Tag: One Fine Morning

Oscar Predictions: Saint Omer

The French cinematic community had some choices as to which pic to submit for their International Feature Film contender at the Oscars. There’s critically appreciated efforts such as Mia Hansen-Love’s One Fine Morning and Romain Gavras’s Athena. Yet they (unsurprisingly) went with Alice Diop’s Saint Omer. Making her first non-documentary film, Diop has already garnered buzz for the legal drama.

Omer received the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival (basically the fest’s second place award). That positive reaction continued in Toronto and it holds a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%.

2015’s Mustang and 2019’s Les Miserables are the only two French IFF hopefuls of the past decade. I currently have Omer listed in fourth position behind Decision to Leave, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Close. It’s a long shot to win, but it has a great shot to make the cut. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: One Fine Morning

Mia Hansen-Love’s romance/drama One Fine Morning debuted at Cannes in May and is now doing a fall festival run that includes Toronto. The French pic is the latest acclaimed feature from a director who has had several (most recently last year’s Bergman Island). Lea Seydoux leads a cast that includes Melvil Poupaud, Pascal Greggory, and Nicole Garcia.

With Sony Picture Classics handling distribution, the French may have a dilemma on their hands. Morning has an impressive 96% Rotten Tomatoes rating and could be a solid choice for the country’s International Feature Film submission. However, they also have Romain Gavris’s buzzy action drama Athena. While its RT score is lower at 67%, the positive reviews are very positive and it will certainly have its champions for IFF inclusion.

Hansen-Love, despite plenty of heralded pics, has yet to receive any attention from the Academy. That’s part of the reason why I wouldn’t be surprised if France ultimately selects Athena as its hopeful for awards season. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Athena

2015’s Mustang and 2019’s Les Miserables are the only two International Feature Film nominees in the past decade from France. Romain Gavras’s Athena hopes to be the next. It will need to overcome mixed reviews and competition from other native pictures. The action drama streams stateside on September 23rd via Netflix and premiered at the Venice Film Festival today. Dani Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon, and Ouassini Embarek star.

Focused on themes including police brutality, it’s worth pointing out that the positive reviews for Athena are quite positive and it should have its champions for Academy inclusion. Yet the Rotten Tomatoes score is a little troubling at the moment with 63%. France will, of course, need to select it as the hopeful for its international prize. Internal competition could come in the form of Mia Hansen-Love’s acclaimed One Fine Morning or Saint Omer from Alice Diop.

Bottom line: I suspect that RT number may rise, but there’s no guarantee the French will roll with Athena yet. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…