Iran’s historic Oscar win for “A Separation” took home Best Foreign Language Film for 2011.
Always a hot button topic for debate amongst Oscarwatchers and many of us here at Awards Circuit, this year’s nominees for Best Foreign Language Film embody a melting pot of opulence, grit, political commentary, grand and epic adventure, and the true test of a couple’s love and devotion.
Read more on Oscar Circuit: Best Foreign Language Film…
 When I sat down with director Pablo Larrain, he was in great spirits. Who wouldn’t be after having their film nominated for an Academy Award and having it play at Sundance Film Festival to good reviews? Through the course of the interview Pablo talked about how thrilling it was to film using U-matic tape, the benefits of having a star like Gael Garcia Bernal in your film, and how he’s enjoyed the festival circuit. Check out the full audio after the jump! Read more on SUNDANCE: Interview with ‘No’ Director Pablo Larrain…
Categories: Festivals, Interview Tags: Best Foreign Language Film, Film, gael garcia bernal, Interview, interviews, No, Oscar, Oscars, Pablo Larrain, Sundance Film Festival, Terence Johnson
 No, the Chilean film recently nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars, is an engrossing look at the power of the quest to unseat General Pinochet from power through positive tv ads during the 1988 plebiscite. Director Pablo Larrain and star Gael Garcia Bernal shed a light on a unique period in Chile’s history through a visceral style that engages your brain and your eyes as it takes you on a journey. Read more on SUNDANCE: No (***½)…
Categories: Blog, Festivals, Film Reviews Tags: Best Foreign Language Film, Film, film reviews, gael garcia bernal, No, Oscar, Oscars, Pablo Larrain, reviews, Sundance Film Festival, Terence Johnson
 Lasse Hallström’s The Hypnotist is a spine-tingling thriller that marks the famed director’s first Swedish production in over twenty years. A return to his home turf after a long absence, coupled with Hallström’s prestige in the eyes of The Academy™ (Cider House Rules, anyone?), is perhaps why the entire country put their full support behind a film that seems little more than Saturday afternoon escapism at the cineplex. The Hypnotist is Sweden’s official entry for next year’s “Best Foreign Language” Oscar®, but it stands little to no chance of winning the grand prize or even scoring a nomination. Heck, I wouldn’t be shocked to find it absent from the upcoming shortlist. Everything that The Academy™ will love about this film begins and ends with the “Hallström” name. If AMPAS didn’t go for David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo last awards season, this grisly thriller that’s cut from almost the exact same cloth (and from the same country, no less!) stands absolutely no shot at surfing the wave to Oscar® glory. Read more on The Hypnotist (***)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Best Foreign Language Film, Chocolat, Cinema of Sweden, David Fincher, Lars Kepler, Lasse Hallström, Lena Olin, Mikael Persbrandt, oscars 2013, Paolo Vacirca, Swedish cinema, The Cider House Rules, the girl with the dragon tattoo, The Hypnotist, The Hypnotist Oscars, The Hypnotist review, Tobias Zilliacus
 Colombia’s The Snitch Cartel, the country’s official submission to the 85th Academy Awards for “Best Foreign Language Film,” is a popcorn-feasting, action-adventure bonanza that doesn’t quite have the depth or gravitas necessary to score a nomination. However, I can certainly understand why Colombia chose this film to represent itself: Its fantastic production values and widespread international appeal (Mexico’s Adriana Barraza and America’s Tom Sizemore co-star alongside the film’s Colombian actors) make for one of the grandest collaborative efforts in 2012 world cinema. The Snitch Cartel is a commercial film through and through, and being highly-profiled by critics groups during this awards season will only widen its appeal to the masses, especially here in the United States. While I was certainly entertained by this movie based on the true story of Andrés Lopez, a former Colombian drug trafficker turned DEA informant, I couldn’t help but feel as though the film’s commercialism and “style-over-substance” approach slightly diminished its goal of historical reflection. The producers and filmmaker of The Snitch Cartel see this tale as a