2012 foreign film Oscars

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the 63 contenders for the 2012 award. They are:
 
Albania, "Amnesty," Bujar Alimani;
Argentina, "Aballay," Fernando Spiner;
Austria, "Breathing," Karl Markovics;
Belgium, "Bullhead," Michael R. Roskam;
Bosnia and Herzegovina,"Belvedere," Ahmed Imamovic;
Brazil, "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within," José Padilha;
Bulgaria, "Tilt," Viktor Chouchkov;
Canada, "Monsieur Lazhar," Philippe Falardeau;
Chile, "Violeta Went to Heaven," Andrés Wood;
China, "The Flowers of War," Zhang Yimou;
Colombia, "The Colors of the Mountain," Carlos César Arbeláez;
Croatia, "72 Days," Danilo Serbedzija;
Cuba, "Havanastation," Ian Padrón;
Czech Republic,"Alois Nebel," Tomás Lunák;
Denmark, "Superclásico," Ole Christian Madsen;
Dominican Republic,"Love Child," Leticia Tonos;
Egypt, "Lust," Khaled el Hagar;
Estonia, "Letters to Angel," Sulev Keedus;
Finland, "Le Havre," Aki Kaurismäki;
France, "Declaration of War," Valérie Donzelli;
Georgia, "Chantrapas," Otar Iosseliani;
Germany, "Pina," Wim Wenders;
Greece, "Attenberg," Athina Rachel Tsangari;
Hong Kong,"A Simple Life," Ann Hui;
Hungary, "The Turin Horse," Béla Tarr;
Iceland, "Volcano," Rúnar Rúnarsson;
India, "Abu, Son of Adam," Salim Ahamed;
Indonesia, "Under the Protection of Ka'Bah," Hanny R. Saputra;
Iran, "A Separation," Asghar Farhadi;
Ireland, "As If I Am Not There," Juanita Wilson;
Israel, "Footnote," Joseph Cedar;
Italy, "Terraferma," Emanuele Crialese;
Japan, "Postcard," Kaneto Shindo;
Kazakhstan, "Returning to the ‘A,’" Egor Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky;
Lebanon, "Where Do We Go Now?" Nadine Labaki;
Lithuania, "Back to Your Arms," Kristijonas Vildziunas;
Macedonia, "Punk Is Not Dead," Vladimir Blazevski;
Mexico, "Miss Bala," Gerardo Naranjo;
Morocco, "Omar Killed Me," Roschdy Zem;
Netherlands, "Sonny Boy," Maria Peters;
New Zealand,"The Orator," Tusi Tamasese;
Norway, "Happy, Happy," Anne Sewitsky;
Peru, "October," Diego Vega and Daniel Vega;
Philippines, "The Woman in the Septic Tank," Marlon N. Rivera;
Poland, "In Darkness," Agnieszka Holland;
Portugal, "José and Pilar," Miguel Gonçalves Mendes;
Romania, "Morgen," Marian Crisan;
Russia, "Burnt by the Sun 2: The Citadel," Nikita Mikhalkov;
Serbia, "Montevideo: Taste of a Dream," Dragan Bjelogrlić;
Singapore, "Tatsumi," Eric Khoo;
Slovak Republic,"Gypsy," Martin Sulík;
South Africa,"Beauty," Oliver Hermanus;
South Korea,"The Front Line," Jang Hun;
Spain, "Black Bread," Agusti Villaronga;
Sweden, "Beyond," Pernilla August;
Switzerland, "Summer Games," Rolando Colla;
Taiwan, "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale," Wei Te-sheng;
Thailand, "Kon Khon," Sarunyu Wongkrachang;
Turkey, "Once upon a Time in Anatolia," Nuri Bilge Ceylan;
United Kingdom,"Patagonia," Marc Evans;
Uruguay, "The Silent House," Gustavo Hernández;
Venezuela, "Rumble of the Stones," Alejandro Bellame Palacios;
Vietnam, "The Prince and the Pagoda Boy," Luu Trong Ninh.
 
The only one I've seen so far is Chouchkov's "Tilt" --


It's a love story, where a group of high school friends who are quietly "gaming" the system; one of them falls in love with the daughter of the head of the secret police. When her father discovers this, he sets up a sting operation and offers him a choice between prison or emigrating to the west. It's kind of interesting that when he returns home (still head or heels in love with her) after the fall of communism all major players are exactly the same, only now they are successful capitalists with strong underworld ties.

