Mommy

Perhaps Mommy, Canada's 2014 Oscar submission, is the ultimate therapy through filmmaking endeavor.  Clearly, 25-year-old Quebecois wunderkind Xavier Dolan is working out deeply wrought  personal issues with his latest feature, a beautifully alive, utterly heartbreaking and vibrantly original piece of work, returning to a theme that has dominated his films since the beginning-- the relationship between mothers and sons.  Dolan's first feature-- 2009's I Killed My Mother-- traversed similar terrain and unleashed a promising new discovery.  Mommy expressively shows the advances Dolan has made formally as a director and writer and further establishes a talent whose cinematic voice has been sharpened to an entirely and exciting new level.  For that and for so much more, Mommy feels like essential viewing.

Mommy grabs your attention from the very beginning.  The first thing one is likely to notice is how different it looks.  Dolan shot the film in a 1.1 aspect ratio-- a square (though it looks more rectangular on the big screen) forcing the audience to stare right dab in the center of the screen.  At first it's rather jarring, but the visual conceit puts you right in the center of the turbulent space of Diana (Anne Dorval) and her troubled son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), and their devastatingly lived-in dynamic.  In truth, with the emotional fireworks on display, and all the pain and wonder attached to them, Mommy can't at all be contained in a caged box-- they couldn't even if Dolan had shot the film in CinemaScope and the film were shown on the largest screens in the world.  Yet that closeness, that intense intimacy bonds the film in such an unusual and euphoric way that even if some of cinematogrpher André Turpin's compositions seem condensed or slighted, the emotional connection to the characters and the performers playing them within an inch of their lives register so deeply and so honestly, the experience is never distracting or unwelcome.

2013 Foreign Language Film Shortlist

• The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
• An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
• The Grandmaster (Hong Kong)
• The Great Beauty (Italy)
• The Hunt (Denmark)
• The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
• The Notebook (Hungary)
• Omar (Palestine)
• Two Lives (Germany)

Golden Globe's Foreign-Language Film Competition

Here are the films that are eligible to compete in the Best Foreign Language Film race at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards.  Blue is the Warmest Color fans (my review is coming up soon) can rejoice, even though it's not eligible for this years Oscars race in that category.

(Oscar submissions in bold)

• 8-Ball (Finland)
• 15 Years and One Day (Spain)
• Above Dark Waters (Finland)
• Aglaya (Hungary)
• All God's Children (Moldova)
• Another House (Canada)
• The Attack (Lebanon)
• Augustine (France)
• Bethlehem (Israel)

Best Foreign-Language Film

The always contentious battle for Best Foreign Film is underway as the Academy has whittled some 69 films to 8 semi-finalists for the Academy Award.  They are:

• Bullhead (Belgium- 5 nominations\no wins)- directed by Michael R. Roskan
• Footnote (Israel- 9 nominations\no wins)- directed by Joseph Cedar
• In Darkness (Poland- 8 nominations\no wins)- directed by Agnieszka Holland
• Monsieur Lazhar (Canada- 3 nominations\1 win)- directed by Philippe Falardeau
• Omar Killed Me (Morocco- never nominated)- directed by Roschdy Zem
• Pina (Germany- 16 nominations\3 wins)- directed by Wim Wenders
• A Separation (Iran- 1 nominations\no wins)- directed by Asghar Farhadi
• Superclasico (Denmark- 8 nominations\3 wins)- directed by Ole Christian Madsen
• Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Taiwan- 3 nominations\1 win)- directed by Wei Te-sheng

Best Foreign-Language Film

Sixty-three films will be vying for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award this year.  The list as followed:

