Michael is everywhere!

A postscript of sorts to yesterday's post... Finally sat down this morning to watch (& send off) the Netflix DVD that's been languishing on our kitchen table for at least two weeks, a 2000 Oscar-nominated Belgian film called Everybody's Famous.  I won't give too much away by saying that our protagonist kidnaps a national star in a bid to break out of an increasingly desperate mid-life turn of events--he himself is a frustrated songwriter hoping to jump-start the career of his daughter, who is floundering on the Flemish star-tribute circuit...

Anyhow, the father shows up to negotiate his demands wearing a Michael Jackson mask (which I unfortunately cannot manage to find a picture of on the web--someday I'll sort out how to do screen-shots).  A jarring yet oddly moving moment--and another nod to MJ's global reach...

Head vs. Heart: Counterfitters or Katyn?

HEAD: Now that the Global Cinema class has spoken on their thoughts for the foreign-language Oscar, it's my turn.

HEART: Our turn!

HEAD: Ok, our turn.  But I'm not so sure about this mind/body dichotomy.  Does Descartes know you nicked his blog password?

HEART: Erm....right.  So let's see what the collective intelligence of COMM 371 has to say about Sunday, and we'll throw in our two cents too.

HEAD: First off, nobody's buying Beaufort, which was actually Israel's second choice for their national pick.  I just realized that each and every film nominated this year centers around war.  Sign of the times?

HEART: Afraid so.  The Russian film 12 got two votes--I have to say that I really hope this film doesn't win.  I want to see the film a lot, but having a bunch of Russians sitting around in a Chechyn gymnasium to decide this case (we get it, folks, we get it) is more than I can stomach.

HEAD: Don't you think the 12 Angry Men angle helps it more than it hurts?  But I think that's negated by the fact that Mikhalkov already won one of these in the mid-'90s--Burnt by the Sun is a great film, by the way.

HEART: Then we have a tie--two films that got 2 1/2 votes.  Mongol is a Kazak film on Genghis Khan--we're going to be seeing a lot more films from Central Asia @ BSC in the next year (thanks Soros!), and a win here would be a nice catapult.

HEAD: But...even though this is the foreign-language category, don't you think this is a bit too....erm....foreign for US audiences?  

HEART: And the other film at 2 1/2 is Katyn, the latest from Andrzej Wajda.  We watched several films of his in 430 last semester (Ashes & Diamonds, Man of Marble) and the latter is screening this week for 371.  Did you know that Wajda won a lifetime achievement Oscar several years back, but has never won the foreign-language Oscar?  Here's the chance to right that wrong before he's dead.

HEAD: But they've already done the right thing with that lifetime achievement award--I think they're going to go elsewhere....to The Counterfeiters, to be specific.  Collective intelligence points to the Austrians to win, albeit narrowly at 3 votes.  You've got the WWII angle like Katyn, but it targets Nazis instead of Soviets (always a better Oscar strategy).

HEART: Do we get to talk about the crowds in Vienna welcoming Hitler with open arms upon annexation?  Or do we talk about how we were all victims of Nazism?  I'm afraid it's the latter, and it's depressing.  My vote is for Katyn.

HEAD: And I'm saying The Counterfeiters takes home the trophy.  In the end, I just hope these nominees make their way to Boston-area screens sometime this year--or at least get to f**king Netflix.

HEART:  Peace out.  Tune in Sunday!

Persepolis gets my vote!

Seems to me that the foreign films that have gotten the most buzz / traction this past year (Golden Door, 4 Months..., Persepolis) have unsurprisingly all gotten passed over for the foreign language Oscar. Maybe that's how it should be, as often films get catapulted into our consciousness as "Oscar-nominated" or even "Oscar-winning," and we've already sorted these out. And Persepolis is nominated for best animated feature (what are the odds?!?). So.

My COMM 371 (Global Cinema) students are weighing in on who they think will (or should) get the Oscar on Sunday--I have committed to sorting out my guess / vote by then, too, so look for that later in the week. In the meantime, though....three cheers for Persepolis, which Lorka & I got to see this afternoon. The film is adapted from a graphic novel via animation--I'm embedding a teaser here:



Don't worry--the film has subtitles in US theaters. But what I love about this clip is how American popular culture circulating globally becomes fodder for youthful rebellion....although to placate the Old Lady Morality Police (circa early 80's Iran), the young girl tries to pass Michael Jackson off as Malcolm X. Priceless!