There's a few familiar names like Wenders and Ceylan. Aki Kaurismäki' makes an re-appearance---Kaurismäki had refused to allow his films to represent Finland at the Oscars as long as George Bush was President. Béla Tarr has announced his retirement from film and his last film is nominated.

Any predictions or early buzz on which films will be on the final 5 announced on January 24th? Or more importantly has anyone seen any of these films?



Brazil, "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within," José Padilha;
Germany, "Pina," Wim Wenders;
Greece, "Attenberg," Athina Rachel Tsangari;
Iran, "A Separation," Asghar Farhadi;
Taiwan, "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale," Wei Te-sheng;
Uruguay, "The Silent House," Gustavo Hernández;


Ones I've seen, yikes got to watch more!



I've seen Superclásico by Ole Christian Madsen. It's a funny movie that deals with the issues of a 40 year old man who is going through a divorce from his wife, who are now with a successfull soccerplayer in argentina. I think its good but not as good at In a better world that won last year



"He has all the time in the world ... "
I was just thinking that Patagonia isn't foreign, it's Welsh. Then I realised I don't live in Wales any more LOL!




I've watched A Separation and, naturally, Bullhead. If any of you care to learn my thoughts on the latter, you can right HERE.

I honestly think it's the best chance Belgium has had in years at providing an actual nominee.



I was just thinking that Patagonia isn't foreign, it's Welsh. Then I realised I don't live in Wales any more LOL!

The category is "Best Film In A Foreign Language" and Welsh is definately not English. Well, not unless you've got a bad cough and a lot of phlegm.



Chappie doesn't like the real world
I've seen The Silent House. It gets a lot of credit for being shot in a single take but it's not that impressive of a movie.



It gets a lot of credit for being shot in a single take but it's not that impressive of a movie.
Quite a few in the know have commented that you can tell it's not one single take at all.



Brazil, "Elite Squad: The Enemy Within," José Padilha;
Germany, "Pina," Wim Wenders;
Greece, "Attenberg," Athina Rachel Tsangari;
Iran, "A Separation," Asghar Farhadi;
Taiwan, "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale," Wei Te-sheng;
Uruguay, "The Silent House," Gustavo Hernández;


Ones I've seen, yikes got to watch more!
They're also the only ones i've heard of! Not managed to catch any yet.

The category is "Best Film In A Foreign Language" and Welsh is definately not English. Well, not unless you've got a bad cough and a lot of phlegm.
Isn't that the UK entry though, not specifically Wales' entry. Is it in Welsh, is that why it's been nominated? Didn't realise UK got a Foreign Film entry, would have thought Kings Speech belonged there!
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Isn't that the UK entry though, not specifically Wales' entry. Is it in Welsh, is that why it's been nominated? Didn't realise UK got a Foreign Film entry, would have thought Kings Speech belonged there!
But Wales is a part of the UK. I'm assuming that this film is either in Welsh or a Celtic language and, therefore, not English. The Kings Speech is in English and, therefore, not a language foreign to the US. Well, not officially anyway.



But Wales is a part of the UK. I'm assuming that this film is either in Welsh or a Celtic language and, therefore, not English. The Kings Speech is in English and, therefore, not a language foreign to the US. Well, not officially anyway.
Oh, forgot the word 'language' was in the title of the Oscar. Brainfart over



The original list has been whittled down to nine films:

Bullhead /Roskam from Belgium
Monsieur Lazhar /Falardeau from Canada
SuperClasico / Madsen from Denmark
Pina / Wenders from Germany
A Separation / Farhadi from Iran
Footnote / Cedar from Israel
Omar Killed Me / Zem from Morocco
In Darkness / Holland from Poland (what the?)
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale / Wei Te-sheng from Taiwan



The original list has been whittled down to nine films:

Bullhead /Roskam from Belgium
Monsieur Lazhar /Falardeau from Canada
SuperClasico / Madsen from Denmark
Pina / Wenders from Germany
A Separation / Farhadi from Iran
Footnote / Cedar from Israel
Omar Killed Me / Zem from Morocco
In Darkness / Holland from Poland (what the?)
Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale / Wei Te-sheng from Taiwan

I called it.



Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Nominees:

Rundskop (2011): Michael R. Roskam(Belgium)

Hearat Shulayim (2011): Joseph Cedar(Israel)

In Darkness (2011): Agnieszka Holland(Poland)

Monsieur Lazhar (2011): Philippe Falardeau(Canada)

Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (2011): Asghar Farhadi(Iran)

Well, I do believe Bullhead has every right to be on there and that's not because it was filmed in my hometown. It's just a bloody, bloody good film. But it won't win. A Separation is Oscar's delight.