'Dogtooth' is a Stunner as Nine Films Make the 2011 Oscar Foreign Language Short List
'Of Gods and Men' is snubbed along with 'Uncle Boonmee'
Photo: Kino International
This morning the Academy announced the nine fimls that will be competing for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at this year's ceremony. Among them is the Golden Globe Foreign Language winner, Susanne Bier's excellent In a Better World. Additionally Denis Villeneuve's Incendies which has received good buzz everywhere it has gone and was recently acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for a April 1 release. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's Biutiful rounds out the list of expected nominees.
Personally I'm surprised to see Hors la Loi and Dogtooth nominated, but for opposite reasons. Rachid Bouchareb's Hors la Loi simply isn't very good, but the fact his 2006 release, Days of Glory (Indigènes), was nominated for a Foreign Language Oscar probably means I shouldn't be too surprised at the nomination for this pseudo-sequel.
As for Dogtooth from Greek helmer Yorgos Lanthimos, I'm simply surprised because it is a very good film and a bit in the off the wall department. I'm very happy to see it get nominated, but a bit surprised.
When it comes to snubs one is quite glaring and that's Xavier Beauvois's Of Gods and Men. I caught Of Gods and Men at Cannes last year and really enjoyed it and it being snubbed here is a surprise. Speaking of Cannes films not making the list, Cannes Palm d'Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives wasn't nominated either.
Of the nine films nominated right now my pick would have to be for Incendies to win, but this is a category that's traditionally difficult to predict and I will never feel too confident in any prediction I make. I have, however, added the nine films to my Oscar predictions.
Below is the list of nine films shortlisted for the Foreign Language Oscar of the sixty-six films that were submitted.
- Algeria, Hors la Loi (Outside the Law), Rachid Bouchareb, director
- Canada, Incendies, Denis Villeneuve, director
- Denmark, In a Better World, Susanne Bier, director
- Greece, Dogtooth, Yorgos Lanthimos, director
- Japan, Confessions, Tetsuya Nakashima, director
- Mexico, Biutiful, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, director
- South Africa, Life, above All, Oliver Schmitz, director
- Spain, Tambien la Lluvia (Even the Rain), Iciar Bollain, director
- Sweden, Simple Simon, Andreas Ohman, director
The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five nominees by specially invited committees in New York and Los Angeles. They will spend Friday, January 21, through Sunday, January 23, viewing three films each day and then casting their ballots.
The 83rd Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 25, 2011, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
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Wow…dogtooth definately is a bit of a shocker nomination! Would be quite something for it to actually be nominated
I hope Biutiful wins. Javier Bardem was too good to ignore!
I am completely behind "Life, Above All". Although it is not as high profile as most of the ones on the short list, it is nonetheless an excellent movie (among my top two along with In A Better World).
I'm just going to say this:
Whatever is the favorite to win… won't win. It just won't. Last year "The White Ribbon" and "The Prophet" were favorites to win, but "The Secret in Their Eyes" won. The year before that, "Waltz With Bashir" and "The Class" were favorites, but the award went to "Departures." In 2006 "Pan's Labyrinth"–Pan's Labyrinth, for Christ's sake!–lost to "The Lives of Others," even though it won 3 other awards that night. And let's not forget "The Sea Inside" winning over "Downfall" in 2004, or in 2001 how "No Man's Land" won over "Amelie."
So… favorites this year seem to be "Biutiful" and "In a Better World." I can already say that neither of these will win. I guess for now I'll go with Brad and predict "Incendies," but I'll secretly be rooting for "Dogtooth," which I haven't yet seen but which sounds really interesting.
The Lives of Others, The Secret in Their Eyes and especially The Sea Inside were my favorites so your point isn't valid for me.
wow.. personally, I don't really like (get) Dogtooth. but it is quite a surprise for it to get nominated considering how satirical the movie is.
In a Better World is definitely in the lead now. but I'll be checking on Dogtooth again, who knows on second viewing I'll get my understanding on it.
Dogtooth is exceptional. What I really liked about this film is that the director doesn't provide the answers, neither tries to impose his own view. He doesn't give names to the family members,he doesnât use music to impose feelings. Cynical, disturbing, weird, this film grows on you… The concept of changing the meanings of words is extremely clever and this constant underlined comparison between the training of a Dog and the brainwashing of a Human being is exceptional. This is not an easy film to watch but in a very strange way itâs equally difficult stop watching it. Someone can easily think about how we have been trained to believe whatever we learn by family, school, media etc… The creation of a virtual enemy (outside of the house) its about CONTROL (in this case the enemy that enter the peaceful family house was the cat but in a very weird way the real "enemy" was invited inside the house by the father) Where is the truth and where stands the lie?
Well, as a greek, i could not be happier about dogtooth's entrance on the shortlist!
It is a big surprise, considering the fact that it is a movie you would expecting to win the palm d' or, not the oscar.
Although it is a tough competition, i keep my fingers crossed for George Lanthimosand his talented cast for Tuesday!!! Good luck!
Enough with films like Dogtooth which are made and exist only for the sake of the fest circuit. Their merits and faults aside, these are films made with specific "markets" in mind and agendas that do not promote film in general.
Jamie, with all the respect I think that Dogtooth is a movie depicting the world we live in with the most satirical and acerbic way. We rarely watch movies like this and I don't think that it was made for these specific "markets" where you refer to. It is totally different from films that we are used to, so I can understand why it makes you feel like this.
Anyways, it's your opinion and totally respectful.
Cheers!!
I am pulling for Dogtooth this year for sure. Last year I was pulling for the South African film White Wedding since it’s the only foreign film that ever made me laugh. If you haven’t seen it, check it out! http://whiteweddingmovie.com/