precautionary one, hoping that Lopez’s story — set during one of the country’s most violent time periods — can serve as a reminder to present day-Colombia (which has radically transformed for the better) of its destructive past that must never again be actualized. Somehow that message gets lost amidst the film’s shoot-em-up pandemonium. Read more on The Snitch Cartel (**½)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Best Foreign Language Film, Carlos Moreno, Colombian cinema, Diego Cadavid, Juana Acosta, Manolo Cardona, oscars 2013, the 85th Academy Awards, The Snitch Cartel, The Snitch Cartel Best Foreign Language Film, The Snitch Cartel Oscars, The Snitch Cartel review, Tom Sizemore
 As saddened as I am by this, I must report that Canne’s recent Palme d’Or recipient, Michael Haneke’s Amour, is one of the most disappointing efforts of the year, especially considering all the hype surrounding its greatness. I realize I am alone here — Editor-in-Chief Clayton Davis and staff writer/film historian John H. Foote have called it the best film of the year so far. Staff writers Joey Magidson and Daniel Ashtiany spoke positively about the film but also admitted to being more than a little underwhelmed. This mixed response proves to me that your fondness or distaste for this film will ultimately come down to Haneke’s style, and whether or not you feel that style enriches the film’s central title and theme, or cheapens it. As you’ll notice from my score, I am in the latter camp. Where Haneke’s previous effort — and Palme d’Or winner, as well — The White Ribbon astounded me with its haunting atmosphere and enigmatic beauty, Amour is an arduous process that seeks emotion in rather disingenuous ways. Read more on AFI Fest: Amour (**½)…
Categories: Festivals, Film Reviews Tags: Amour Oscars, Amour review, Best Foreign Language Film, Cannes Film Festival, Emmanuelle Riva, Entertainment/Culture, Isabelle Huppert, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Michael Haneke, Palme D' Or, The White Ribbon
A Royal Affair (***)
Nikolaj Arcel’s richly textured historical costume drama, A Royal Affair, is tailor designed for the likes of Oscar®, and by sheer grandeur of production will most certainly be a nominee in the “Best Foreign Language Film” category. A Royal Affair tells the spellbinding 16th-century tale of one passionate liaison that brought down the entire royal order of Denmark and changed the social climate of the country forever. Before the legendary fling ensues, Arcel puts all his focus into establishing all three of his major characters within the context of the story. We begin with Queen Caroline Mathilda (Alicia Vikander), an innocent maiden of wealth from England, forced into marrying the highly bizarre and often downright cruel King Christian VII of Denmark (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard). Arcel captures the awkwardness of pre-arranged marriage so exceptionally. The two clearly share no love for one another, even though Caroline is at first fascinated by the thought of being a queen and living with her noble King in a beautiful palace, but is instantly repulsed by his contempt toward her and her talents — he mocks and berates her profusely when she puts on a private piano concert for the court, and it is there that Caroline realizes she is forever trapped in a world of madness and horror, one that enslaves her until death. Read more on AFI Fest Day 5: Mads Mikkelsen Double Feature, “A Royal Affair” & “The Hunt”…
- The awards season may be keeping us awake all hours of the day, but The Awards Circuit hasn’t forgotten that October is the one month where screaming is but an exertion of bliss. To celebrate not just Halloween but the legacy horror has bestowed upon the film industry, we present 31 Days of Horror for your humble readership. For the next month, each week will begin with Monday’s Horror Quote of the Week, followed by Terrible Tuesday Way to Die, Wednesday’s Devilish DVD Pick-of-the-Day, Thursday’s Circuit 3: Horror Edition, Friday’s Women in Horror, Saturday’s Did You Know?: Horror Edition, and Sunday’s TBA closing article. Terence Johnson also began the countdown to the Top 100 Horror Films of All-Time, #100-51. Suffice it to say, there’s plenty to be scared about this month, and rightly so! Also, please don’t forget to submit your questions in for today’s podcast recording!
Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 10/7)…
Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 10/7)…
Categories: Circuit Round-Up Tags: anna belickis, Best Actor, Best Foreign Language Film, clayton davis, Daniel Ashtiany, Joey Magidson, joeys dvd pick of the week, John H. Foote, Joseph Braverman, Lincoln, Mark Johnson, Michael Ward, NYFF, oscar predictions, oscar predictions 2013, Oscar Question of the day, Robert Hamer, Spielberg, Terence Johnson, The Awards Circuit Power Hour
Even as commonplace as it has become in today’s moviegoing climate, I am still amazed from time to time at just how far some studios will go to milk a potential franchise for all its worth. When I saw the first Ice Age ten years ago, I would have never guessed that this charming but hardly noteworthy animated film would spawn three sequels, but lo and behold…
The mammoth Manny, Sid the sloth, and sabre-toothed tiger Diego once again are on an adventure together in Ice Age: Continental Drift after that lovable squirrel Scrat accidentally sets the continents adrift. Most critics are dismissing the film as a leaden affair that borrows most of its jokes from the previous installments, which shouldn’t deter its box office prospects any more than the other films in the series. I would not be surprised if, once again, Scrat’s wonderfully inspired cartoon slapstick will be the highlight of the movie and has probably been a major selling point for families both stateside and abroad. Once again the movie has made a killing overseas, already generating $200 million internationally, and with the distance between it and Brave should prove a solid moneymaker domestically as well for a good $50-55 million haul. As the only new wide release of the weekend, Ice Age: Continental Drift’s only competition will be from The Amazing Spider-Man. The reboot has admittedly done much better that even I predicted, so Sony shouldn’t have to sweat whatever last chance their film has to make a significant amount of money before The Dark Knight Rises obliterates everything next week. Read more on Weekend Openings (July 13-15)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Alps, Animation, based on a true story, Best Foreign Language Film, Giorgos Lanthimos, Ice Age: Continental Drift, movies allegedly for children, Oscar hopeful, Red Lights, Rodrigo Cortés, sequel, The Imposter, Weekend Openings
 Directed by: Michael Haneke
Written by: Michael Haneke
Cast: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, William Shimell, Alexandre Tharaud
Synopsis (Courtesy of IMDB): Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has an attack. The couple’s bond of love is severely tested.
Read more on Awards Profile: Amour…
Did I just hear a cannon? It looks like Gary Ross will not be returning to direct Catching Fire, even though The Hunger Games will probably clean up at the box office for the fourth week in a row. It will be challenged by three new releases, one of which is apparently much better than anticipated…
Not only has the new creature feature from Drew Goddard and Joss “horror with a wink and a nudge” Whedon been receiving a lot of online buzz for a low-budget Lionsgate horror flick not called Saw, but it has been attracting some serious rave reviews. Critics have been calling The Cabin in the Woods a stupendously clever and genuinely frightening movie comparable to genre-bending classics like Evil Dead II. Because I am one of those who wants to see this movie with as little knowledge of the plot as possible, I’m not even going to publish a bare-bones synopsis beyond speculating that it has to do with a cabin located somewhere in a woodland area. For box office, I’m predicting a respectable $13-18 million opening just slightly below The Hunger Games. Read more on Weekend Openings (April 13-15)…
 And the Nominees Are:
Bullhead – Belgium
Footnote – Israel
In Darkness – Poland
Monsieur Lazhar – Canada
A Separation – Iran
If I were king for a day…well, a lot of things would happen, but one of them would be to get rid of this damn category and force Academy members to venture out of the U.S. and Britain once in a while! Kidding aside, this is what I would call one of the “ghetto” categories. It’s a way for the Academy to begrudgingly recognize a certain type of film without going through the messy business of actually acknowledging it for one of the major awards (see also: Best Documentary Feature, Best Animated Feature). Further grinding down any vestige of internationality from their competition are the trends of who historically wins in this category. Culturally-specific films that highlight intricate and/or contrasting perspectives of the world rarely win or even get nominated, while compromised films from other countries that fit more comfortably within Hollywood’s myopic sense of “universal” values emerge victorious nearly every year. Not that this means the Foreign Language Film winners are always of inferior quality, necessarily, but it is a depressing exception to the general trend that I observed in my Sizing Up articles.
Read more on Oscar Circuit: Best Foreign Language Film…
 From the original 63 films that had been ruled eligible for the Best Foreign Language category, we are now down to just 9. There aren’t any huge exclusions, but it’s definitely not the shortlist that I was expecting. Anyway, here are the flicks still in play for the nomination:
Belgium, “Bullhead,” Michael R. Roskam, director;
Canada, “Monsieur Lazhar,” Philippe Falardeau, director;
Denmark, “Superclásico,” Ole Christian Madsen, director;
Germany, “Pina,” Wim Wenders, director;
Iran, “A Separation,” Asghar Farhadi, director;
Israel, “Footnote,” Joseph Cedar, director;
Morocco, “Omar Killed Me,” Roschdy Zem, director;
Poland, “In Darkness,” Agnieszka Holland, director;
Taiwan, “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale,” Wei Te-sheng, director.
