Oscar Nominees 2013: Part 9 of 13

A Royal Affair

1 Nomination

• Foreign Language Film: Denmark (In a Better World, After the Wedding, Waltzing Regitze, Pelle the Conqueror, Babette's Feast, Harry and the Butler, Paw, Qivitoq)

Director: Nikolaj Arcel

Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Alicia Vikander, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, David Dencik, Trine Dyrholm, Harriet Walter, Cyron Melville, Charlotte Rampling

An intriguing and opulent political thriller involving madness, a ridiculous amount of prostitution, and the writings of Voltaire. This is the kind of movie that Patrice Chéreau or Régis Wargnier used to make – the type of movie that used to do really well in this category and usually starred Isabelle Adjani or Gérard Depardieu and occasionally both of them. A Royal Affair's attractiveness is also due to its excellent acting talent. Its lead actor is international film star Mads Mikkelsen, and the other lead roles are played by Alicia Vikander (who was in Joe Wright's Anna Karenina this year) and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, whose performance I've praised here and here. The acting is excellent, the plot is fascinating, and the location is sumptuous. All of this is quite a winning combination – not for Oscar, mind you, but you will enjoy the film if you rent it. Competition in this category is way too steep for Denmark to win again so soon.

Will Win: N/A

Could Win: N/A

My Rating: #24 out of 64

No

1 Nomination

• Foreign Language Film: Chile

Director: Pablo Larraín

Cast: Gabriel García Bernal, Antonia Zegers, Alfredo Castro, Néstor Cantillana, Jaime Vadell, Marcial Tagle, Luis Gnecco

A very funny political thriller about the plebiscite in Chile in 1988, this film also stars an internationally known acting talent, Mexican star Gabriel García Bernal. Pablo Larraín's movie is the first film submitted by Chile ever to be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. The whole thing is quite a coup. But No is a bit of a difficult film, an artistic experiment in returning to 1980s-style filmmaking that many viewers might find irritating. In any case, Chile, I am sure, is simply happy to be invited to the party. I found this film to be a fascinating perspective on an important historical period in South American history. That it is also quite a funny film is a testament to Larraín's considerable filmmaking skill.

Will Win: N/A

Could Win: N/A

My Rating: Not ranked – 2013 Release

War Witch

1 Nomination

• Foreign Language Film: Canada (Monsieur Lazhar, Incendies, Water, The Barbarian Invasions, Jesus of Montreal, The Decline of the American Empire)

Director: Kim Nguyen

Cast: Rachel Mwanza,Serge Kanyinda, Ralph Prosper, Alain Lino Mic Eli Bastien, Mizinga Mwinga, Diana Uwamahoro

This movie is excellent and is also about an important international phenomenon – the use of child soldiers in warfare. War Witch is Canada's third nomination in this category in as many years: they have clearly hit upon a winning formula for choosing films that will be selected by the Academy. And this one is the best of their selections since Deepa Mehta's Water. War Witch is deeply moving, beautifully filmed, and also incredibly theatrical, using storytelling techniques that reminded me of Alejandro González Iñárritu's superb Biutiful. Kim Nguyen's film is not uplifting or about "the indomitable nature of the human spirit" or anything like that. Instead, it's simply good storytelling about inhuman violence. Side note: Rebelle, War Witch's original title in French, is also the title Disney used when it released the cartoon-adventure Brave in France. Du plaisir pour toute la famille!

Will Win: N/A

Could Win: N/A

My Rating: Not ranked – 2013 Release

The Nominees: Part VI of VIII

DAS LEBEN DER ANDEREN (THE LIVES OF OTHERS)

1 Nomination:

Best Foreign Language Film: Germany (Sophie Scholl: the Final Days, Downfall and a win for Nowhere in Africa in 2003)

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Cast: Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Tukur

This movie is getting stellar reviews and is considered the one that can beat Pan's Labyrinth for the Foreign Language Oscar. The Del Toro film, of course, has six Oscar nominations and should be pretty much unbeatable, but everyone thought that about Amélie in 2002 and it didn't go home with a trophy (it lost to the far superior No Man's Land). I have yet to see this picture. It's out in Los Angeles, but has not ambled its way to Tallahassee, so though I can barely wait, I guess I will have to.
Will Win: N/A
Might Also Win: Best Foreign Language Film
My Rating: Unranked: Released in 2007.

