2013 Foreign Language Academy Award Submissions

Tell me what you think!

Mads Mikkelsen in "Jagten"

I know I would be upset if Michael Haneke wins... and disappointing to see Denmark's official entry is not Jagten... but hoping to see if Mads Mikkelsen bringing home some Oscar ...

"Amour"

http://www.indiewire.com/article/complete-list-of-announced-2012-foreign-language-academy-award-submissions

"In Darkness"

3 Potatoes

One of this year's Oscar Foreign Language Film Nominees "In Darkness" (2011) by Agnieszka Holland is based on true story. This is not the first time she made a film based on true story, one of her acclaimed film "Europa Europa" (1990) was the winner of the Golden Globes Foreign Language Film back in 1992 and was nominated for the Oscar Best Screen Play for the same year.

This film "In Darkness" has amazing casts; Polish actor Robert Wieckiewics, German actor Benno Fürmann, German actress Maria Schrader and many more.
Yet something was missing from the film in my opinion, I felt that the story was scattered around and it wasn't solid.

"Europa Europa" was much deeper and stronger film that still remains in my memory clearly.

Does this film has a Oscar quality? The story Yes. The film.. not so.




Synopsis: A dramatization of one man's rescue of Jewish refugees in the Nazi-occupied Polish city of Lvov. (IMDb)


Official site & Trailer: http://www.sonyclassics.com/indarkness/


USA: In Theater Now

"Character"

5 Potatoes

I felt like watching a good movie tonight and I decided to watch the movie "Character" (1997) - Karakter by Mike van Diem again. It was the winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1998. Probably this was the first Dutch film I have seen in my life and I didn't even know any of the actors in the film. 
The story is very well written and a lot of surprises. I truly enjoyed it and I know I will enjoy it again and again. Highly Recommended.


Synopsis: Dreverhaven (Jan Decleir), the city's most feared bailiff, is discovered with a knife through his heart, and a young, self-taught lawyer (Fedja van Huet) who just passed his exams was the last person to see the man alive. But what was his connection to the dead man? The police are mighty interested to know, and the young barrister is ready to tell the story of a lifetime. This Dutch-Belgian drama won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. (Netflix)


Available on DVD