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davoarid wrote:

eerik wrote:

Best Foreign Language Film
Tangerines (Estonia)

\:D/

I'm not super engaged on the world cinema screen, but this morning was the first time I'd ever come across that title (and I'd never heard the director's name before, either). Does it have a real shot at winning?

Zero chance of winning and nobody is expecting that. The nomination itself is probably the biggest accomplishment Estonian cinema has achieved. At least in terms of widespread attention the nomination will generate.

Here are the 323 films considered by the Academy as 2014 releases.

PDF

Sight & Sound's top films of the year. While I understand why The Wolf of Wall Street is in there, it still irritates me - essentially it is a 2013 film, and putting the film in there just prevents a more appropriate film being on the list.

It freed up that spot last year, when it didn't make the list. In fact, last year they only did a top 10, which prevented a lot more films from being listed.

IndieWire poll is now up. Finally, recognition for Fiennes and Cotillard in what I also thought were two of the years finest performances.

Shortlist for the Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Foxcatcher
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Guardians of the Galaxy
Maleficent
Noah
The Theory of Everything

What do you think will get nominated?

Birdman has netted thirteen Critics Choice Awards noms-- as Gold Derby points out, the CCA are very good Oscar predictors. It does seem like the Grand Budapest Hotel is gaining steam, at least, with its eleven noms here!

I wouldn't be entirely surprised if a late-game surge by Selma surprised both Boyhood and Birdman. I haven't seen it yet, but it seems like it might hit that sweet spot between critical darling and crowdpleaser. It certainly ticks all of the normal Academy boxes, and speaks to the cultural zeitgeist too. Paramount may have fumbled the release a bit by holding it so long and not getting it in front of the Screen Actors' Guild voters early enough, I think they've changed up the release schedule a bit though, with it going wider on Christmas than originally planned.

The Village Voice Film Poll is out. The most remarkable winner is Marion Cotillard - they combined votes for her performances in Two Days, One Night and The Immigrant to give her a gigantic win. Apparently, had they left them separate, she would've claimed the top two spots (with Two Days, One Night coming out on top).

Best Live Action Short Film Oscar Shortlist
Aya
Baghdad Messi
Boogaloo and Graham
Butter Lamp
Carry On
My Father's Truck
Parvaneh
The Phone Call
SLR
Summer Vacation

Foreign Language Film shortlist:
Argentina, "Wild Tales," Damián Szifrón, director;
Estonia, "Tangerines," Zaza Urushadze, director;
Georgia, "Corn Island," George Ovashvili, director;
Mauritania, "Timbuktu," Abderrahmane Sissako, director;
Netherlands, "Accused," Paula van der Oest, director;
Poland, "Ida," Paweł Pawlikowski, director;
Russia, "Leviathan," Andrey Zvyagintsev, director;
Sweden, "Force Majeure," Ruben Östlund, director;
Venezuela, "The Liberator," Alberto Arvelo, director.


"Tangerines" is in! \:D/

eerik wrote:Foreign Language Film shortlist:
Argentina, "Wild Tales," Damián Szifrón, director;
Estonia, "Tangerines," Zaza Urushadze, director;
Georgia, "Corn Island," George Ovashvili, director;
Mauritania, "Timbuktu," Abderrahmane Sissako, director;
Netherlands, "Accused," Paula van der Oest, director;
Poland, "Ida," Paweł Pawlikowski, director;
Russia, "Leviathan," Andrey Zvyagintsev, director;
Sweden, "Force Majeure," Ruben Östlund, director;
Venezuela, "The Liberator," Alberto Arvelo, director.


"Tangerines" is in! \:D/

But Winter Sleep is out.
EDIT: So is Mommy.

Umm... Where is Norte?

Norte was never a good bet to make the shortlist. It's not the most unlikely submission for the foreign-language award—The Wayward Cloud has it beat easily—but it's up there.

As for Tangerines, I don't know any more about it than 99% of the posters here, but it's up for a Golden Globe so it obviously has fans in the "establishment." The foreign-language category has produced some upsets at the Oscars (I'm thinking especially of No Man's Land and Departures), and while Force Majeure has the most heat behind it, it's not a juggernaut the way Amour was a couple of years back.

So I've only seen Ida and Force Majeure and quite liked them both. Heard good things about Leviathan, but was unimpressed by the trailer and the director's previous efforts. So which of the others are worth seeing?

Wild Tales is reportedly very good.

The Fanciful Norwegian wrote:Norte was never a good bet to make the shortlist.

I was more expressing my disappointment that it won't get wider recognition than surprise at its exclusion. Still, I thought it might have had a chance at getting nominated! Bummer.

Regarding Tangerines, I'm mostly cheering for my country and not the film itself. It's an okay picture, nothing astonishing, nothing groundbreaking. Compared to the competition it's a very low budget, low profile title. No major names, just two small government-funded production companies. I actually haven't seen any of it's competitors yet, but getting a Golden Globe nomination and being shortlisted for the Oscars is what you could easily call "overperforming". I guess its anti-war message is very timely, especially when Russia is involved, and melts the hearts of the voters.

