Completed Category: International Feature

 Well this is a bonus for sure! I did not think that I was going to complete Foreign International Feature before the big day but the fates conspired to make it so! 

The fates did not prevent me from being tired, and sick though. When's the last time I was sick with such an ugh virus for the actual ceremony?  Which I will be assuming I don't feel much better tomorrow. Hmm. Anyway, allons-y!

IO CAPITANO - ITALY: Spoiler alert that Italy is in this film even less than Florida is in Nyad. And there are about four words of Italian. And it's a co-production of Italy, France, and Belgium but takes place in Senegal, Mali, Niger, Libya, and international waters. Anyway I absolutely loved it but it would be kind of interesting if it won and joined the ranks of Italy winners like The Bicycle Thief, Cinema Paradiso, Life is Beautiful, The Great Beauty...  It won't win though because the winner of this category has already been anointed, but I would love for this to win. It was interesting, compelling, ferocious, and full of humans doing terrible things but also helping one another. I swear, I have two types of films that are My Kind of Movie, and this is one of them - international human rights tragedies I guess. I am trying not to spoiler but I really want to shout out one small part whose actor proved "There are no..." If you've seen it, remember the man who is the go-between when they build the fountain?  There is so much that crosses his face when the Rich Boss Guy comes out to look at it and we get this little twinge of sympathy as we realize his life is seriously on the line here too and he's kind of maybe doing his best?  Or certainly not the worst of the Libya men who do stuff, not by a long shot. There are a million incredible moments in this film and I loved it. 

PERFECT DAYS - JAPAN: This is my other My Kind of Movie. Thoughtful and wistful. I absolutely loved it. Wim Wenders directed it, but it's Japanese, so this continues our cross-cultural shenanigans, and it made me want to hie myself back to Japan (it's been too long). I cannot freaking stand how people talk about people's professions as if that is who they are and I have a million thoughts about that and what capitalism hath wrought and so forth but in this movie I definitely had some feelings about that. Fantastic performance from our lead and a bunch of wonderful profound moments. Ten out of ten! 

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW - SPAIN: About the Uruguayan team plane crash in the Andes. See? Cross-cultural shenanigans everywhere.  The survivors and family gave their approval and some of them even had cameos in the film. It's absolutely fantastic and is possibly the only one with a chance of beating the film that will win this category, although not much of one. It did get an additional nomination, make-up and hairstyling, which was in fact impressive especially at the end as their bodies became gaunt and dirty and ravaged by the time stranded. If you are wondering "Did we need another retelling of this story?" the answer is Yes. We needed this one.  Also, for the record, ever since I heard about this story decades ago I have always been 100% decidedly on #TeamEatTheHumans. No reason not to at all! 

THE TEACHERS' LOUNGE - GERMANY: Very German! Very modern/Gen Alpha kids. This film has a way of ratcheting up the tension as you move around the various school locations and through the days and revelations of new facts as things get stirred up about who is stealing money in the school. There are so many moments when you're so frustrated with these characters - or is that just me?  I did not really love the ending, but at any rate this was interesting for the most part. 

THE ZONE OF INTEREST - UNITED KINGDOM: Because that's what we need, isn't it - the U.K. winning for Best Foreign International Film?!  Hahaha ... it's so going to, though. As I have mentioned a few other places, I did not love this film, which was not a film i.e. a cinematic narrative so much as it was an art project. It took Martin Amis' book title and premise/setting and nothing else, including that it did not take the plot, and it also forgot to replace it with a plot of its own. It shocks us with the revelation - ?? who didn't know this? -- that the evil Nazis went about their lives while committing unspeakable atrocities. I know this film worked for a lot of people but I am not one of them. I was glad when it ended, not that I understand what he's trying to say with the ending -- we shouldn't have janitors? What? Whatever. Mark your Oscar pool ballots for this winner. 

Order I want them to win:
Io Capitano
<tie>Perfect Days and Society of the Snow
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The Teachers' Lounge
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The Zone of Interest 

Order I think they will win: 
The Zone of Interest

Society of the Snow
Io Capitano
Perfect Days
The Teachers' Lounge

Ahhhhhh I am so glad I got to see all of these flicks! My favorite Category!
I'm still not offended by calling it Foreign.