• Albania: Amnesty (Bujar Alimani)
• Argentina: Aballay (Fernando Spiner)
• Austria: Breathing (Karl Markovics)
• Belgium: Bullhead (Michael R. Roskam)- surprisingly the Dardenne Brothers film The Kid with a Bike, a Cannes winner was rejected.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: Belvedere (Ahmed Imamovic)
• Brazil: Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (José Padilha)
• Bulgaria: Tilt (Viktor Chouchkov, Jr.) 
• Canada: Monsieur Lazhar (Philippe Falardeau)
• Chile: Violeta Went to Heaven (Andrés Wood)
• China: The Flowers of War (Zhang Yimou)- the director of House of Flying Daggers and Hero (2002 nominee) as well as the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, the period epic stars Christian Bale.
• Colombia: The Colors of the Mountain (Carlos César Arbeláez)
• Croatia: 72 Days (Danilo Serbedzija)
• Cuba: Havanastation (Ian Padrón)
• Czech Republic: Alois Nebel (Tomás Lunák)
• Denmark: Superclásico (Ole Christian Madsen)
• Dominican Republic: Love Child (Leticia Tonos)
• Egypt: Lust (Khaled el Hagar)
• Estonia: Letters to Angel (Sulev Keedus)
• Finland: Le Havre (Aki Kaurismäki)- Finland's favorite filmmaker returns with a favorite from Cannes (where it won the FIPRESCI Prize this year), he was nominated in this category in 2002 for The Man Without a Past.  Just won top honors at the Chicago Film Festival.
• France: Declaration of War (Valérie Donzelli)
• Georgia: Chantrapas (Otar Iosseliani)
• Germany: Pina (Wim Wenders)- the Wings of Desire and Paris, Texas auteur returns to the fray with this dance documentary in 3-D; he was previously nominated in the Best Documentary category for The Buena Vista Social Club (1999.)
• Greece: Attenberg (Athina Rachel Tsangari)
• Hong Kong: A Simple Life (Ann Hui)
• Hungary: The Turin Horse (Béela Tarr)- a nearly 3-hour film from the director of the Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) took second place honors at this years Berlin Film Festival.
• Iceland: Volcano (Rúnar Rúnarsson)
• India: Abu, Son of Adam (Salim Ahamed)
• Indonesia: Under the Protection of Ka’Bah (Hanny R. Saputra)
• Iran: A Separation (Asghar Farhadi)- won top honors at this years Berlin Film Festival (along with Best Actor and Best Actress), this much praised film actually has a prime release date at the end of the December, and what will be expected a strong push from foreign film distributor du jour Sony Pictures Classics.
• Ireland: As If I Am Not There (Juanita Wilson)
• Israel: Footnote (Joseph Cedar)- the American born Cedar won the Screenwriting prize at this years Cannes Film Festival, and swept Israeli Film Academy Awards.
• Italy: Terraferma (Emanuele Crialese)- winner of a Special Jury Prize at this years Venice Film Festival.
• Japan: Postcard (Kaneto Shindo)
• Kazakhstan: Returning to the ‘A’ (Egor Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky)
• Lebanon: Where Do We Go Now? (Nadine Labaki)- the surprise winner of the People's Choice Award at this year Toronto Film Festival (don't discount that: The King's Speech won that prize last year); Labaki previously directed the 2007 arthouse hit Caramel.
• Lithuania: Back to Your Arms (Kristijonas Vildziunas)
• Macedonia: Punk Is Not Dead (Vladimir Blazevski)
• Mexico: Miss Bala (Gerardo Naranjo)- curiously, Fox picked up this film; strange for a top studio to take a chance on a foreign film; will likely be distributed by indie arm Fox Searchlight.
• Morocco: Omar Killed Me (Roschdy Zem)
• Netherlands: Sonny Boy (Maria Peters)- I saw this one; thoughts coming.
• New Zealand: The Orator (Tusi Tamasese)
• Norway: Happy, Happy (Anne Sewitsky)- Already received a tiny US release; winner of the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema at this years Sundance Film Festival, 77% Rotten Tomato score.
• Peru: October (Diego Vega and Daniel Vega)
• Philippines: The Woman in the Septic Tank (Marlon N. Rivera)
• Poland: In Darkness (Agnieszka Holland)
• Portugal: José and Pilar (Miguel Gonçalves Mendes)
• Romania: Morgen (Marian Crisan)
• Russia: Burnt by the Sun 2: The Citadel (Nikita Mikhalkov)- the original Burnt by the Sun won the foreign film Oscar in 1994.
• Serbia: Montevideo: Taste of a Dream (Dragan Bjelogrlić)
• Singapore: Tatsumi (Eric Khoo)
• Slovak Republic: Gypsy (Martin Sulík)
• South Africa: Beauty (Oliver Hermanus)
• South Korea: The Front Line (Jang Hun)
• Spain: Black Bread (Agusti Villaronga)- surprisingly to no one, Spain yet again reject an Almodovar film (he The Skin I Live In opened in limited engagement this past Friday.)
• Sweden: Beyond (Pernilla August)
• Switzerland: Summer Games (Rolando Colla)
• Taiwan: Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (Wei Te-sheng)
• Thailand: Kon Khon (Sarunyu Wongkrachang)
• Turkey: Once upon a Time in Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)- co-winner of the Grand Jury Prize (with The Kid with a Bike) at this years Cannes Film Festival; Ceylan previously directed the festival hit Distant (2002.)
• United Kingdom: Patagonia (Marc Evans)
• Uruguay: The Silent House (Gustavo Hernández)
• Venezuela: Rumble of the Stones (Alejandro Bellame Palacios)
• Vietnam: The Prince and the Pagoda Boy (Luu Trong Ninh)