I was hoping Cotillard would get the Dardennes the recognition they deserve. Her performance was everything one could hope for, but even then it wasn't enough.

eerik wrote:Regarding Tangerines, I'm mostly cheering for my country and not the film itself. It's an okay picture, nothing astonishing, nothing groundbreaking.

Sounds like we have a winner!

Oscar for Best Original Song shortlist:
"It's On Again" from "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"
"Opportunity" from "Annie"
"Lost Stars" from "Begin Again"
"Grateful" from "Beyond the Lights"
"Big Eyes" from "Big Eyes"
"Immortals" from "Big Hero 6"
"The Apology Song" from "The Book of Life"
"I Love You Too Much" from "The Book of Life"
"The Boxtrolls Song" from "The Boxtrolls"
"Quattro Sabatino" from "The Boxtrolls"
"Ryan's Song" from "Boyhood"
"Split The Difference" from "Boyhood"
"No Fate Awaits Me" from "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them
"Brave Souls" from "Dolphin Tale 2"
"You Got Me" from "Dolphin Tale 2"
"All Our Endless Love" from "Endless Love"
"Let Me In" from "The Fault in Our Stars"
"Not About Angels" from "The Fault in Our Stars"
"Until The End" from "Garnet's Gold"
"It Just Takes A Moment" from "Girl on a Bicycle"
"Last Stop Paris" from "Girl on a Bicycle"
"Ordinary Human" from "The Giver"
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You" from "Glen Campbell...I'll Be Me"
"Find A Way" from "The Good Lie"
"Color The World" from "The Hero of Color City"
"The Last Goodbye" from "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"
"Chariots" from "The Hornet's Nest"
"Follow Me" from "The Hornet's Nest"
"Something To Shoot For" from "Hot Guys with Guns"
"For The Dancing And The Dreaming" from "How to Train Your Dragon 2"
"Afreen" from "The Hundred-Foot Journey"
"Yellow Flicker Beat" from "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1"
"Heart Like Yours" from "If I Stay"
"I Never Wanted To Go" from "If I Stay"
"Mind" from "If I Stay"
"Everything Is Awesome" from "The Lego Movie"
"Call Me When You Find Yourself" from "Life Inside Out"
"Coming Back To You" from "Life of an Actress The Musical"
"The Life Of An Actress" from "Life of an Actress The Musical"
"Sister Rust" from "Lucy"
"You Fooled Me" from "Merchants of Doubt"
"Million Dollar Dream" from "Million Dollar Arm"
"Spreading The Word/Makhna" from "Million Dollar Arm"
"We Could Be Kings" from "Million Dollar Arm"
"A Million Ways To Die" from "A Million Ways to Die in the West"
"Way Back When" from "Mr. Peabody & Sherman"
"America For Me" from "A Most Violent Year"
"I'll Get You What You Want (Cockatoo In Malibu)" from "Muppets Most Wanted"
"Something So Right" from "Muppets Most Wanted"
"We're Doing A Sequel" from "Muppets Most Wanted"
"Mercy Is" from "Noah"
"Seeds" from "Occupy the Farm"
"Grant My Freedom" from "The One I Wrote for You"
"The One I Wrote For You" from "The One I Wrote for You"
"Hal" from "Only Lovers Left Alive"
"Shine" from "Paddington"
"Still I Fly" from "Planes: Fire & Rescue"
"Batucada Familia" from "Rio 2"
"Beautiful Creatures" from "Rio 2"
"Poisonous Love" from "Rio 2"
"What Is Love" from "Rio 2"
"Over Your Shoulder" from "Rudderless"
"Sing Along" from "Rudderless"
"Stay With You" from "Rudderless"
"Everyone Hides" from "St. Vincent"
"Why Why Why" from "St. Vincent"
"Glory" from "Selma"
"The Morning" from "A Small Section of the World"
"Special" from "Special"
"Gimme Some" from "#Stuck"
"The Only Thing" from "Third Person"
"Battle Cry" from "Transformers: Age of Extinction"
"Miracles" from "Unbroken"
"Summer Nights" from "Under the Electric Sky"
"We Will Not Go" from "Virunga"
"Heavenly Father" from "Wish I Was Here"
"So Now What" from "Wish I Was Here"
"Long Braid" from "Work Weather Wife"
"Moon" from "Work Weather Wife"

It's interesting that Tangerines is actually an Estonian/Georgian co-production, filmed and set in Georgia, with a Georgian writer and director. So in a sense, Georgia has two films on the shortlist, both of them about characters caught in the crossfire of the 1992/93 war in Abkhazia. Strange....

David Ehrlich's montage of the top 25 films of the year for Little White Lies magazine. I can't wait to see the latest Sion Sono film!