List of submissions to the 95th Academy Awards for Best International Film

[anonymous1980]

Missing Home, Indonesia (Bene Dion Rajagukguk) 8/10 - A Batak man and his wife pretend to be on the brink of divorce in order to get their young adult children to finally come home. This family dramedy from Indonesia is that country's entry to this year's Oscars in the International Feature category. Watching it, you can definitely see why. The film features a culture I am not at all familiar with (the Batak, one of the indigenous peoples from Indonesia) yet the themes tackled ring very universal. In a way, it's a very old-fashioned, well-worn story of the relationship of parents and children and the generation clash. But seeing it through a specific time, place and culture, it feels fresh and doesn't feel corny or predictable. It is funny, sweet, moving with some good performances from its ensemble of actors. It's a tad too long, sure but it's a very good piece of work that hits mostly all the right notes.

Can it get in? You know, if enough of the right Academy members (older parents) see this one, I can definitely see it surprising by popping up in the Top 15. No joke!

[Reza]

The submission from Pakistan is Joyland (2022) which I have yet to see as it releases on November 18 here.

It won the Jury Prize and Queer Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

[anonymous1980]

All Quiet on the Western Front, Germany (Edward Berger) 9/10 - This is German film adaptation of the Erich Maria Remarque novel about an young German man who went goes from idealist patriot to traumatized soldier carrying the mental and physical brutality of war. I saw the Best Picture Oscar winning film adaptation and I remember just liking but not loving it. I was amazed to find out Germany has never adapted the book until now so I guess it's high time, no? The result is a beautiful and brutal indictment of war and its horrific effect on the individual soldier. Yes, we have seen a lot of war films do this before. Yes, we all agree that war is inherently evil. But despite all that, the film still resonates and is still powerful nevertheless. The craft in this is impeccable and the acting is great all-around. I watched this on Netflix and I wish I saw it in the big-screen. The imagery here is stunning. All in all, great piece of work.

Can it get in? Yes, it could even win. It could also win Cinematography and Sound (and personally, I'd be more shocked if this film didn't get those nominations rather than International Feature). It's also in contention for Editing and Makeup & Hairstyling. It could even be competitive in Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay.

[anonymous1980]

Argentina, 1985, Argentina (Santiago Mitre) 8.5/10 - This film, based on real events, follows the prosecution of the ring leaders of Argentina's civil-military dictatorship. This has come to be known as the Trial of the Juntas. I knew next to nothing about this chapter in Argentina's history but I didn't need to play catch up because my own country has been trying to deal with the results of government, police and military led atrocities from the Marcos dictatorship and the extra-judicial killings under Duterte. So this hit close to home for me because it tackles a lot of the themes that we have been talking about in my own country which experience, and likely still experiencing, similar atrocities. Yes, the film, in many ways, is a courtroom procedural through and through but it is quite effective as such. The performances of the ensemble cast led by Ricardo Darin as the head prosecutor are all great. It's nothing groundbreaking but a gripping true-to-life drama nevertheless.

Can it get in? It's possible. If this was the 80's or 90's, it may have been more of a slam dunk but I can see this making the Top 15 at least.

[anonymous1980]

One for the Road, Thailand (Nattawut Poonpiriya) 6/10 - A young Thai man living the life in New York gets a call from an old friend back in the old country. He's terminally ill and wants to go on a road trip wherein he "returns" items as well as get some closure on his ex-girlfriends. One of the biggest surprises watching this is the credit "produced by Wong Kar-wai". I can see the influence though with the beautiful cinematography and the clever use of needle drops. As for the rest of the film, well, the first half pretty much goes as you sort of expect it to go. But then it makes a left turn in the second half when it almost becomes a different movie all together and not to mention bloating its running time. The two halves don't quite fit in as a whole despite it being consistently well-acted and well-shot. Overall, a good but far from great film.

Can it get in? Very doubtful.

