Foreign Film Final 9

[Damien]

I recently read an article where William Friedkin (the Oscar-winning producer/director of "The French Connection") discussed the Oscars as a race between personal choices, not very subjective at all; and raved about "Baader Meinhof Complex".

"There are some wonderful films being nominated -- and not being nominated. I'll tell you the best film I have seen in many years was The Baader Meinhof Complex (the German film in the best foreign language film category), which is not released here yet. They don't have a distributor here and it is a great, great movie, really a top example of how it is done. Very powerful and very important. I don't see it winning (in its single category) because nobody's seen it, except the 10 guys on the committee who vote for the short list."

The full article is here.

William Friedkin's a hack, but Uli Edel did direct the not-fully-successful-but fascinating Last Exit To Brooklyn, and directed episodes of the esteemed shows Oz and Homicide.

[Damien]

Has anyone seen Germany's nominee? I can't wait to, I think Germany's had a really strong track record this decade (Good Bye Lenin!, which wasn't even nominated but is excellent; Downfall; Sophie Scholl; The Lives of Others).

I'd say Sophie Scholl and Good Bye Lenin are much better than the other two.

[Franz Ferdinand]

I recently read an article where William Friedkin (the Oscar-winning producer/director of "The French Connection") discussed the Oscars as a race between personal choices, not very subjective at all; and raved about "Baader Meinhof Complex".

"There are some wonderful films being nominated -- and not being nominated. I'll tell you the best film I have seen in many years was The Baader Meinhof Complex (the German film in the best foreign language film category), which is not released here yet. They don't have a distributor here and it is a great, great movie, really a top example of how it is done. Very powerful and very important. I don't see it winning (in its single category) because nobody's seen it, except the 10 guys on the committee who vote for the short list."

The full article is here.

[FilmFan720]

Has anyone seen Germany's nominee? I can't wait to, I think Germany's had a really strong track record this decade (Good Bye Lenin!, which wasn't even nominated but is excellent; Downfall; Sophie Scholl; The Lives of Others).

No, but it looks interesting.

[Franz Ferdinand]

Has anyone seen Germany's nominee? I can't wait to, I think Germany's had a really strong track record this decade (Good Bye Lenin!, which wasn't even nominated but is excellent; Downfall; Sophie Scholl; The Lives of Others).

[abcinyvr]

I knew that I was not going to be able to remember who was who so I just sat back and enjoyed it.

[ITALIANO]

I also hope that Il Divo (a much better movie than The Caiman) will open in America, and am curious to read the reviews if it does. Judging from some reactions here, it may be less difficult to foreign audiences than I might have thought. While based on a very Italian character and a very Italian life story, it's possible to see it generally as a metaphor on political power, which is of course a universal theme. It's also a very well shot, very well acted movie.

[Okri]

I was wondering what happened to The Caiman. I was really looking forward to it after Cannes but it didn't get any distribution here. I'm hoping Il Divo does (I enjoy foreign political stuff, for whatever reason).

[ITALIANO]

His latest movie as a director, Il Caimano, came out three years ago - it was a strongly anti-Berlusconi satire which I so wanted to like but couldnt (and being so full of references to the Italian situation, not easy to sit through for a foreign audience). But as an actor, he was in a big hit last year called Caos Calmo, based on a best selling novel and complete with a surprisingly (for him) explicit sex scene - between him and actress Isabella Ferrari.

The Italian Foreign Film committee members usually ignored Moretti's movies and maybe they were right; when they did pick Moretti's The Son's Room (in many ways his easiest, most affecting work), the Academy sent it back to Italy without even a nomination.

[Damien]

Marco, what's Nanni Moretti been up to lately?

[Franz Ferdinand]

I'm excited to see any of these movies. I've found that the last few years in the Foreign Film has awarded and nominated some of my favorite movies (or at least one I've really enjoyed). I still say "The Lives of Others" is one of the best movies of the decade, overall.

[ITALIANO]

But you did have a Benito Mussolini.

I don't think Prime Ministers have anything to do with the love or hate of Italian cinema. When Italy was winning award after award, it was more a tribute to their strong period of contribution to cinema. While I haven't seen many Italian films in all, it seems like they have taken a backseat in world cinema lately. Very little from Italy seems to be emerging into the global market and making anything of impact.

And, to make sure no one misunderstands me, I am not commenting on the quality of modern Italian films, just on their apparent impact.

Mussolini wasn't exactly popular in America - or, I should say, in Italy - either.

It's true that Italian cinema isn't what it used to be - there are still some good movies, but truly brilliant ones (like Il Divo or Gomorrah) are nowadays rare. But it's a more general intellectual crisis in this country - and it's kind of sad, because while today the Italian intellectual class is I think among the worst in Europe - no strength, no passion, no creativity, no originalitry - let me say that after the II War World it was one of the best in the world - a combination of passion, intelligence, and culture which was really unique, and which probably could have happened only here. It made cinema one of its favorite ways of expression, and the results were... well, we all know the results. Now unfortunately it's over - hopefully not forever.

[Uri]

[A Golda Meir, we never had.

Lucky you.

[OscarGuy]

But you did have a Benito Mussolini.

I don't think Prime Ministers have anything to do with the love or hate of Italian cinema. When Italy was winning award after award, it was more a tribute to their strong period of contribution to cinema. While I haven't seen many Italian films in all, it seems like they have taken a backseat in world cinema lately. Very little from Italy seems to be emerging into the global market and making anything of impact.

And, to make sure no one misunderstands me, I am not commenting on the quality of modern Italian films, just on their apparent impact.

[ITALIANO]

As for Gomorra vs City of God, I don't think Mister Tee is far off the mark. I think the comparison is more due to the violent nature of the films, Italiano, not a real comment on their quality (or that's how I took it).

Yes, I know, but even the style is completely different, and the purpose, everything. But it's true that they are both movies in which violence plays an important role.

You are right, Uri, but don't forget that even in the past, when Italy used to win Oscar after Oscar, it's not like our prime ministers - even the few good ones we had - were that respected or that popular in America (though of course they used to change so fast that it wasnt easy to even remember their names). A Golda Meir, we never had.