…………………………………………………

2018 Foreign Film Oscar Analysis

2018 was an absolutely awesome year for foreign movies which easily trumped the American ones in terms of quality. And that even took an effect on the usually clueless Academy which this year actually nominated most of the great movies with only one of the five not being deserving of the nomination.

My Ranking of the Nominees:

5. Cold War

Cold War is the sole undeserving nominee of this bunch. Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski is simply not my cup of tea and though this movie is certainly solid and it has its merits, his directing nod was so not deserved. The movie looks great owing to crisp black-and-white photography and the song choices are diverse and interesting, but still the music overflows the movie to the point of it becoming rather hollow both in plot and in characterization. There were so many better foreign flicks more deserving of this slot.

4. Roma

The fact that a very good movie like Roma got such a low placement on this list just goes to show how truly terrific this slate of nominees is. Yes, in terms of storytelling Roma is rather slight, but in terms of artistry its place in cinematic history is indisputable. Alfonso Cuaron deserved his Oscar win for directing, but even more so for cinematography as the film is filled with an incredible amount of gorgeous shots and takes. It’s also quite moving in its third act and overall beautifully old-fashioned in its feel and look.

3. Never Look Away

This was a major surprise for me. I expected a boring slog of a film, but what I got was strangely involving instead. German nominee Never Look Way is three hours long and undeniably slow in pace, but it’s powerful and engaging nevertheless thanks to a terrific, dramatic set-up, great performances, a beautiful score and one truly effective, stunning third act. It’s a type of artistic, meditative cinema that’s never pretentious, but genuinely poignant and meaningful and it’s a rare long movie which doesn’t feel long.

2. Capernaum

Capernaum is very difficult to sit through. It’s in fact so difficult that it becomes unbearable to its detriment in some scenes. But it’s still an essential look into the Middle Eastern huge birth rate problem and it needs to be seen by as many people as possible if change is to ever happen. The central performance from a hugely talented young kid is masterful, but the direction, the cinematography and score are great too. It’s a very emotional movie that’s very dramatic, so realistic and ultimately it makes a lingering impression.

1. Shoplifters

And of course my number one has to be Shoplifters as it’s to me the second best film of the entire year without any doubt. The performances are strong across the board and the character development is the best of the year as this family felt so real that I felt as if I have just met them. The movie is also well shot, amazingly directed and so well paced. I could not find a single flaw in it and its biggest strength is the director’s ability to make the ordinary cinematic and even magical. Funny, realistic, important, heartwarming and ultimately even tear-inducing, Shoplifters is a Japanese classic for the ages.

Films That Should Have Been Nominated:

Border – How the hell was this miracle snubbed for an Oscar?! It’s an absolute travesty and I know that it’s a weird movie, but it’s so impressively original and unpredictable in its one of a kind plot that I still cannot fathom how more people do not adore it as much as I do as it’s in fact the very best film of 2018 in my opinion.

Birds of Passage – This highly memorable and authentic Colombian crime saga is truly an epic cinematic work. It’s impressively vast in time and emotion, it’s richly populated in its colorful characters and it gives us a great glimpse into the Wayuu culture and their ways with great imagery and attention to detail.

The Guilty – The Guilty is a masterfully made Danish thriller which is hugely unpredictable and absolutely shocking in its end twist that changed everything. Superbly acted and directed, this is one hell of a shocking thriller that’s a perfect example of how what’s not seen is much scarier than what is shown on screen.