List of submissions to the 93rd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film

[anonymous1980]

I believe the shortlist comes out tomorrow and I won't be able to see any more films by the time the list comes out. Here are my rankings of all the films I've seen:

By personal preference:

01. Romania
02. Japan
03. India
04. Guatemala
05. Peru
06. Denmark
07. Georgia
08. Portugal
09. Taiwan
10. Mexico
11. Lithuania
12. Brazil
13. Costa Rica
14. Belgium
15. Spain
16. Thailand
17. Austria
18. Bangladesh
19. Malaysia
20. The Philippines

In order of likelihood to be nominated:

Sure to be nominated:
01. Denmark
02. Romania
Could make it to at least the Top 15 shortlist:
03. Mexico
04. Japan
05. Guatemala
06. Taiwan
07. Georgia
08. Spain
09. Peru
10. Portugal
Unlikely but could maybe surprise:
11. Brazil
12. Lithuania
13. Costa Rica
14. Belgium
15. Thailand
16. Austria
17. India
No way:
18. Bangladesh
19. The Philippines
20. Malaysia

[anonymous1980]

Sincerely Yours, Dhaka, Bangladesh (various directors) 6.5/10 - You know, I don't think I've seen a Bangladeshi film before (unless you count that one Ritwik Ghatak film that was a co-production). So this being is an omnibus anthology film of eleven short films from different up and coming Bangladeshi filmmakers, it's gonna give me a bit of a glimpse and a crash course of contemporary Bangladeshi cinema. They're not bad. A lot of the films shown here are by directors with obviously a lot of talent. But the actual individual quality and success of the films, as these "anthology" films tend to be, varies from one film to another. The best ones are two of the more comedic, "The Background Artist" and "Jibon's Gun". The rest are varying degrees of "okay" averaging out to the score you see in this review.

Can it get in? Doubtful.

[anonymous1980]

La Llorona, Guatemala (Jayro Bustamante) 8.5/10 - A retired Guatemalan general who was tried as a war criminal is haunted by his past victims. Then a mysterious woman who resembles one of them comes to his employ. This film uses the legend of the La Llorona (The Weeping Woman ghost) to tell the story of the Guatemalan genocide of native peoples which actually happened. It does so quite effectively. It is both quite creepy as a horror film (I appreciate the fact that they don't resort to jump scares in this one) and effective as a drama on the genocide. It manages balance both elements which is hard to do. This is Guatemala's International Feature entry this year and is one of the best entries I've seen so far.

Can it get in? Quality-wise, yes but since it's a horror film, it needed the Executive Committee. Who knows if it will make it in Top 15?

Beginning, Georgia (Dea Kulumbegashvili) 8.5/10 - After a Jehovah's Witness church is firebombed, the wife of the head of the church because disillusioned and this trauma leads to an emotionally dark and disturbing path. This is director Dea Kulumbegashvili's first feature film and based on this, I'm really excited to see more from her. This film is not the easiest sit and the ending is particularly dark, disturbing and haunting but it does give you a lot to chew on. The film's pace allows you to soak into the world and for some reason, gets under your skin because at the back of your mind, you know something is gonna happen and it isn't always going to be good. This is a promising debut from a talented director. It is definitely a film to see.

Can it get in? I can see this making the Top 15 but going no further.

[anonymous1980]

Land of Ashes, Costa Rica (Sofia Quiros) 7/10 - A 13 year old girl is forced to take care of her ailing grandfather after her mother mysteriously disappears. This is the Best International Feature Oscar entry from Costa Rica (I believe this is my first Costa Rican film, I may be wrong) and its style and tone sort of reminds me of another Oscar nominated International Feature, The Milk of Sorrow, as well as the films of Apichatpong Weerasetkathul. It is beautifully shot and takes on a sort magical-realist quality to it that can be intoxicating in parts and as well as distancing. It doesn't always completely work but I loved the ending and director Sofia Quiros definitely has talent and I respect the craft. It's worth a look.

Can it get in? Unlikely but certainly possible.