Now there comes a certain heartache with this list, knowing that three-quarters of the titles will likely never appear in a theater screen anywhere in the United States, outside of Academy-member only screening rooms, and that many will likely (including me) will likely have never heard of most, if not all, of the titles mentioned.  There's always a certain degree of politics at play with the selection process of the foreign language films.  Some films are chosen by their home countries because they depict culturally resonant events that occurred there, or were monster hits at home, or are mere propaganda, or perhaps all of the above in some cases.  Last year, I probably saw about seven or eight titles that were official selections (sadly that's a good number for me), because based on either opportunity or interest, a lot of these titles will continue to go unnoticed.  It doesn't help that the Academy process for foreign language features is ridiculous to say the least, and convoluted without doubt.  One title I've already seen was Sonny Boy.

SONNY BOY

The official selection from the Netherlands was written and directed by Maria Peters and tells the decade spanning story, based on apparent truth, of a taboo love affair between an interracial couple in the early 1920s.  What starts as a pure romantic weepie evolves into a meandering and arduously paced WWII weepie.  We impoverished and disadvantaged Waldemar (Sergio Hasselbaink), a spirited and intelligent man whose only fault is being the wrong skin color and independent Rika (Ricky Koole), a sprightly mother of three who leaves her pious, yet cheating husband.  He comes to her for lodging and a kinship, soon to be love develops, not necessarily because the actors generate any sort of passionate chemistry or romantic longing for one another, but because the scripts tells them to, and this is a serious, stately drama.  Years follow and scandals develop over their sinful relationship, but love is eternal.  This would be all well and good, but Sonny Boy has more melodrama up its sleeve, as the film traipses its way through history and stops (and the already slow pacing comes to an almost complete halt) as the war approaches.  Either by fact, or Oscar-pandering, the couple provide safe lodging for Jews, becoming targets themselves, as if a black\white couple wasn't bad enough for them at that time, oh and Rika's pregnant; an interracial child to add to their troubles to boot.  The problem with the film is that it's heavy-handiness is all too transparent and the films lacks any sort of flow or passion.  It's a message movie blind-sided by another message movie, sort a falsely managed mash-up of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? and The Pianist.  That being said, the film might strike a right note with the Academy for the very serious subjects the film exploits-- there's prejudice, war, concentration camps, and even a nod to old-time silent movie (where the film gets its title) all ear-marked.  C-

Incendies

 

The only real saving grace for foreign language films ever seeing the light of day in the United States is Sony Pictures Classics, who have smartly cornered the market on smart, international fare.  Unfortunately for us, they tend to release their films after they're cultural relevance.  Incendies is an example.  Nominated for foreign language film against Biutiful (Mexico), In a Better World (Denmark), Dogtooth (Greece) and Outside the Law (Algeria.)  I would suggest this, from Canada is probably a threat for the win, alongside the Golden Globe winner In a Better World, another Sony Pictures Classics release.  Both will get released in April.

