Foreign Film Oscar Submissions: Alexander Skarsgård's Little Brother

We haven't heard quite yet if Norway will submit A Somewhat Gentle Man for Oscar consideration but if they do the Skarsgård clan could take up two spots in the Academy's foreign film competition.

The Skarsgårds are totally taking over movies and television! Father Stellan has been in everything for decades now from blockbusters (Pirates of the Caribbean, Mamma Mia) to arthouse favorites and beyond. Alexander Skarsgård, his son (they're pictured left in an old photo), bouyed by the media's ravenous appetite for True Blood has become a hot commodity in the past couple of years. And now little brother Bill Skarsgård has the lead role in Sweden's Oscar entry Simple Simon.

Here's the trailer.



In other foreign film news we know that Peru chose Contracorriente (Undertow) which I previously reviewed and quite liked. It's got seaside beauty, and Oscar likes a good nature shot but it's also a gay romantic drama so who knows if they'll respond well. Meanwhile Hungary continues to rebel against well known Oscar taste by choosing films with a surreal bent. Good for them for being themselves.

Can you imagine how boring it would be for Oscar voters if they had to sit through 60 films that were all inspirational biopics, sports dramas or travelogues with old people and little kid in tow?

Austria to France only one confirmed film, La Pivellina
Germany to The Netherlands three confirmed films including Hungary's crazed-sounding Bibliotheque Pascal
Norway to Vietnam seven films confirmed.

Guess Where I'm Going? Brrrr

My best friend has always wanted to go to Iceland so this year we finally bought tickets. Can't wait to experience The Blue Lagoon and see the Northern Lights (again... they're so amazing). I'll be curating a mini Icelandic film festival before we go. We're going off season because we both love winter (our other friends just have to deal) and it's cheaper!


Though I've seen plentiful Scandinavian films, I think I've only seen two from Iceland: Blóðbönd (Thicker than Water) and Hafið (The Sea) both of which were rather intense family dramas and quite good ones at that. If you've seen any Icelandic films, do share in the comments. I've always wanted to see 101 Reykjavik (on account of my Victoria Abril love) but for reasons I can't fathom I've never rented it. That'll be the first selection in the mini-fest.

Iceland's only been nominated at the Oscars once, for Börn náttúrunnar (Children of Nature) by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, arguably their best known filmmaker. Or he was until Baltasar Kormákur showed up. Baltasar, who also acts, is the current man getting international attention, English language remakes and the one Iceland keeps submitting for Oscar consideration.

Wonder what they'll submit this year? Both of those directors have new films but Baltasar's latest Inhale is in English with an international cast (Diane Kruger, Dermot Mulroney, Vincent Perez, Sam Shepard, etcetera) and thus ineligible. Friðriksson, on the other hand, made an Icelandic autobiographical mother/son alzheimer's film called Mamma Gógó. And, get this, it directly involves and references his Oscar success Children of Nature and subsequent financial struggles as his mother begins to fall apart. Here's the trailer (via Twitch)



*
To read more about possible Oscar action in the upcoming foreign language film category, chase these links: Albania to France | Georgia to the Netherlands | Norway to Vietnam

*

Oscar's List.

Jose here with some Oscar news.

If the Academy often gets trashed for its choices, their Foreign Language Committee takes this to the ultimate level. Year after year they specialize in ignoring avant garde, gritty, groundbreaking cinema in favor of WWII dramas, epic soap operas and unimaginative biopics.

This year however, they didn't mess it up so much, their shortlist released earlier today stands as follows:

• Argentina, El Secreto de Sus Ojos, Juan Jose Campanella (discussed previously here)
  
• Australia, Samson & Delilah, Warwick Thornton
  
• Bulgaria, The World Is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner, Stephan Komandarev
  
• France, Un Prophète, Jacques Audiard
  
• Germany, The White Ribbon, Michael Haneke, director
• Israel, Ajami, Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani
  
• Kazakhstan, Kelin, Ermek Tursunov
  
• The Netherlands, Winter in Wartime, Martin Koolhoven
  
• Perú, The Milk of Sorrow, Claudia Llosa

Out of this list, five movies will move on and be nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar (if you aren't familiar with the nomination process you can read more about it here).

It's a relief of sorts to see how The White Ribbon and A Prophet, which have been considered the frontrunners since their debut in Cannes last May, weren't snubbed.
AMPAS has shown special reluctance to agree with the French film festival and has ignored prominent films like Gomorrah last year and 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days in 2007 to nominate more Oscar friendly pics.

This year alone we saw how Departures-the "safest" choice- won over The Class, Revanche and Waltz With Bashir.
Their shortlist however proves that they are perhaps vying for a change considering that only one of the movies (Winter in Wartime) deals specifically with WWII and they snubbed baity choices like Max Manus from Norway.

Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon which won the Golden Globe on Sunday and swept the European Film Awards in December, might prove to be a crossover hit with some people hinting at Haneke's possibility of being nominated in the Screenplay and Director categories at the Oscars.

Australia's submission also proves to be an interesting choice considering how this committee often disregards movies that contain any traces of the English language and the haunting love story between outback aborigines pushes their limits in this sense.

Of course no year can come without a conspicuous snub and once again the Foreign Language Committee shows that they aren't impressed by Romania's New Wave, snubbing the wonderful Police, Adjective altogether. This decade Romania has specialized in raw, documentary like cinema unafraid to look at the ugliest parts of their society through a darkly humorous lens.
AMPAS has yet to recognize any of their films.

Have you seen any of the possible nominees? Which do you think will make it to the top five?

Brad Pitt is a "Basterd"

Whutaver thet is...


This beauty is the first promotional pic for Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds. As a former spelling bee champion, I object. Especially coming from a writer/director as language-loving as Tarantino. But that's neither here nor there today since I have never in my life objected to one Mr. William Bradley Pitt. And you can spell that any way you like.

As per usual, QT is using Bob Richardson as his DP and Sally Menke as editor (double yay!). Costume Designer Anna B Sheppard, a go-to costumer whenever World War II is in sight (The Pianist, Schindler's List, Band of Brothers), is doing the costumes. I'm not even going to hold the fact that she ditched me on an interview a few years back against her --in fact I've completely forgotten that that ever happened! ;) In fact, I'll just forgive everyone involved with this production for everything they've ever done to annoy me previously or in the future since I never in a million years believed that Tarantino would be back behind a camera again this soon. I'm so pleased he's not taking another unecessary 5 year break between movies.

The loud-mouthed auteur has also lined up a diverse, eccentric and bound to be gratifying ensemble of players. The names include German movie stars Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl and Til Schweiger as well as Michael Fassbender (hot off Hunger), director Eli Roth (Hostel --I suspect Tarantino will have fun offing him in some grotesque way as a barely inside joke), Mike Myers, Cloris Leachman (!?) and Tarantino returning player Julie Dreyfus (she who was horrifically mutilated in Kill Bill. We assume he'll give her both arms back) among several lesser knowns. Watch at least two of these actors deliver their best work ever. That's how QT do.

The suits (Weinstein Co & Universal) are saying this'll be in movie theaters in June 2009. Stop laughing! Okay okay. Watch for a Christmas release in 2009 or even a 2010 run should Tarantino want to fuss about in post.
*

Presidential

I'm heading to DC in a few hours where I'll be staying for the next few weeks for an off-writing gig [editors note: it's true: TFE doesn't pay the bills. *sniffle* so I take non-writing jobs to replenish the bank account on occassion]. I've been to DC a couple of times before and always enjoyed the journey.

I've heard they've shuttered every single one of the wild clubs I once hit and loved (ugh. DC was so sexy/crazy just 5 years ago... what happened?) but my favorite touristy things aren't going anywhere ever. They'll all be standing long after we're all dead and buried. The three things I'm craziest about.

1. the hugely moving Vietnam memorial. You'll never see anything like this built again. Public pieces are too artistically diluted these days by committees, polls, media scrutiny and aesthetic unfriendly corporations.
   
2. the ruby slippers in the Smithsonian. It's my Judy G problem -- or my Judy G blessing however you wanna see it.
   
3. The majestic Lincoln Memorial. I've always responded to massive statuary.

I was thinking about that last one today and wondering when and if we'll ever see Liam Neeson (an underrated star) play Abraham Lincoln in the Steven Spielberg directed biopic which is currently slated for 2010. I hope so. Spielberg has made a few bios in his time atop Hollywood's directorial pack but Schindler's List (starring, hey... Liam Neeson!) was easily the best of them. Lincoln seems like a good match of actor and role. Supposedly Neeson has already read 22 books on the 16th president to prepare. Biopics are usually the quickest way to Oscar glory but it's never a sure thing: Kinsey didn't win him a nomination even after an LAFCA prize. Maybe the reunion with Spielberg will give him a boost?

I was on iChat with a friend yesterday and I jokingly suggested he pop over to DC to see me. Unfortunately he had vowed he wasn't setting foot there until Bush have moved on. So the timing was wrong. For him, I throw up this hilarious (and true) running mate campaign logo...


...which I found at Lazy Circles . Also I'd like to remind y'all that Obama has way better taste in reel presidents than John McCain.

Anyway... If you're familiar with DC, I'd love to hear suggestions about things to see and do and places to eat on the odd evenings when I'm out on the town.