[anonymous1980]

Girl Picture, Finland (Alli Haapasalo) 8/10 - This is coming-of-age film that focuses on three adolescent girls, two best friends and a figure skater who has a romance with one of them. It chronicles three particular Fridays of their lives which prove to be significant. In many ways this is a very typical coming-of-age film about girls on the cusp of adulthood. The difference is that this film is quite grounded than your typical mainstream film. There's no high drama or broad comedy here. Just a matter-of-fact, non-judgmental look into young girls as they navigate their way through this point in their lives as they struggle with what they wanna do in life, their family issues as well as exploring their sexuality. It doesn't really break new ground but it is a very lovely, sometimes even touching film that's beautifully acted. This is worth a look.

Can it get in? I think this is too young-skewing for the Academy but a Top 15 placement isn't out of the question.

[anonymous1980]

The Philippines has announced its entry...and I've seen it!

On the Job: The Missing 8, The Philippines (Erik Matti) 8.5/10 - A radio host who's a vocal supporter of a powerful mayor start to question his allegiance when his colleagues at the newspaper he works for disappears. This was screened as a 3.5 hour film in Venice LAST year where it deservedly won the Best Actor prize for the lead actor John Arcilla. I saw it in the form of a miniseries on HBO Go Asia (which recently got nominated for an International Emmy, which is why I'm wondering if this is even eligible for the Oscars) and I've been told apart from editing in titles and credits in between chapters, it's pretty much the same film so I'll review it as such. Yes, it's a very long film but director Erik Matti's pacing is brisk and personally, I think the arc of the lead character benefits from such a long running time which contributes to his performance. If you're a Filipino or if you follow Filipino politics at all, you can definitely see the parallels and what this film is saying about a certain someone. But even if you don't, this is still a pretty slick and exciting political thriller which will give you a lot to chew on. Excellent film.

Can it get in? If this is ruled eligible, I would say in terms of merit, it richly deserves to get in. But the long running time and the fact that it's a sequel could prove detrimental.

[Big Magilla]

I suspect that the German remake of All Quiet on the Western Front with its not-so-subtle comparisons to the senseless war in Ukraine will be virtually unbeatable no matter what it is nominated against.

[anonymous1980]

Russia will not be submitting an entry this year. Can’t say I’m surprised.

[anonymous1980]

First round of reviews:

Decision to Leave, South Korea (Park Chan-wook) 9.5/10 - A police detective investigates a Chinese woman who is suspected of killing her husband. Then he falls in love with her. And that is just the beginning. Structurally, this is basically a classic neo-noir with all the familiar narrative and character tropes but writer-director Park Chan-wook goes into surprising and unexpected directions, which of course I won't spoil here, which makes this film cut deeper and makes it more thrilling and resonant. This makes this film go from a good film to a great film. Tang Wei gives a great performance as what's ostensibly the femme fatale of the piece. This is definitely one of Park Chan-wook's best films and one of my top favorite films of the year so far. Highly recommended.

Can it get in? Yes. Absolutely. It's gonna make at least the Top 15. Hell, it could even win the damn thing. Also deserves Picture, Director, Actress, Screenplay and Editing.

Klondike, Ukraine (Maryna Er Gorbach) 7.5/10 - A family living in a village right in the Russian-Ukrainian border gets caught up in both the war and the shooting down of the civilian passenger plane in 2014. This is Ukraine's entry in the Best International Feature Oscar race. With the recently escalating war between Russia and Ukraine, this film is of course very much of our time. The one thing that surprised me about this film is that it doesn't completely wallow in the shocking horrors of war but it also depicts the various everyday mundane things about trying to live your life in a war zone which in itself makes the scenes in which they do depict the horrors a bit more impactful. It helps to have excellent actors too which they do have here in spades. Overall, a solid drama.

Can it get in? The fact that this is a Ukrainian submission and of course the Russia-Ukraine war is in the headlines gives this drama a boost so more people are gonna watch it and vote for it. It could make Top 15.

[Reza]

India surprisingly didn't submit worldwide hit RRR for their Best International Feature entry and instead of going with Chhello Show.

I'm glad as RRR (despite its huge boxoffice success) is completely over the top and not in a fun way.

The regional Indian film (Gujrati) chosen is about a 9-year old boy's obsession with movies.

[anonymous1980]

India surprisingly didn't submit worldwide hit RRR for their Best International Feature entry and instead of going with Chhello Show.

[anonymous1980]

Some countries have announced their Oscar submissions already.

This will also be the thread where I will be reviewing the submissions too when I get to see them.