi that continually delivers, even if it's borrowing from his previous work.

Oscar’s Choice: There was no chance once Drive My Car got those Best Picture/Director nominations-a landslide victory for the Japanese entry.

My Choice: I'm going to go with Worst Person instead.  It's better executed, and its conclusion is stronger.  Behind it is Drive My Car, Hand of God, Lunana, and Flee.

Those are my thoughts-what about you?  Are you with Oscar and the longform look at Chekov as metaphor or do you want to join me as a woman understands the wake of her future through the choices of her present?  Do you think Sorrentino will ever make a movie that is comparable to The Great Beauty, or does he eternally languish in its shadow?  And why do we not have more movies where we put yaks in the classroom?  Share your thoughts below!

Also in 2021: Animated Feature Film, Sound, Original Score, Original Song, Production Design, Cinematography, Costume, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup & Hairstyling, Previously in 2021

Past Best Foreign Language Film Contests: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 

OVP: Foreign Language Film (2002)

OVP: Best International Feature Film (2002)

The Nominees Were...

El Crimen del Padre Amaro (Mexico)

Hero (China)

The Man without a Past (Finland)

Nowhere in Africa (Germany)

Zus & Zo (The Netherlands)

My Thoughts: We are hitting the Foreign Language Film category today (now called the International Feature Film category), and in a year where Oscar had very little to indicate his taste.  Usually when you talk about this category, it's obvious who is the frontrunner for the win partially because it's cited in other categories.  Sometimes it's Best Picture or Director, even more so it's Screenplay or Cinematography, but there's a clear message to people watching at home that "this one is the leader."  In this category, though, every film we're going to discuss today is only nominated just once, and as a result it's our only dance with this film.

I'm going to start with Zus & Zo, the weirdest of the five movies less because of its subject matter and more because it's such a strange choice for the Oscars.  Sometimes in this category AMPAS nominates films (usually comedies) that they wouldn't touch with a ten-foot poll in, say, the writing or directing categories, and this is one of them, as Zus & Zo functions as a bad CBS sitcom.  Much of it probably gets its cache from having a gay main character (which in 2002 was still something of a novelty), but it's not good, and perhaps more crucially, it's not funny.

The Man Without a Past works much better as a comedy, though it's dry and a bit dark, to the point where you fear if you should actually be laughing or not.  I wasn't as smitten with this as other critics were, mostly because of the central performances, which are two-dimensional and didn't read well to me.  The ending, as well, fits the script but not the movie, where it feels a bit unearned.  This is Finland's only nomination in this category to date, so kudos for that at least?

The Crimes of Padre Amaro is one of two movies in this list you might've heard of, largely due to the presence of international superstar Gael Garcia Bernal.  Garcia Bernal is breathtaking in this movie (I audibly gasped at points because he was so beautiful onscreen), but this is not a good performance from him (he was much better two years later in Pedro Almodovar's Bad Education, where I cited him for my Oscar Ballot).  The film's subject matter is unnerving (about a priest who has an affair with a teenager and then pressures her to get an illegal abortion), particularly given the Catholic Church tried to get this movie banned (given what would become a regular headline for the Church in the following months, this censorship feels less like shock and more like shame), but the sensationalism is not in the actual movie, which is dry & very surface-level.

The other film that you might've heard of is Hero, which was a genuinely big domestic hit in 2002 (and stars well-known actors Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi...it's a who's who of early 2000's East Asian cinema).  The film is gorgeous, with incredible set design & miraculous action set pieces.  This film was made in the wake of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and while it doesn't compare to that film (it doesn't have the same level of visual ingenuity or as compelling of a central romance), that doesn't seem fair to compare it to one of the best films of the aughts.  This is a triumph from a visionary director.

Our final nominee is Nowhere in Africa, a good if far too long film from Germany.  The movie is quite romantic, and while its racial politics haven't aged well (and quite frankly weren't particularly progressive even in 2002), I think it comes together nicely in the end.  But the length only underlines the fact that there are clear opportunities for more character development (things about key players in the story are either assumed or glossed over), and I think more investment in developing the script & acting would've made it more memorable.

Other Precursor Contenders: Awards ceremonies like the Goyas and the Cesars aren't good representatives here since they're typically honoring the main films of a specific country, so I only count the Globes among the awards bodies we check-in with for Foreign Language film. The Globes went with Talk to Her, which was not submitted by Spain in something of a scandal at the time (many attribute Pedro Almodovar's nomination for Best Director as a bit of a middle finger to the Spanish nominating committee for not picking the otherwise obvious frontrunner for this statue).  Talk to Her beat Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, City of God (which was eligible for Oscar but since it wasn't nominated, ended up being a big player at the following Oscars), The Crime of Padre Amaro, Hero, and Nowhere in Africa.  It does not appear to be a case where there was a shortlist in 2002, but in addition to City of God, the Dardennes' The Son, Francois Ozon's 8 Femmes, Roberto Benigni's Pinocchio, and Susanne Bier's Open Hearts were also eligible in 2002, so a lot of well-known options.

Films I Would Have Nominated: I don't see enough of the contenders to have a cohesive opinion here, and I don't have an obvious nominee I would've included that was in the running (I am at best mixed on City of God, which we talked about a lot when we went through 2003).

Oscar’s Choice: With Talk to Her not eligible, Nowhere in Africa was a good compromise against some esoteric cinema competing.

My Choice: Not a hard choice-Hero was a hit for a reason, and is the best film of this bunch.  Behind it I'd go Nowhere in Africa, The Man Without a Past, The Crimes of Padre Amaro, and Zus & Zo (in order).

Those are my thoughts-what about you?  Are you with Oscar & its continued passion for films about World War II (Nowhere in Africa) or do you want to fight epic battles with me (Hero)?  Why do you think Oscar embraces atypical films like Zus & Zo here but never for its other major categories?  And why do you think Oscar skipped out on City of God, knowing a year later it would be all the rage?  Share your thoughts below!

Also in 2002: Animated Feature Film, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup, Previously in 2002

Past Best Foreign Language Film Contests: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020