Matt at the Movies: Foreign Lenses
Three foreign entries earn a 9.0 or higher from Matt as he watches five films in five days for an International Features Week
International Features Week
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film - commonly known as the Oscar for Best Foreign Film - is presented at the Oscars ceremony by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The feature-length film should have a (mostly) non-English dialogue track, must be produced outside the U.S., and is the sole nominee from the country it represents.
Eighty-eight countries vie for a shot at the award. Many have film review boards, media voting societies, or ministries of culture that decide which film will represent their country.
The films are whittled down to a shortlist of fifteen, and eventually five are nominated.
In 2019, Parasite (2019) was the unique film that took home the awards for both Best International Feature Film and Best Picture. The Oscar voting guilds are more diverse than ever, and have more of an eye for international cinema than ever before.
Seeing the shortlist of films nominated for Best International Feature can be a challenge even with a diverse collection of streaming platforms. Thank the stars that we have a venue like The Independent Picture House right here in Charlotte that can check multiple entries off the list while also offering opportunities to watch the nominees for best live action and animated shorts.
From there you can find some chain theaters that cherry pick a few movies and the rest is up to which streaming services you subscribe to and how much you are willing to pay to view.
Earlier in February, I put one of these films on my schedule every day of the week. Having already checked off Spain’s Society of the Snow, Finland’s Fallen Leaves, and the UK’s The Zone of Interest, Matt at the Movies traveled the globe for an international features week.
Monday - Io Capitano (Italy) - Finalist for Best International Feature
Sixteen year old cousins Seydou and Moussa live in Senegal’s capital of Dakar. We follow Seydou and his lust for life as he attacks school, work, friendship, soccer, music, and the dream to leave his neighborhood to emigrate to Europe in hopes of providing extra income for his family.
He is kind, loving, and has a drive to succeed that has you rooting for him from the opening scene. He and Moussa have been working extra shifts at construction sites to save enough money to make the journey to Europe and take on the world, with ideas of grandeur in their minds.
The movie is described as a Homeric fairy tale. The trials they face on their journey are as intense as any drama I’ve seen this year. There are surreal moments, acts of kindness, and the harsh realities of immigrating by any means necessary. They battle the unforgiving climate of the Sahara, con men, paramilitary bandits, imprisonment, forced labor, and situations that no sixteen-year-old should ever be faced with.
Writer and director Matteo Garrone uses his camera to showcase the epic landscapes of the Sahara and African cities like Tripoli. The camera work conveys the feeling that the characters are outmatched at every turn. As they face each new hurdle on their voyage, you are further invested in their safe passage.
Io Capitano comes to the Independent Picture House on March 8th!
MatM Score: Highly Recommend - 9.0 (an intense, dreamlike, and a hopeful trip through hell)
Tuesday - The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany) - Finalist for Best International Feature
Filmed at a middle school in Hamburg, Germany, The Teachers’ Lounge follows seventh grade teacher Carla Nowak, who has the teaching profile of a player’s coach. She advocates for her students, takes their inquiries and emotional well-being seriously, and allows the children to take ownership of their learning, even at the cost of some classroom management issues (Editor’s Note: longtime readers may remember Matt teaches middle school in Charlotte, and we can confirm his blood pressure spiked multiple times during this film).
Carla is also in the middle of trying to suss out some theft issues that are happening around the school with classroom supplies, as well as within the teachers’ lounge.
As the story unfolds, you witness multiple incidents between students, staff, and a bumbling administration that reveal another layer to the writer/director Ilker Çatak’s story. Themes of privacy, racism, students rights, and professional etiquette are constantly blurred. Carla wants to do right by her school but is often at odds with her own personal feelings to not ruin the academic careers or livelihoods of those who are accused. Her wavering on different investigations to these matters bury her deeper into conflict with her students, colleagues, and parents as things fall apart around her.
The Teachers’ Lounge recently left the Independent Picture House.
MatM Score: Recommend - 8.0 (thought provoking leaving with as many questions as answers)
Wednesday - Perfect Days (Japan) - Finalist for Best International Feature
Three-time Academy Award Nominee Wim Wenders who is best known for directing the 1984 cult classic Paris, Texas, is back with another heartfelt story through the eyes of a middle aged janitor living his quiet bachelor life in Tokyo.
Main character Hirayama lives a simple existence in a spartan apartment while working as a cleaning attendant manager for public restrooms. His daily routine has a simple beauty to it. He is meticulous in all aspects of his life from personal grooming, to taking care of plants, to cleaning toilets. He finds simple pleasure in interactions with restroom guests, restaurant employees, and bookstore owners that rarely hint more than a soft smile from him. He enjoys the underground rock scene of the 70’s - from Lou Reed to Patti Smith - on his cassette player, takes nature photos on his simple 35mm camera, and spends his nights reading books by the likes of Robert Faulkner.
