24th Hall of Fame

Considering what happened to many Argentinians who went up against the government, the fact that both Esposito and his love interest survived physically intact and were able to be together in the end is a relatively happy ending. I agree that the film makes it clear that they will carry a lot of baggage (both on their own and as a couple) even if their relationship is mostly positive.

Have you seen La Historia Oficial? (Another Argentinian Best Foreign Film winner that deals with this era of Argentinia history).

I believe that. But I also really doubt that many Academy members did a lot of research to pick up on any of those deeper layers of meaning.

By "accessible" I mean a film that can be mostly followed (on both a plot and emotional/character arc) level without doing too much heavy lifting. The "bare bones" of The Secret in Their Eyes are those of a typical murder mystery/political thriller. The main character is a detective trying to do the right thing. The villains are very obvious. The theme of regret is explicitly voiced by the main character several times. Toward the end (and while I liked the film, I thought this part was SO heavy handed), he takes a index card that reads "Temo" (I fear) and adds an "a" so that it reads "Te Amo" (I love you). Fear becomes love. He then rushes to her office where, breathing heavily, he declares his love. To the sound of happy, hopeful music, she smiles broadly in a bright room next to bright flowers and tells him to come in. The final shot is literally a door closing. You could watch this film and pay almost zero attention to the entire political element and still come away feeling like you "got it".

By contrast, I think that something like Mother is a bit more daring and complicated in its ending. I think that it leaves you not knowing quite how to feel. I think that it is also a relatively accessible film, but I think that the character arc is a bit more complex and the resolution is not as "neat".

My opinion is just "I'm not surprised that more people like The Secret in Their Eyes even though I like other films better."

I was thrilled with Moonlight's win (not the least because I have a friend who frequently collaborates with the writer, who I think is amazing), but Crash over Brokeback Mountain to me displays that often a kind of comfortable competency hits the right notes with a large enough chunk of voters to pull out a win.

I'm not saying people are voting for the film they think will be more popular. I'm saying they genuinely liked it! But I do question just a little (as I do with the other categories), the degree to which genre and surface-level story play a role.

The Headless Woman is excellent and disturbing and darkly funny. It has layered critique of class and race politics in South America and it doesn't spoon-feed you anything. I would highly recommend it.

I'll keep an eye out for Castle of Purity, though it doesn't seem to be streaming on any of my services currently.

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Set in an isolated fictional community called "The Bathtub", Beasts of the Southern Wild follows the lives of 6-year old Hushpuppy (Quvanzhané Wallis) and her father, Wink (Dwight Henry). The two live in extreme poverty as they struggle to take care of each other. Their lives, essentially broken by past events: be it the abandonment of Hushpuppy's mother or Wink's deteriorating health. To make matters worse, a huge storm lashes the community, leaving its residents to fend for themselves.

Rookie director Benh Zeitlin chooses a somewhat unconventional approach to the film, with a mostly raw and down-to-earth approach to filming that fits the "crudeness" of the life in this community. But he also mixes a social and environmental commentary about climate change with a fantasy element represented by the approach of the "aurochs", some primitive creatures that have broken free from the ice and are heading to "The Bathtub".

It is in this fantasy element that lies the film's main weakness. I kinda understand the intention, but I don't think it was successfully integrated into the main story. As a result, there's a bit of a jarring shift as the film tries to weave that symbolism into the plot. Ultimately, I don't think it was necessary at all.

The focus of the story is, and should've only been, the dynamics between Hushpuppy and Wink, and how they try to put the pieces of their life back together. Both Wallis and Henry deliver a pair of great performances, which is more impressive considering that none of them were actors. Henry wasn't even looking to audition, but decided to read for the part after he met the film crew who used to have breakfast at his bakery.

I watched this film for the first time in 2013, and I really didn't feel a lot of change in how I felt now in 2021 from what I felt then. Maybe the melodrama was a bit more off-putting now than it was then. However, I felt a stronger connection and more of a "punch" from both Hushpuppy and Wink than I felt then. Perhaps it's called "parenting".

Grade:

Ballot sent!

Seriously, thanks to everybody for some great recommendations. I enjoyed every single film I saw for this. Like I said a couple of pages ago, even Rudderless, which would've probably been at the "bottom" of my ballot, was a film I enjoyed a lot. One of the things I enjoyed the most was how different every single nominated film was. From kickass foreign action to powerfully emotional dramas, and anything in between. So once again, thanks to all for a diverse and intense journey

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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews

I have started to add things up, unveil later this afternoon. Any predictions?

The Day of the Jackal or The Man From Nowhere may take the top spot. Everyone seemed to like those.

In a Glass Cage will be at the bottom. As for the top, I think I agree with Torgo: The Man from Nowhere and The Day of the Jackal might be the top ones.

EDIT: I have a feeling that the Top 5 could be something like this...

The Secret In Their Eyes
The Man from Nowhere
The Day of the Jackal
Shame
La Dolce Vita

Not in that order. Aniara and Hard Times might also sneak in there.

It's my nomination, so that's always a safe prediction

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For what it's worth, it's not a diss at the film. But considering the... umm... ardent reaction it got from a few people here, I think it's a safe bet it'll be at or near the bottom.

Might post the first 5 or so at 11 Central, then a few more later so on and so forth. Everything will be known today though

Vampyr
Barry Lyndon
Shame
The Man From Nowhere
La Dolce Vita

13th Place

In a Glass Cage



44 Points (1st, 7th, 4 10th, 12th, 6 13th)

12th Place

Aniara



61 Points (1st, 4th, 8th, 4 9th, 10th, 4 12th, 13th)

That's a pity, I gave that a #4....I really dug and think about that one quite a bit.

No surprise on last place. I might have guessed Aniara a bit higher.

Hmm, I'm surprised. I thought the response was a bit more on the positive side.

11th Place

Beasts of the Southern Wild



69 Points (3 3rds, 2 6th, 3 10th, 11th, 12th, 3 13th)

I had Aniara at 8. I did like it.

To be clear, it just surprised me a bit. It doesn't bother me. I'm happy with the feedback I got through the course of the HOF.