And the best movie of 2011 is...

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 1/18/12 at 11:35pm

A SEPARATION!

Wow, was this a special film. I wasn't really interested in seeing this, even with all the buzz, until I saw the trailer and was convinced to give it a shot. The hype is completely warranted.

Peyman Moadi gives an untouchable performance as a man who is dealing with caring for his father who's in the late stages of Alzheimer's whilst his wife, the equally brilliant Leila Hatami, is seeking a divorce and custody of their 11 year old daughter. The daughter is played by Sarina Farhadi, who is the real life daughter of writer-director Asghar Farhadi. She is so phenomenal; honestly she deserves an Oscar nom.

The film is a fascinating look at the legal system in Iran and the power of familial bonds in that culture. Absolutely not to be missed.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 7:40am

I'm so excited for this to open in Pittsburgh!

Thanks for the review, Whizzer!

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 9:07am

You should be excited! :)

I woke up still thinking about the story and performances this morning. I think the story would translate very well to stage (as play, not a musical). Someone should snatch up the rights and get to work on an adaptation.

[Paulyd]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 9:23am

When I saw the film early last year it just blew me away. I market the UK DVD and the sales have been amazing over here. it's also up for a BAFTA award. Fingers crossed for the Oscars

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 9:43am

At this point, I think it's a lock for a nom and probably the easy favorite to win Best Foreign.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 9:50am

Yes this will easily win Best Foreign Film, but it truly should get another nomination simply for Best Picture. I know it's happened before, and it needs to happen again.

I know the Academy likes to throw in a surprise nomination or two (Jacki Weaver in "Animal Kingdom" anyone?), and it's my wild hope that Peyman Moadi snags a Best Actor nomination.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 9:59am

It's always so delightful when foreign actors are deservedly nominated. Shame it's so rare, and so rare that foreign-language pics get the nom for the big prize. Instead, I'm sure we'll get nominations for "The Help" and "Bridesmaids."

Ugh. I love to hate the Oscars soooooo much.

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 10:38am

It's a truly amazing film. And while I think it's the easy favorite for Best Foreign Language Film, that category is the most unpredictable, and the clear favorite doesn't always end up winning. But I have hope.

I'd love for it to receive a Screenplay nomination.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 10:43am

^Agree that it's a great delight when a superb performance in a foreign language film gets a much deserved nomination, such as happened with Fernanda Montenegro's nomination for Central Station.

So many classic foreign performances that have not been nominated and truly had a chance, considering the relative success of their films in the U.S. and the stature of the actors as international stars: Norma Aleandro in The Official Story, Klaus Maria Brandauer in Mephisto, Isabelle Huppert in Story of Women (to name just one stellar performance by the great lady; has she ever been nominated?!!!?), to name just a few.

Thanks, Whizzer, can't wait to see this and it's on my very long list. I am so sick of all the big prestige films being released at the end of the year after what for the most part is a long, cold lonely late winter, spring, summer and fall at the movies. I realize some AMPAS members and critics have short memories but why the hell should all of us have to pay for that? Thank goodness at least you can always count on Woody Allen and Pedro Almodovar to not bow to this timeclock.





Updated On: 1/19/12 at 10:43 AM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 11:12am

henrik- Isabelle Huppert is hands down one of the greatest actresses to ever make movies, and no as far as I can tell has never been nominated for an Oscar. Did you ever see her in "The Piano Teacher" or "La Ceremonie?" I agree that her performance in "Story of Women" is amazing. Never afraid to put it all out there and take very challenging roles, she is truly a magnificent.

Liv Ullmann was only nominated twice when, in my opinion, she could easily have garnered several others. Monica Vitti wasn't nominated for "L'Avventura," and Giulietta Masina wasn't nominated for neither "La Strada" nor "Nights of Cabiria." Catherine Deneuve only has one nomination, and it took until 1993 to nominate her.

Takashi Shimura, who made so many wonderful films with Kurosawa like "Ikiru," or Toshiro Mifune who made stuff like "Red Beard" and "The Lower Depths" never were nominated.

You could go on and on with all the deserving foreign actors who never got their due credit from the Academy.

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 11:20am

Liv Ullmann was only nominated twice when, in my opinion, she could easily have garnered several others.

Many believe that Ullmann would have been nominated and won for Scenes From a Marriage, had the film not been deemed ineligible because it appeared on Swedish television before being theatrically released. Several actors--including that year's Best Actress winner, Ellen Burstyn--wrote letters to the Academy asking that the decision to deem Ullmann ineligible be reversed.