Working Girls, Belgium (Anne Paulicevich/Frédéric Fonteyne) 7.5/10 - This film follows a group of sex workers that cross the Franco-Belgian border to prostitute themselves. One of the real strengths of this film is how very matter-of-fact and frank they are about the lives of sex workers. You see them as just ordinary women who are simply struggling to make a living with most of the sex scenes largely free of eroticism or titillation. The film takes a third act turn which was hinted at by the opening scene which almost feels like it belongs in another movie. I'm not entirely sure it completely works but it doesn't ruin the film. It's still a solid drama.

Can it get in? Not beyond the realm of possibility but it's unlikely.

[anonymous1980]

Collective, Romania (Alexander Nanau) 9/10 - In 2015, a nightclub in Bucharest burns down, tragically killing dozens of young people but that's only the beginning of this documentary which exposes the rotten, corrupt bureaucratic infrastructure in the Romanian government ruled by one particular political party. This film is set in Romania but I must say, a lot of what's happening in that country feels pretty familiar. I live in the Philippines and we have faced a lot of similar types of crap in our own corrupt government. Suffice to say, this film is going to make you angry and infuriate you to high heavens. What makes it truly cut deep and makes it even more compelling is the fact that it's structured like a narrative feature which gives it a sense of urgency and resonance. Apparently, Romania is just as f-ed up as the rest of the world. LOL.

Can it get in? Yes. The film is quite resonant. It could make it to both International and Documentary.

[criddic3]

Apparently there are two "Miracle in Cell No. 7" movies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_i ... pine_film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_i ... kish_film)

The Turkish one seems to be the submitted entry, in case anyone might be wondering.

They both appear to be based on the same material, a 2013 South Korean film,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miracle_in_Cell_No._7

Interesting.

[anonymous1980]

Another Round, Denmark (Thomas Vinterberg) 8/10 - Four male friends who are teachers at a high school agree to take part in an experiment: Be constantly low-level intoxicated at all time in order to invigorate their lives. And it works....until it doesn't. This is of course Denmark's entry to the Best International Feature Oscar race this year and is the de facto popular front-runner. I've seen over a dozen contenders now and there are a couple of films I liked better but this is still a very good entry. It manages to be funny in parts and also thought provoking on the pros and cons of alcohol. It neither glamorizes nor condemns the "experiment" but it raises some questions that it asks its audience to ponder for themselves in a non-preachy way of course. Mads Mikkelsen is as usual excellent.

Can it get in? Yes.

[Reza]

Zindagi Tamasha / Circus of Life (Sarmed Khoosat, 2020).

This entry from Pakistan caused controversy in the country when a religious cleric deemed it blasphemous and the government suspended its release. This was not because they believed there was anything blasphemous but banned the film because of fear of violent reprisals in the country from the fundamental sects. The supposedly "blasphemous" material includes criticism of the ulama (religious scholars) and an alleged reference to "bacha bazi" - a custom involving child sexual abuse between older men and young adolescent males or boys, who are called dancing boys. The custom is connected to sexual slavery and child prostitution and remains prevalent in Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan where security officials state they are unable to end such practices because many of the men involved in such activities are powerful and well-armed warlords.

[anonymous1980]

International Feature Oscar shortlist is now increased to 15 but eliminates the Executive Committee saves.

While increasing it to 15 is a welcome one, leaving room for more underdog contenders to have a fighting shot, eliminating the Executive Committee saves is a troubling change. Will it be too old-fashioned and Euro-centric again? Oh and apparently, this is only effective this year. It could change back next year.

[anonymous1980]

Nova Lituania, Lithuania (Karolis Kaupinis) 7.5/10 - It's 1938 in Lithuania. World War II is about to break out. A geographer comes up with a plan to move the entire population of the country abroad to save their lives. I don't think I've ever seen a Lithuanian film before today and as such, I don't know anything about the history of that country so I had to research to find out if this is based on a true story because it's such an interesting, almost crazy plan. As it turns out, it is...sort of. Mixing real drama with some absurdist elements, this is a fascinating and compelling film which highlights an obscure incident in this moment in history. It's worth checking out.

Can it get in? Yes, I think this one has a solid chance overall but it can go either way.

