OSCAR PREDICTIONS
by
Nathaniel
R
days
until OSCAR NOMINATIONS
ARE ANNOUNCED!
days
until OSCAR NIGHT!
| _France_ | _to_ | _Norway_ |
FOREIGN
RELEASES (2005) BOX OFFICE
/
FOREIGN COUNTRIES -OSCAR
RECORDS / 2004 -LAST
YEAR'S SUBMISSIONS
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Georgia 1 nomination Tbilisi-Tbilisi Levan Zakareishvili |
||||
| SPC
-March 2006 (cuz that's good for an X-Mas flick?) |
no
US distribution |
Zeitgeist
Opening TBA |
no
US distribution |
THINKFilm
Opens Jan 2006 |
|
details ... international stars on parade: Diane Kruger (Troy), Benno Fürman (Princess & Warrior), Guillaume Canet (Love Me if You Dare) , and Daniel Brühl (Goodbye Lenin!) synopsis Christman Eve for WW I French, German, and Scottish soldiers. misc info ... academy reaction: positive. And you know how much AMPAS likes to nominate France. |
details 87 min ? 107 min? starring ... synopsis Contemporary life in Georgia as viewed through the prism of an out of work filmmaker and screenwriter and the lives of his friends. misc info ... academy reaction: mixed. AMPAS likes beautiful films above all else --especially in this category. |
details 117 min (German) starring Julia Jentsch (The Edukators) synopsis A biopic on anti-Nazi heroine Sophie Scholl. misc info winner of 3 German Oscars and 2 silver bears at the BIFF academy reaction: very positive. Likely finalist. |
details ??? min (Mandarin) starring The Pan Asian supertstar cast includes: pop star Jacky Cheung, Zhou Xun, Jin-Hee Ji, and Film Experience favorite Takeshi Kaneshiro (House of Flying Daggers) synopsis A behind the scenes romance takes place during the making of a musical. misc info of Hong Kong's Chairman of their Federation of Motion Film Producers calls it "the most unique film in Hong Kong film history". The DP is Peter Pau of Crouching Tiger fame. not selected: Jackie Chan's The Myth and Stanley Kwan's Everlasting Love academy reaction: positive. and the Academy likes musicals. |
details 134 min (Hungarian, German) starring Marcell Nagy, Balint Pentek synopsis This Holocaust drama is based on the book about the deathcamp at Buchenwald. misc info This is the directorial debut of Oscar nominated cinematographer Lajos Koltai (Malena, Being Julia, Mephisto) Jeremy's Movie Martyr review academy reaction: has passionate supporters. but very very bleak for them. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Iceland 1 nomination In Tune With Time (Í takt vid tímann) Ágúst Gudmundsson |
Iran 1 nomination So Close, So Far (Kheli Dour Kheli Nazdik) Reza Mir-Karimi site |
|||
| no
US distribution |
Now
on DVD |
no
US distribution |
no
US distribution |
no
US distribution |
|
details ??? min (Icelandic) starring The cast of 1982's Med Allt á Hreinu which this film is a sequel to. synopsis The story of the reunion of a band. misc info This is a musical comedy. academy reaction: mixed. |
details 140 min (Hindi) starring Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Suniel Shetty, Juhi Chawla, Amitabh Bachchan synopsis A folk tale about a woman who must choose between a ghost she loves and her long absent husband. misc info ... not selected: The other two finalists were Black starring two of Paheli's actors and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi starring Shiny Ahuja. Previously considered was also Swades from Lagaan's director Ashutosh Gowariker academy reaction: they've gone Bollywood before. but this year? Not as likely. |
details ... starring ... synopsis This film is about a political activist Soe Hok Gie misc info ... academy reaction: mixed to positive. But they don't usually nominate films that are very spcifically about the country's politics (i.e. American voting body has to be able to jump into it) |