I would have loved it if Irene Jacob were nominated for The Double Life of Veronique and Three Colors: Red.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 11:33am

I didn't realize "Scenes From a Marriage" was ineligible. Both Ullmann and Josephson are so good in that movie; the scene in Josephson's office is perfectly acted. She should have also been nominated for "Cries and Whispers," "Persona" and the brilliant "Autumn Sonata."

Updated On: 1/19/12 at 11:33 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 11:35am

I'm very very excited to see this. I believe Roger Ebert named it the best film of the year a few weeks ago which is when I first heard about it.

I just need to see WE BOUGHT A ZOO first....

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 11:43am

Ha, well you should see "We Bought a Zoo" too. I liked it a lot, but obviously for different reasons than "A Separation."

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 11:44am

Now, if WE BOUGHT A ZOO was combined with A SEPERATION, would that be an interesting film?

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 12:52pm

Whizzer I adore La Ceremonie. Chabrol was a genius. Huppert and Bonnaire together made one of the most dramatically unnerving combos in film history.

Recently, the Academy's failure to recognize Charlotte Rampling's work with Francois Ozon has been inexplicable to me. There she is, a great star who has paid her dues for decades in American and foreign movies - pulp and art - giving the performances of her life, and AMPAS remains completely oblivious.

Insane that Ullman has only been nominated twice. Strange that she didn't receive a nomination for Autumn Sonata when Ingrid Bergman did. Bergman and Ullman individually gave great performances in that film, but together there is no denying that they ignited the screen. That Massina was never nominated or that Quinn was not nominated for La Strada equally appalling.

And could it be that her performance in Face to Face and Bergman's in Autumn Sonata are the only times AMPAS has recognized the countless brilliant performances in Ingmar Bergman's films, including none of Max Von Sydow's Bergman performances?

And why the hell hasn't Von Sydow been given an honorary oscar? Has anyone done more to raise the art of film acting in our time?

I realize Sophia Loren won for Two Women but that she wasn't nominated for A Special Day (was Mastroianni? I can't recall, but I don't think he was either), annoys the crap out of me. It may well be her greatest performance and it's a wonderful movie.

And what about Gong Li.

Of course there are also the many sensational performances that are probably just off the AMPAS radar - Jye-ya Kim in Mother, for instance.





Updated On: 1/19/12 at 12:52 PM

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 1:04pm

The fact that Mifune was never nominated once is proof enough of the Oscars' absurdity. You would need nothing else. You can point to that and go, "See? Absurd."

Liv Ullmann with two and von Sydow with one are pretty excellent examples, as well.

I saw "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" not long ago. It was dreadful in almost all respects. Max von Sydow was a shining beacon, and he never says a word.

[AC126748]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 1:14pm

I do think visibility has a lot to do with it. Yoon Jeong-hee's performance in POETRY was as fine as any of the five performances nominated for Best Actress last year, but it probably wasn't seen by enough voters to ensure a nomination. Same for Jye-ya Kim.

I thought Von Sydow would be in contention this year for EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE, if for no other reason than as a cumulative award for years of fine work, but the film's negative reception seems to have diminished his chances. It looks like Christopher Plummer (who, too, was roundly ignored by the Academy for years) is the one to beat.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 2:24pm

Ugh, the fact that Huppert did not get nominated for The Piano Teacher or ever is just insane. Catherine Deneueve for some bizarre has only been nominated once (and for a pretty forgettable Vietnam melodrama epic Indochine). Rampling is another one I have a hard time making sense out of lack of awards.

Mifune is in my personal top 5 actors of all-time so obviously, I think the lack of personal awards he's garnered is absurd. He proved in many films he was more than just a guy in a Samurai costume, especially in early Kurosawa films.

Mastroianni was nominated for A Special Day.

[Paulyd]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 6:55pm

A Separation has also just one three awards at the London Critics Circle event - Best Foreign Language Film,Best Screenplay and Sareh Bayat has finally been recognised with a best supporting actress award for her amazing performance.
winners

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 1/19/12 at 7:02pm

Very funny article. DuJardin's comments about Uggie (the dog in The Artist) and how he shouldn't get any acting nominations because he's more interested in sausages than awards are very amusing. But it has been a great year for male dogs in supporting roles. The dog from Beginners was named one of the five best supporting actors by one of the NY Times critics (as if Christopher Plummer didn't have enough to worry about from Albert Brooks!).