[anonymous1980]

Those of you who want to join me in this endeavor, the following films are available for streaming (to save time, I'm just listing down films that are available in the U.S. and in the Philippines):

"Aleli" - Netflix (US only)
"Another Round" - iTunes and Amazon (US only)
"Babenco: Tell Me When I Die" - MUBI (not in US)
"Collective" -iTunes and Amazon (US only)
"The Endless Trench" - Netflix
"Happy Old Year" - Netflix
"I'm No Longer Here" - Netflix
"Impetigore" - Shudder (US only)
"Jallitkatu" - Amazon
"Land of Ashes" - MUBI (not in US)
"Leap" - Amazon (US only)
"La Llorona" - Shudder (US only)
"The Man Standing Next" - Amazon (US only)
"Miracle in Cel. No. 7" - Netflix
"The Mole Agent" - Amazon, iTunes and Hulu (US only)
"Nova Lituania" - MUBI
"Sincerely Yours, Dhaka" - Netflix
"Song Without a Name" - iTunes and Amazon (US only)
"A Sun" - Netflix
"Vitalina Varela" - The Criterion Channel and iTunes (US only)
"What We Wanted" - Netflix
"Working Girls" - Amazon

Let me know what I missed. More will be added in the coming weeks for sure.

[anonymous1980]

Vitalina Varela, Portugal (Pedro Costa) 8.5/10 - A woman from Cape Verde arrives in Lisbon in hopes to reunite with her husband with whom she's been separated for 25 years and finds that he has died and was buried only three days before. She decides to stay and pick up remnants of his memories. This is my second venture into the cinema of Pedro Costa. I found the previous film I've seen from him, Horse Money, kind of a challenging watch and this is in that vein. I'm thinking perhaps he's one of those directors whose films need to be seen chronologically to get a feel for what his filmmaking is all about. I got a better grasp of it now in this meditative, slow, absorbing drama with surprising moments of quiet power. I've seen a whole bunch of films this year about African immigrants dealing with moving to Western countries. This one takes a deeper, more spiritual route than the other ones. It's not for everyone but it is, undeniably, a great work of art.

Can it get in? This could definitely sneak in as the cinephile pick and make to the semi-finals. But I don't know if there are enough of them to push it through as a nominee.

[anonymous1980]

Babenco: Tell Me When I Die, Brazil (Barbara Paz) 7.5/10 - This is a documentary which chronicles the last few years of renowned Brazilian director Hector Babenco which also looks back on his life and his career both behind and away from the camera. It is also directed by his widow. One of the things I commend this film for doing is that despite the fact that it is obviously a labor of love and a memorial to someone, there is very little sentimentality in this. It does not try to tug on your heartstrings even though it could very well have. Basically, it's an honest film about a person coming to terms with his death. But for a film about death and dying, it feels a bit cold and distant, I guess? The choice to make it fully in black & white even clips and footage that wasn't black & white before made it a bit jarring. But all in all, it's a good one.

Can it get in? Documentaries seldom get in but this IS about a director so it has a faint shot.

[anonymous1980]

Happy Old Year, Thailand (Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit) 6/10 - A young woman returns to Bangkok from Sweden after three years then decides to de-clutter her house of old things she thinks she doesn't need or want anymore and this turns into a journey of opening old wounds. Yes, this actually feels like a narrative movie version of the Marie Kondo reality show (it was even referenced in the film, "does it spark joy?"). I personally don't think it completely works but it does have its moments thanks to the good performances of the cast which elevate an otherwise slight material. This is Thailand's entry to the International Feature Oscar race this year. It's fine, but it's nothing particularly spectacular.

Can it get in? Highly doubtful.

[anonymous1980]

Jallikattu, India (Lijo Jose Pellissery) 9/10 - A wild buffalo escapes a slaughterhouse in a village in India which leads to a frenzied hunt for the beast as it rampages and terrorizes the place. The premise sounds absolutely insane. And it is. It is such a wild ride. Part killer animal movie, part wild chase movie, interspersed with some biting satire about the different characters invested in the capture and slaughter of this buffalo for its meat. No, it's exactly a pro-animal rights movie either. It is something else entirely that I won't spoil here but it is surprising. On top of that, the film is BEAUTIFULLY made. The cinematography is jaw-dropping and the editing is on point. This is India's entry to the International Feature Oscar race this year. The genre may not be the Academy's usual fare but I hope they see it and consider it. It is a worthy nominee.

Can it get in? I'm leaning towards no, solely because it's not the usual Academy fare. But if enough people give it points for craft and entertainment, it could definitely win enough fans to contend to be a semi-finalist.