details 119 min. (Farsi) starring Masoud Rayegan, Fereshteh Sadr Orafaei, Elham Hamidi, and Mohsen Qazimoradi synopsis A self-absorbed man goes on a spiritual journey to locate and reconcile with his 18-year-old son. misc info The Iranian selection committee was impressed by the film's look at "the deeper complexities of the human psyche" The film swept Iran's Oscars including 4 acting awards for the actors listed above. academy reaction: mixed. but unlikeability of protagonist a problem for AMPAS. |
details |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Israel 6 nominations What a Wonderful Place (Eize Makom Nifla) Eyal Halfon |
Italy 26 noms / 10 wins La Bestia Nel Cuore (The Beast in the Heart) Cristina Comencini |
Japan 11 nominations Blood & Bones (Chi to Hone) Yoichi Sai official site |
||
| no
US distribution |
no
US distribution |
no
US distribution |
no
US distribution |
no
US distribution |
|
details 104 min (Hebrew, Tagalog, Russian, English) starring Uri Gavriel, Avi Oria, Yossi Graber, Evelyn Kaplun synopsis ? misc info ? not selected: Muchrachim Lehiyot Samech (I'd call it Be Happy), Bekarov Yikre Lekha Mashehu Tov (Something Good Will Happen to You Soon), Karov L'Bayit (Close to Home) and L'Maryit Aein academy reaction: mixed. unlikeability of characters usually a problem for AMPAS |
details ... starring ... synopsis Family melodrama misc info Private by Saverio Costanzo (official site), which will open in the US (Typecast) in December was rejected by the Academy. Italy was allowed to resubmit. (more info) not selected: Handbook of Love, Consequences of Love, Days of Abandonment, Once You're Born You Can No Longer Hide, Quo Vadis, Baby? Smalltown, Italy,The Remains of Nothing, and Viva Zapatero! academy reaction: very positive. |
details 140 min (Japanese, Korean) starring "Beat" Takeshi Kitano synopsis A violent drunk becomes a loan shark in post war Japan. It also deals with Japan and Korea's difficult relationship. misc info Based on a bestseller it received 12 nominations at the Japanese Oscars -but no best picture win. academy reaction: positive but maybe too harsh for AMPAS voters when it comes time for voting. |
details 133 min (Korean) starring Ha-Kyun Shin, Jae-Yeong Jeong, Hye-Jeong Kang synopsis Based on a play about soldiers living amongst villagers who have no idea that a war is taking place. misc info ... academy reaction: mixed to very positive. It has a shot. |
details ... starring ... synopsis ... misc info Prizes in Montreal and Brussels but this category has not been kind to animated submissions. This is not the first but none have ever been nominated. academy reaction: mixed. the academy has never gone for an animated submission in this category. |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Mexico 5 nominations Al Otro Lado Gustavo Loza |
Mongolia never nominated The Cave of the Yellow Dog Byambasuren Davaa |
Norway 5 noms/ 0 wins Vinterkyss (Kissed by Winter) Sara Johnsen |
||
no
US distribution |
no
US distribution |
|||
|
details 90 min (Spanish / Arabic) starring The great Carmen Maura as well as Vanessa Bauche (Amores perros), Nuriah Badih, and Ignacio Guadalupe. synopsis Three stories about immigration. misc info a minor hit in Mexico, celebrated by the mainstream media but not universally praised by the critics. not selected: Battle in Heaven from the divisive Carlos Reygadas. 3 Club, El mago/The magician, Ni muy muy ni tan tan, Sangre , Ver, oir & callar academy reaction: mixed to positive. |
details 93 min (Mongolian) starring ... synopsis A six year old girl saves an abandoned puppy life. But her Nomadic family believe the dog is bad luck. misc info from the director of the foreign hit The Story of the Weeping Camel academy reaction: positive. just their cup of tea. |
details ... starring ... synopsis a Norwegian doctor seeks to escape her troubled past in a wintry village misc info This is the director's first feature. academy reaction: positive. Norway could return to the shortlist. Longshot. |
||
