Tag: Indochine

Oscar Predictions: Nouvelle Vague

Could France’s selection for International Feature come from Texas’s Richard Linklater? Judging from reaction at Cannes, that’s a distinct possibility with Nouvelle Vague. The period piece recounts the filming of the landmark French New Wave pic Breathless with Guillaume Marbeck as director Jean-Luc Godard and Zoey Deutch as star Jean Seberg.

It’s no surprise that viewers in Cannes are appreciating Nouvelle as it stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. How it translates outside of its native country remains to be seen. The French have gotten 8 of their contenders for IFF nominated in the 21st century including last year’s Emilia Pérez. You have to go back to 1992 and Indochine for their previous winner.

If this were their pick in the international race, there could be enough support to make the quintet. I’m not sure if branches out anywhere beyond that despite praise for its two leads. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: The Count of Monte Cristo

France may have a tricky decision to make when it comes to selecting their Best International Feature Film contender. One such hopeful is The Count of Monte Cristo based on the mid-19th century adventure by Alexandre Dumas. It premiered at Cannes in May and is out in its native country already. Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière co-direct with a cast including Pierre Niney, Bastien Bouillon, Anaïs Demoustier, Anamaria Vartolomei, and Laurent Lafitte.

Based on a small number of reviews, Count totals 100% on RT. They’re not all raves, but are encouraging enough that France should consider it for submission. Another Cannes premiere – the animated The Most Precious of Cargoes from the Oscar winning The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius – drew a more mixed reaction. Audrey Diwan’s thriller Emmanuelle is arriving this fall and it could also be a player in the awards game.

Eight pictures from France have made the cut in the 21st century with no victors (you have to go back to 1992’s Indochine for that). Cristo could get in, but I wouldn’t count on it becoming the first winner in over three decades. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Watch: The Truth

Film festival season is upon us! And that means you can expect a ton of Oscar Watch posts over the coming days emanating from Venice, Telluride, and Toronto. We begin with The Truth, which opened Venice just hours ago. It comes from director Hirokazu Kore’eda, fresh off his predecessor Shoplifters nabbing a Foreign Language Film nod last year.

The pic casts legendary French actress Catherine Deneuve as an aging screen diva. Early reviews are solid, but it’s likely any awards chatter will center around its lead and not the director or the supporting cast that includes Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke.

Deneuve’s sole Oscar nomination was 27 years ago for Indochine. Her latest scored a splashy festival premiere, but it needs to pick up distribution and a 2019 release date to be viable. It probably will and while it could be somewhat of a long shot, I wouldn’t count out the chances for her inclusion.

My Oscar Watch posts will continue…