WATER

1 Nomination:

Best Foreign Language Film: Canada (recent winner for Denys Arcand's The Barbarian Invasions. Canada's other two nominations are also Arcand films: Jesus of Montreal and The Decline of the American Empire)

Director: Deepa Mehta (Earth, Fire, Bollywood/Hollywood, The Republic of Love)
Cast: Sarala, Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas, John Abraham, Waheeda Rehman

This movie is very moving and beautifully shot. It also has a good back-story. The film is part of a series of films by Mehta concerning the four elements. The Academy changed its rules this year for the language of the films in this category. Last year, Italy submitted a film entirely in Aramaic, but it was asked to resubmit because according to the old rules the foreign language had to be one that was actually spoken by a large number of the population of the film's home country. This happened a couple years earlier with the UK as well (they had submitted a British film shot entirely in an Indian language (Urdu? I can't remember.)) At any rate, this year they changed the rules, allowing Canada to submit Water, a film made by Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta and shot almost entirely in Hindi.
Will Win: N/A
Might Also Win: N/A
My Rating: #7 of 71

EFTER BRYLLUPPET (AFTER THE WEDDING)

1 Nomination:

Best Foreign Language Film: Denmark (two wins in the 1980s—Babette's Feast and Pelle the Conqueror, but nothing in the last fifteen years)

Director: Susanne Bier (Brothers)
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Rolf Lassgård, Sidse Babett Knudsen

Bier's previous movie was a moody war drama of which a lot of people were fond. I wasn't particularly enamored, but it did star the lovely Connie Nielsen. This film is supposedly excellent (it ought to be, since it beat out Volver for a nomination in this category). It probably doesn't have much of a chance of winning, but this nomination ensures a pretty kind reception by movie-goers when it is eventually released in theatres in this country.
Will Win: N/A
Might Also Win: N/A
My Rating: Unranked: Released in 2007.

INDIGÈNES (DAYS OF GLORY)

1 Nomination:

Best Foreign Language Film: Algeria (Dust of Life ['96], Le Bal ['84], and a win in 1970 for Costa-Gavras's Z)

Director: Rachid Bouchareb (Little Senegal, Dust of Life)
Cast: Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila

I know next to nothing about this film except that it's a WWII movie. You know how the Academy loves its WWII dramas. This probably won't translate to a win for Algeria, but it's nice to see Bouchareb get another nomination. Again, I hope this movie is really good, because it beat out the magnificent Volver for a nomination.
Will Win: N/A
Might Also Win: N/A
My Rating: Unranked: Released in 2007.

THE BLACK DAHLIA

1 Nomination:

Best Cinematography: Vilmos Zsigmond (The River, The Deer Hunter, and a trophy for Close Encounters of the Third Kind)

Director: Brian De Palma (Mission to Mars, Snake Eyes, Mission: Impossible, The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Untouchables, Scarface, Carrie)
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johanssen, Hilary Swank, Mia Kirshner, Fiona Shaw

This movie, I think, expected a lot more. This film was supposed to be the second coming of the brilliance that was L.A. Confidential. It wasn't. Everyone I know hated this movie, and when I was in Los Angeles last I was listening to a radio program on NPR, where people were calling in trashing this film. The guest on the show was—of all people—head Los Angeles Times critic Kenneth Turan, who had a new book out and was spending a lot of his time trashing on The Black Dahlia. When I finally saw the film, I understood why everyone was so down on the movie, but despite the general hatred for the film. There are very few people who dislike Vilmos Zsigmond. He's a widely respected guy who deserves his nomination, despite the film's many failings.
Will Win: N/A
Might Also Win: N/A
My Rating: #66 of 71

School Update

I finished my handout for my Queer Theory presentation tomorrow finally and because I have no reading due for Thursday, I can spend my evening tomorrow grading the new batch of papers that are coming in tomorrow afternoon for Intro to Theatre. It's a never-ending nightmare! (At least the papers are on Angels in America. That should be fun. I should bite my tongue: 50% of them will probably be homophobic.)

I took a break this evening, though and went to see Deepa Mehta's Water down at the Student Life Building for free. The film is fantastic. I've moved it to #2 for the year so far. I'll have to rent Fire, now. It's so good. Seriously, you should all watch it. Look for it to get an Oscar nomination for Foreign Language picture, too. Canada is submitting it and I think it's strong enough to be one of the five finalists. My favorite performance in the film is from actress Seema Biswas who is damn near brilliant in the movie. It's a powerful, subtle performance and her character is the soul of Mehta's film. Highly recommended.