Best Foreign Language Film

One of the most difficult categories in the Academy has whittled the selection down to nine films fighting for the five slots next Tuesday morning:

• Biutiful (Mexico)
• Mexico has earned 7 nominations; 0 wins.
• Confessions (Japan)
• Japan has earned 12 nominations; including 1 win.
• Dogtooth (Greece)
• Greece has earned 5 nominations; 0 wins.
• Even the Rain (Spain)
• Spain has earned 19 nominations; 4 wins.
• In a Better World (Denmark)
• Denmark has earned 7 nominations; 2 wins.
• Incendies (Canada)
• Canada has earned 4 nominations; 1 win.
• Life Above All (South Africa)
• South Africa has earned 2 nominations; 1 win.
• Outside the Law (Algeria)
• Algeria has earned 4 nominations, 1 win.
• Simple Simon (Sweden)
• Sweden has earned 14 nominations, 3 wins.

 How many of these films has opened in the United States?  I joke, because the answer is none, except the little, tiny late 2010 release of Biutiful, which is the highest profile of the top nine, with it's headlining star, Javier Bardem and director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel.)  Golden Globe winner In a Better World, directed by Suzanne Bier (Brothers, the original Danish film that inspired the 2009 Tobey Maguire-Natalie Portman one, and Things We Lost in the Fire) made it into the second round, as did festival favorites Incendies, and Dogtooth, which surely on it's reputation is the most surprising on the list, and surely the work of the outside Academy critical vote, rather than the populist one-- the foreign film committee has a bonkers voting process, in that a few films are selected each year based on the critical consensus, it was changed the year after the Academy stupidly snubbed the great Romanian abortion drama 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007.)  The only one I've viewed out of the group, out of luck not accessibility, was Spain's entry Even the Rain, which stars Gael Garcia Bernal; let's hope it's the weakest of the group, otherwise it's a sad slate!

Missing in action: the top prize winner from Cannes: Uncle Boomnee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand) and festival favorite Of Gods and Men (France, always the Academy favorite country.)

Not eligible: Italy shamefully overlooked it's likely best shot in I Am Love and missed out on a nomination.  Sweden made the cut, but not for it's most successful import of 2010-- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo wasn't submitted.

Best Foreign Language Film

I've been thinking about the dearth of quality foreign films available right now.  Aside from The Girl With... films, not a whole lot is sparking much interest with me.  Then I started thinking about the foreign film Oscar over the past few years.  The often criticized category that like everything else, seems more politically motivated, than rewarding quality films.  Really the process really should be changed.  Right now, the Academy rules are: a country can submit one film, and a specialized panel is set up, and in order to vote on the foreign language Oscar, one must view each and every film submitted.  Then a semi-final takes place and widdles down the submissions to about 10, out of which 5 will eventually be nominated, and one will win.  Seems like an awful process that only a few working people could actually participate in.  The Foreign Film winners of the last decade were:

2000:  Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Taiwan-- directed by Ang Lee

• The first film to win in the last decade was a hard feat to top.  Not only is Lee's sweeping martial epic one of the most Oscar-ed foreign films of all time, it's all the highest grossing foreign film at the North American box office, a feat it's held for nearly ten years.  It's the only foreign film to over top $100 million, and leads by a significant amount.  Of course, it all validated since the film is gorgeous, and an engrossing mash-up of David Lean aesthetics crossing with Matrix-coolness.  Mr. Lee, a big enough name at the time of release, has done pretty well since I'd say.
• Box office: $128 million

• 2001:  No Man's Land, Bosnia-- directed by Danis Tanovic
• Otherwise known as the film that beat out the audience favorite, Amelie, suggesting sometimes the panel can make interesting and bold choices unswayed by sentiment, because No Man's Land is a fiercely intelligent film, and the only film to win the award from Bosnia-- which seems a bit of a cheat since part of the film is in English, but whatever.  Tanovic is returning with Cirkus Columbia, which will premiere at this years Toronto Film Festival. 
• Box office: $1.0 million

• 2002:  Nowhere in Africa, Germany-- directed by Caroline Link
• Suggesting that perhaps even a perimeter story on Jews will get some Oscar love, this is probably one of the least celebrated wins of the past decade, especially since it's competition included: The Man Without a Past (from master Abbias Kaurismaki) and Hero (from master Zhang Yimou.)  On the same token it's always nice to see a woman joining the boys club.  Link followed up here win with A Year Ago in Winter (2008.)
• Box office: $6.1 million

