With Revanche I have finally seen all the nominees for best foreign film in 2008, as chosen by Oscar voters. They had their best, and so do I---the Andrew Awards have returned!!! (I know, you are ALL so excited!)
The nominees are: The Baader-Meinhof Complex from Germany, The Class from France, Departures from Japan, Revanche from Austria and Waltz with Bashir from Israel. The Oscars chose Departures. We will talk about my choice---
First, let's get rid of a couple off the bat. Hated The Class...pretentious, over-acted and self important, it was not the least inspiring. The Baader-Meinhof Complex was interesting, but ultimately could not get over the fact that its protagonists are terrorists with little to no good qualities, and the film-makers seemed not to realize that.
This leaves three very good movies. I just posted the review of Revanche, and while it was really good, it did not come up as high as Bashir and Departures. So it is between those two.
Waltz With Bashir was really the front runner for best foreign film according to most reports before the Oscars. that was because many non-Oscar voters had seen it, and few of those people had seen Departures. But the Oscar voters got it right, and the Andrew Award for best foreign film in 2008 is: Departures!
I can't say anything bad at all about Waltzing With Bashir...it was an amazing film. But Departures was beautiful...haunting and lyrical, funny and sad, it talks about death, and the death rites that our modern world seems to be abandoning, as we are abandoning our elderly. It talks about the respect the dead in our families deserve, and the after effects of death...a subject that touches everyone of us at some point.
The 2008 Andre Awards are done-- Here is the synopsis:
Best Picture: Milk
Best Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Best Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Best Director: Steven Daldry, The Reader
Best Foreign Film: Departures, Japan
Best Animated Film: Wall-E
Best Documentary: Man on Wire
The 2009 awards will be starting to post soon, as soon as I finish one category it will go up!
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