Read more on 9 Foreign Language Films will duke it out for the Oscar noms!…
 To say I have not seen a film like Declaration of War would be an accurate statement. It would also be accurate to say that it has been a long time that I can remember a movie where I found the title characters to be so reprehensible, they literally made my insides fight hard not to shout at the screen in fury. Yet, through it all, the journey I took with Romeo and Juliette (the purposeful names of the main couple) was a compelling one, where the final shot of the film I felt completely at peace. It was as if all the frustration had finally lapsed, and I could understand our protagonists for who they were, not the Shakespearean characters they were longing to impersonate. Declaration of War is France’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film for the 84th Academy Awards, and while it is nowhere near as masterful as The Class, its creative screenplay and commendable pacing could lead to a surprise nomination. Valerie Donzelli, director and star of the film, makes a bold and artistic statement about the ways in which the fantasy we so wish to live in warps us into confused and uncaring individuals who cannot face reality when something truly disastrous enters into our lives. So too, is the declaration of war, where we as human beings must get out of our fantasy world of peace and invincibility, and face the reality of the misfortunes that plague our existence. Read more on Declaration of War (***)…
 Gerardo Naranjo’s Miss Bala does not make you realize this is a good movie until the very end, where you come to grasp that the widespread influence of Mexico’s drug trafficking and political corruption victimizes its citizens from all walks of life. Produced by Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna, the international breakthrough stars from Y Tu Mama Tambien, alongside producer Pablo Cruz, this action docu-drama from Mexico is the country’s official submission for Best Foreign Language film. While the film itself is not as powerful as the message of entrapment it seeks to promote, I found myself constantly engrossed by the unfolding of the plot. The movie begins when a young woman, Laura Guerrero, played with the perfect balance of strength and guarded fear by newcomer Stephanie Sigman, attempts to move herself up from the fringes of poverty by entering in the beauty pageant contest for Miss Baja California alongside her best friend, Suzu. The pair receive skeptical feedback from the head judge, but they are asked to come back the next day. It’s when Suzu attempts to find men who have connections that will rig the contest for the two girls that things go haywire. Following an attack at a club by a large scale drug trafficking gang, La Estrella, Laura’s world spins out of control when she is used as the constant middleman for the drug lords, the pageant organization, and even the local Mexican law enforcement as a greedy means to an end where Laura can never profit. Although slavery may be abolished, the film goes to show you that even in areas so close to our borders, average citizens are treated just that by all around them, and they have no where to run, no where to hide, and no one to trust. Read more on Miss Bala (***)…
 Acclaimed German director Wim Wenders directs the first 3D art-house film, Pina, that pays homage and tribute to a recently deceased Ballet choreographer, the legendary Pina Bausch, who died two days prior to the initial shooting of the film. Despite Wim Wender’s apprehension and sadness over the loss of Pina Bausch, the Tanztheater Wuppertal theater dancers who performed in Pina’s Ballet routines convinced him to continue with the documentary. It is not surprising why the dancers made this decision, as Pina’s repeated mantra stated in the film is “Dance, dance…otherwise we are lost.” Had the documentary not continued, Pina’s message would have been for naught. The dancers that pay tribute dance not just to express themselves but also to keep a part of Pina alive in every free-flowing movement that she taught them. Instead of being an exposition of her famous ballet routines, the film becomes a kind of eulogy for Pina and the legacy she left behind that touched so many of her dancers, who were able to release themselves from the inner turmoil in their own lives and be free through dance. The problem with this film does not lie in Pina’s dance routines in and of themselves. The real problem with the film is Wender’s direction that relies on an exhibitionist style that makes us long for Pina and not continuous dance numbers where the students become the focus instead of the legend herself. Read more on Pina (**½)…
 Believe the hype, ladies and gentlemen. Asghar Farhadi’s flawlessly-written and acted domestic drama A Separation really is as amazing as you’ve heard. The film is a multi-faceted account of one conflict and the snowballing of harrowing consequences that happen as a result, serving as both ingenious character study and urgent social commentary without ever coming off as an Urgent Social Commentary. It is populated, without exception, with painfully imperfect yet totally relatable human beings with inner motivations that refract and complicate one another, resulting in the all-too-rare type of drama that is not only entirely character-driven, but one that stands as a pinnacle of the form.