• 2003:  The Barbarian Invasions, Canada-- directed by Denys Arcand
• Arcand won the top prize for his sequel of sorts to The Decline of Western Civilization (1986, nominated for foreign film in its year.)  He was also nominated in the best original original screenplay category.
• Box office: $8.5 million

•  2004: The Sea Inside, Spain-- directed by Alejandro Amenabar

• 2004 was actually quite a solid year for foreign films, with both Almodovar's Bad Education, and Walter Salles' The Motorcycle Diaries coming out, and not only making solid coin, but receiving plentiful acclaim.  Alas neither film was selected and the big winner was Amenabar's moving biopic of Ramon Sampedro and his thirty year fight for the right to die after a becoming paralyzed.  Javier Bardem starred and is typically affecting.  Amenabar came on the scene in a major way with 2001's The Others, and returned to mixed reviews last year with Agora, a historical epic starring Rachel Weisz.  The Sea Inside is pure schmaltz, I'd say, but of a very high polished kind.
• Box office: $2.1 million

•  2005:  Tsotsi, South Africa-- directed by Gavin Hood

• Tsotsi, the first South African winner, was a hard and fairly unflinching look at a Johannesburg gang leader, and a clear antithesis to the typical more emotional stories that this category tends to go for.  I've only seen it once, and I'm sort of on the fence about it, as well as Hood's filmmaking abilities.  Since Tsotsi, he's moved to Hollywood, as the director of Rendition starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon, and Wolverine.
• Box office: $2.9 million

• 2006:  The Lives of Others, Germany-- directed by Florian Henckel von Dommersmarck
• Germany is the only country to have won the prize twice during the course of the decade, and this one probably was more of a surprise.  Likely because, like most foreign films, they never seem to get released until the Oscars come, what with the advertising hook and all.  The Lives of Others was up against a surprise foreign juggernaut in 2006, being Guillermo del Toro's amazing Pan's Labyrinth.  While I concede The Lives of Others is a pretty superb film, I still can't help but be a tad bitter over it.  I know the Academy doesn't really "get" fantasy films, but an exception should be made for the better good ever once in a while.  Also snubbed, Amodovar's Volver, again inexplicably not submitted by Spain; what's their deal anyway?  von Dommersmarck is moving to Hollywood, coming out with The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie some time next year.
• Box office: $11.2

• 2007:  The Counterfeiters, Austria-- directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky
• Ruzowitzky, director of Matt LeBlanc\Eddie Izzard WWII drag film All the Queen's Men in 2001 won the big award for this, about a master counterfeiter on the eve of WWII.  I haven't seen this one, and while it hold the distinction of being the first winner from Austria, I am hard pressed to think it's any better than 2007's brightest international piece, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, which wasn't nominated, in one of the most erroneous snubs, I believe of all time.
• Box office: $5.4 million

• 2008:  Departures, Japan-- directed by Yojiro Takita
• Again the Oscar's went with emotional schmaltz, over substantial artistry-- Departures competition included the top Cannes winner, French film The Class, as well as Israel's Waltz With Bashir, both of which are far more technically accomplished.  Then again, simplicity works too, when done effectively.  I haven't seen this one yet, because the story just cries for noisy violin sounds.
• Box office: $1.4 million

• 2009:  The Secret in Their Eyes, Argentina-- directed by Juan Jose Campanella
• In an ongoing theme, sentiment wins out over artistic virtuosity, and while The Secret in Their Eyes plays a bit like an episode of Law & Order (Campanella should know, he's also directed episode of L&O: Special Victims Unit, as well as House), and yes the competition including intriguing, provocative think pieces from some of the worlds current best: Michael Hanake's The White Ribbon and Jacques Audiard's A Prophet, we must also remember that the foreign branch of the academy is filled mostly by the very senior contingent, and not the radicals, if any exist.  This marks Campanella's second nomination, his first being 2001's Son of the Bride.
• Box office: $6.1 million (and counting)