Oscar Update: Foreign Language Oscar Potentials Begin Lining Up
Germany and Austria thrust their favorites into the ring...
I have been keeping track of all the submissions for Foreign Language Oscar as they have been announced and updating the list in my "The Contenders" section and just recently two heavyweights were thrown into the ring as Sweden submitted Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments, a film In Contention's Guy Lodge believes the Academy would have a hard time ignoring citing a Screen International review saying:
Discreet, old fashioned, traditional and altogether admirable, this is Jan Troell in what he does best … Paying minute attention to the smallest details, taking its time but never appearing to drag its feet, immensely sympathetic to its heroes and villains alike, this is an intimate family portrait and at the same time a rich canvas of working class life … This picture has quality stamped all over it, awards are likely to come its way whether for direction, photography or the performances of Maria Heiskanen and Mikael Persbrandt.
Meanwhile last year's winning country, Austria, which won for the German-language film The Counterfeiters a film that you really must see (my Blu-ray review right here), once again added another German-language entry to the mix Tuesday, submitting Revanche, Gotz Spielmann's unconventional story of guilt and revenge.
As The Hollywood Reporter points out, Revanche is a festival favorite and won top honors from both the Label of European Cinemas and the International Confederation of Art Cinemas in Berlin this year.
To be considered for the 2009 Academy Awards, a movie must be released in the submitting country between Oct. 1, 2007, and Sept. 30, 2008, and be publicly screened in a commercial theater for at least seven days. The film must also be predominantly in a language other than English. The Academy considers one pic per country.
Submissions must be received at the Academy by Oct. 1. For a look at all of the films submitted so far (14) you can check out the complete and updating list right here as well as get information on all the upcoming Oscar contenders right here.
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Will Time Crimes (Los Cronocrimines) be eligible this year, or has that ship already sailed? I haven't seen the movie but I've been patiently waiting for it to come out on DVD.
Unless I am mistaken that would have been Spain's entry last year, but it went to The Orphanage instead.
Only caught this now, but that review you say I was citing is for Sweden's "Everlasting Moments," NOT "The Baader-Meinhof Complex."
I maintain that "Everlasting Moments" looks like a strong bet. Since seeing "Baader-Meinhof" and in the light of the middling reviews it has received, I'm less confident of its chances.
@Guy Lodge: That's weird, I have no idea how I did that, I'll have to update the article. Am I crazy though? This was a whiel back, but I could have sworn you said some good things about Baader, but I can't find them at In Contention now. Maybe in the comments…?
@Greenleaf1: As it turns out I was also wrong about Time Crimes, which opens in LA and New York December 12. Of course it won't be working the Best Foreign Language category, but thought I would mention it.
I'm not doing too well in this article and comment thread am I?