Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

Believe me, Reza, Uri is very objective when it comes to Israel, to the role it plays in the area and even to the way it is perceived by the media (and by the Academy). It should also be pointed out that - while very often nominated - Israel has never won Best Foreign Film, at least till now.

But yes, even I realize that both Footnote and In Darkness will be seen by some as the ultimate anti-A Separation solution. I hope their being nominated will be enough (a sort of act of political reassurance), but I'm not so sure.

Reza wrote:I rest my case !! The film from Israel made it, Uri, along with the Polish Holocaust film.

Whoopi.

Anyhow, now the smug Cedar and his fake humbleness are all over the media here as part of this nationalistic celebration – it's all about Israel vs. Iran you know - I'm afraid will not stop for the next month. (And off course the fact that it's his second trip to the Oscars is constantly being offhandedly mentioned – no one seems to remember that it was heavily rumored that Cedar and his team were those responsible for the disqualification of The Band's Visit by the academy, a maneuver which enabled Beaufort to be sent instead).

Uri wrote:

Reza wrote:

Uri wrote:So, you really, really "liked" this film. "Really".

On the contrary I found nothing in this film that was so revelatory to the West.

And you may be right that the Israeli entry could well make it to the top five. Israel, along with the Holocaust, are indeed ''user friendly'' as far as Hollywood is concerned.

Great, isn't it? Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go since I have the world to rule.

I rest my case !! The film from Israel made it, Uri, along with the Polish Holocaust film.

anonymous1980 wrote:I loved A Separation but Wim Wenders' Pina was pretty magnificent too.

PINA is a documentary, correct? I know foreign films have been nominated in the Documentary category, but is this the first time a documentary has been nominated in the the Foreign Film category?

With the expanded field, I wonder if a documentary will ever be nominated for Best Picture.

A Separation is a masterpiece and far, far from Reza's dismissal as 'Persian exotica' but it could easily lose to Holland's bland, baity Holocaust drama - and I expect it to.

For one, I think Israel's nomination is counter-programming to Iran's nomination. I'd like to think better of the Academy, but they've proven time and again that they are very biased. Matter of fact, as Peter suggested and I'm thinking may be more likely, In Darkness is the one film I could see triumphing over A Separation. And talk about a call for more changes to the Foreign Language Film category if that should happen.

The Italian entry didn't deserve to be here so I'm not disappointed. I'm a bit sadder for the Lebanese movie Where Do We Go Now, a nice, sincere if not exactly sophisticated comedy on religions; an Oscar would have definitely been too much, but far worse movies have been nominated.

On paper, nothing could prevent A Separation from winning its well-deserved trophy - and yes, for once it WOULD be deserved. But as we all know this is the most unpredictable award - and even having another nomination (Best Original Screenplay seems to be the most probable) won't help, as it didn't help other movies in the past, including Louis Malle's Au Revoir Les Enfants or - in the same year - Lina Wermuller's Seven Beauties and Jean-Charles Tacchella's Cousin Cousine.

I don't know if these movies were as celebrated as A Separation is today, but they were certainly liked and, by foreign-movie standards, successful. Of course, A Separation is so good that it seems difficult to think that it could lose - but it could. The fact that it comes from an "enemy country" might be a problem too - and the Academy is a very American, very patriotic group. I hope I am wrong of course.

Let me just hope that it won't lose to In Darkness. I haven't seen it, but I must confess that for me Agnieszka Holland is like Mike Leigh for Damien - an absolutely uninteresting, bland, annoying director who keeps making (bad) movie after (bad) movie. But the Academy seems to like her.

Uri wrote:

Reza wrote:

Uri wrote:So, you really, really "liked" this film. "Really".

On the contrary I found nothing in this film that was so revelatory to the West.

And you may be right that the Israeli entry could well make it to the top five. Israel, along with the Holocaust, are indeed ''user friendly'' as far as Hollywood is concerned.

Great, isn't it? Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go since I have the world to rule.

AHA!!! I KNEW IT!!!!

Reza wrote:

Uri wrote:So, you really, really "liked" this film. "Really".

On the contrary I found nothing in this film that was so revelatory to the West.

And you may be right that the Israeli entry could well make it to the top five. Israel, along with the Holocaust, are indeed ''user friendly'' as far as Hollywood is concerned.

Great, isn't it? Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go since I have the world to rule.

Uri wrote:So, you really, really "liked" this film. "Really".

On the contrary I found nothing in this film that was so revelatory to the West.

And you may be right that the Israeli entry could well make it to the top five. Israel, along with the Holocaust, are indeed ''user friendly'' as far as Hollywood is concerned.

Reza wrote:This has always been a pretty weird category. Often the front runner loses. However, this year, I think, A Separation will prevail.

I still can't get over why and how this small film from Iran caught on so big in the West. Iran, today, is probably the only Islamic country in the world that has stood firm against ''interference'' from Western countries, often showing them the ''finger''. So there has been pretty much a backlash created against Iran in the minds of the West. And here comes a small film showing Iranians to be ''normal'' people with pretty much ''common'' problems not unfamilar to the West, although portrayed with enough ''exotic'' cultural differences to attract curiosity.

So, you really, really "liked" this film. "Really".

I guess I should be patriotically celebrating, but I'm not a huge fan of Footnote. Typically of Cedar (? - it's pronounced See-der) , like Boufort, it's a well crafted, rather self congratulatory yet very timid effort. But it might get into the top five – its qualities (or "qualities") are very user friendly.

Oh, and unfortunately I won't be able to see Separation in the foreseeable future – it's not allowed by its makers/industry heads to be sown here for political reasons.

This has always been a pretty weird category. Often the front runner loses. However, this year, I think, A Separation will prevail.

I still can't get over why and how this small film from Iran caught on so big in the West. Iran, today, is probably the only Islamic country in the world that has stood firm against ''interference'' from Western countries, often showing them the ''finger''. So there has been pretty much a backlash created against Iran in the minds of the West. And here comes a small film showing Iranians to be ''normal'' people with pretty much ''common'' problems not unfamilar to the West, although portrayed with enough ''exotic'' cultural differences to attract curiosity.

I loved A Separation but Wim Wenders' Pina was pretty magnificent too.

I have not been following the Foreign Film field very closely. Are there any outrageous snubs this year? I feared A SEPARATION would be this year's victim, but it survived. Hopefully, this year the actual best foreign film will win.

Other than A SEPARATION (which I plan on seeing when I have a chance) are there any other really good films on the list of 9 that you all recommend?

Nah, Poland's Holocaust drama is more Oscar baity.