Simin, a beautiful and driven woman, faces a seemingly unsolvable dilemma. She is trying to give her 11 year-old daughter Termeh a better life by leaving Iran for an education in the west, and has Visas in her possession that will expire if she does not act soon. However, her husband Nader refuses to go with them. His own father has Alzheimer’s and he cannot leave his father in such poor health. He rules out simply hiring someone in his stead as he believes that would be dishonorable. Both of their reasons are entirely justified yet incompatible together, so Simin files for divorce. Read more on A Separation (****)…
One of the more interesting films I have encountered in recent memory is France’s 2011 selection to compete for the Best Foreign Language Film award at the 2012 Academy Awards, Declaration Of War. Declaration Of War takes a nightmarish experience and presents that story in a wholly unique and fascinating way. For those who see the film, the approach might strike some as callous, unfeeling, perhaps even alarmingly absent of proper emotion. On the other hand, the film takes so many risks and features so many strange and fascinating surprises that I found myself compelled by the experience, unsure of where director and star Valérie Donzelli and co-star and co-screenwriter Jérémie Elkaim were taking their deeply personal story.
 Read more on Declaration Of War (***½)…
 “In Turin on 3rd January, 1889, Friedrich Nietzsche steps out of the doorway of number six, Via Carlo Albert. Not far from him, the driver of a hansom cab is having trouble with a stubborn horse. Despite all his urging, the horse refuses to move, whereupon the driver loses his patience and takes his whip to it. Nietzsche comes up to the throng and puts an end to the brutal scene, throwing his arms around the horse’s neck, sobbing. His landlord takes him home, he lies motionless and silent for two days on a divan until he mutters the obligatory last words, and lives for another ten years, silent and demented, cared for by his mother and sisters. Of the horse…we know nothing.”
And who more appropriate a filmmaker than Béla Tarr to attempt an answer to that question? For those unfamiliar, the Hungarian director is somewhat of an arthouse celebrity whose singular brand of style is among the most instantly recognizable in the world: extremely long and painstakingly choreographed takes, shot in stark black-and-white photography, that last for several minutes (this film supposedly has only thirty in its entire two-and-a-half hour running time, though I wasn’t counting), usually in chaotic settings on the margin of reality that strangely feel like some plausible corner of human existence. He also is one of the most divisive auteurs in the world; some – like me – believe him to be a brilliantly unique and challenging voice in world cinema, and others who find him an embodiment of the worst of artsy pretension. Read more on The Turin Horse (***½)…
Okay, so in perhaps my worst Weekend Openings yet, I predicted that Brett “rehearsing is for fags” Ratner’s Tower Heist would be “the guaranteed hit of the weekend.” Looks like my crystal ball was broken last week, or more likely I just foolishly underestimated the power of an animated cat with a Spanish accent. Not this time. Puss in Boots will probably hold on to the top spot a third time this Veteran’s Day weekend (though with my luck it’ll tumble now).
The most successful new release will most likely be Immortals. Or, at least it had better be, because dear god America will be lost forever if the other one grosses more. Declaring war on humanity, King Hyperion searches for a weapon that would free the Titans and take revenge on the Gods who imprisoned them. The Gods select as humanity’s champion Theseus to stop the king of Crete. The only interesting thing about this sword-and-sandals epic to me is that it’s from the visually creative Tarsem Singh, who at least will guarantee some great eye candy. Critics are once again dazzled by his impressionistic aesthetic but are less enthused about the film’s shameless style-over-substance. I’m going to predict an $18-23 million opening, and if Immortals ends up on the high side of that, it could be looking at Oscar nominations for Art Direction, Sound, Costume Design and/or Visual Effects. Read more on Weekend Openings (November 11-13)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Documentary Feature, Best Foreign Language Film, best picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, Clint Eastwood, Immortals, Into The Abyss, J. Edgar, Jack And Jill, Kirsten Dunst, Lars von Trier, Leonardo DiCaprio, London Boulevard, Melancholia, Oscar hopefuls, Tarsem Singh, Weekend Openings, Werner Herzog
And away we go…
Official press release from the Academy:
63 Countries Vie for 2011 Foreign Language Film Oscar®
Beverly Hills, CA (October 13, 2011) – Sixty-three countries, including first-time entrant New Zealand, have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 84th Academy Awards®.
The official entry list after the cut!
Read more on BREAKING: 63 Countries Vie For 2011 Foreign Language Film…
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