January
13
Oscar Watch: Nine Films Make Foreign Shortlist; Gomorra Does Not
The Oscar foreign film short list is solid, but there's one glaring omission: the Italian entry Gomorra. Distrib IFC can't complain too much, as the list includes Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments and the Canadian entry The Necessities of Life, which were both expected to make it. But so was Gomorra, a tough slice of real Italian gangster life which was probably too violent for the foreign branch and must have split the exec committee, which added three other films to the final list of nine.
The nine are:
Austria, "Revanche," Gotz Spielmann, director
Canada, "The Necessities of Life," Benoit Pilon, director
France, "The Class," Laurent Cantet, director
Germany, "The Baader Meinhof Complex," Uli Edel, director
Israel, "Waltz with Bashir," Ari Folman, director
Japan, "Departures," Yojiro Takita, director
Mexico, "Tear This Heart Out," Roberto Sneider, director
Sweden, "Everlasting Moments," Jan Troell, director
Turkey, "3 Monkeys," Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director.
Gomorra was the sort of film the new exec committee was supposed to favor: winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes and five European Film Awards, including best film, the movie was nominated as best foreign film for the Independent Spirits, Golden Globes and Broadcast critics. My guess, based on buzz on how the films played: the committee added France's The Class (SPC), Austria's Revanche (Janus) and the Turkish film 3 Monkeys (New Yorker). Gomorra might have been the fourth. UPDATE: Scott Foundas is not happy.
The leading contenders for the final five, which will be announced on January 22, are most likely Der Baader Meinhoff Komplex (Germany, no U.S. distrib), Everlasting Moments (IFC), The Necessities of Life (IFC), Tear This Heart Out (no U.S. distrib), and Waltz with Bashir (Israel, SPC), which won the Golden Globe and may well win the Oscar too.
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I'm surprised "Let the Right One in" hasn't made the list... there's been so much buzz about the movie. heck. I don't even know if the film was entered by its country?
Posted by: Ugly Deaf Muslim Punk Gurl! | January 13, 2009 at 02:01 PM
ohhhh never mind... the movie came out too late to be eligible for the Oscars.
:-/
Posted by: Ugly Deaf Muslim Punk Gurl! | January 13, 2009 at 02:06 PM
taare zameen par was cheated.
CHEATED I tell you.
Posted by: Ramesh | January 13, 2009 at 03:08 PM
Well, it's a few hundred times better than last year's shortlist, I'll say that much.
Good to see "3 Monkeys" and "Tear This Heart Out" on the list -- both great films that seemed to have very little publicity going for them. And I would've been forced to fill this comment box with extremely obscene invective if "The Class" hadn't gotten through, so that's fortunate for all concerned.
Surprised "O Horten" didn't make it -- a slow, stately movie where all the characters are senior citizens would've seemed right up the selection committee's alley. And "Gomorrah" really was a borderline great film. Oh well, can't win 'em all.
Posted by: Andrew | January 13, 2009 at 05:58 PM
three monkeys is the best movie i have ever seen in my life.i hope to see they get the oscar!!!!
Posted by: ezgi kartal | January 14, 2009 at 02:11 PM
The Three Monkeys is great film by made Nuri Bilge Ceylan who is the great director in Turkey.
Posted by: uyuyang | January 14, 2009 at 02:19 PM
this will be the sentence we will be listening to
Turkeeeeeeeeeeyyyy
"3 Monkeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeys by Nuriii Bilgeeeeeeeeeee Ceylan
Posted by: deniz | January 14, 2009 at 10:32 PM
3 monkees is best one for to be considered oscar winner!!!
Posted by: gamze | January 14, 2009 at 11:19 PM
Young Turks?
Posted by: David C. | January 15, 2009 at 06:49 AM
3 Monkeys is very good!!
Posted by: mel | January 15, 2009 at 09:27 AM
3 monkeys is a super film everybody should watch it all scenes are like goergeous pictures...
Posted by: orkun | January 17, 2009 at 11:27 AM