As Hirayama works through his days (with the Tokyo Skytree almost always in view) you feel a connection and even a desire to scale down your own life to these simplistic joys, to live in the moment.
The film is at its best when Hirayama’s routine is interrupted by his offbeat, high energy co-worker Takashi; his niece, who runs away from home to stay with him; and the ex-husband of his favorite restaurant owner. When he is thrust out of his precise routines, we see him come alive. It also provides Hirayama an avenue to explore his own personal feelings on family, love, and the joy that you can have sharing it with others. This was a beautiful film that showed us so much without ever really having to say anything at all.
Perfect Days is currently playing at the Independent Picture House.
MatM Score: Highly Recommend - 9.0 (experiential, beautiful, and heartwarming)
Thursday- The Taste of Things (France) - Short list for Best International Feature
Before viewing The Taste of Things, I thought France had screwed up again.
In 2019, they chose to nominate Les Misérables, a solid but ultimately outclassed film instead of the superior Portrait of a Lady on Fire. This year, Anatomy of a Fall was nominated for Best Picture, but The Taste of Things did not make the final cut to secure an Oscar nomination.
Then I sat down in an entirely empty theater and was completely blown away by the best movie about food I’ve ever seen.
International treasure Juliet Binoche plays Eugénie, a cook, to her longtime chef Dodin (Benoît Magimel) at a country estate in 1885 France. They create high end dishes of sophistication, depth and love with seamless effort after their twenty year professional relationship. Dodin is entranced by his coworker and you can feel his eternal love from their banter and work around the kitchen. She loves him too, but also wants to be seen as a cook first and as a loving partner second. What they create together is something that cannot be taken for granted or sullied by adding titles like husband or wife.
In the opening half hour scene we dive into a wild medley of food preparation, butchering, soup stocks, layering of flavors, pastry gastronomy, and absolute precision by the pair. As the meal comes together, Dodin joins his merry mix of well-to-do friends in the dining room to treat them to a full authentically created meal. (Critic’s Note: Please tell me what I need to do to join a group of roaming cuisine hounds like Dodin and his pals).
As each course arrives we hear the group conversation about great meals, culinary techniques, and world class haute cuisine. What is never lost in this process is the absolute reverence Dodin has for Eugénie as a cook, and muse for his inspiration for each meal he creates.
As the film moves forward we are treated to many idyllic views of the French summer countryside and all the mechanisms that must come together to produce such fine dishes. This is truly a farm-to-table full experience of its time that beautifully showcases each detail of the cooking process.
What also helps is that both of the stars, Binoche and Magimel, who were married in real life, seemingly picked up whatever spark they used to have and showcased it for us on the big screen. Their playful and dedicated feelings for each other are the heart of the film which left me in tears multiple times. France, you made the correct choice in your selection this year and like any Michelin starred restaurant, you should make a detour to take in this wonderful film.
The Tase of Things opens at the Independent Picture House beginning on March 1st!
MatM Score: Highly Recommend - 9.5 (an engrossing love story for food and companionship)
Friday - The Promised Land (Denmark) - Short list for Best International Feature
This film has been on my radar for the last six months waiting for a US release and finally came to the Independent Picture House, but closes this week.
Set in the harsh 18th century terrain of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark, Mads Mikkelsen plays Captain Ludvig Kahlen, who is set to make his mark taming the land for the King. Director Nikolaj Arcel does an amazing job filming the Danish landscape and creating some remarkable set pieces to analyze the full spectrum of Danish society.
We’ve seen Mads portray killers, Bond villains, and tipsy high school teachers in his many roles. Captain Kahlen is stoic, driven, and unapologetic after twenty-five years of military service in Germany. The Royal Treasury will not grant him funds, so he decides to use his meager military pension in hopes of gaining a noble title if he is able to tame the seemingly unfarmable lands for his king.
Kahlen, along with a priest, some farmhands, and a young runaway Romani child named Anmai Mus try to setup a working settlement before their funds run out. Besides the harsh soil, weather, and economic prospects standing in their way, wealthy noble landowner Frederik De Schinkel is determined to add this land to his massive estate. He is spoiled, foul mouthed, and will use whatever advantage - legal or not - at his disposal to make sure Kahlen fails at his endeavor. For every small step forward of progress, De Schinkel is wielding his pen or hired hands to sabotage this lowly captain while also trying to embarrass him in the process.
Desperate measures call for drastic actions, and we see what Kahlen is willing to sacrifice to obtain the respect from his king and country to succeed - no matter who stands in his way.
MatM Score: Highly Recommend - 8.5 (a beautifully shot David vs. Goliath period piece story)
It’s almost time for the Oscars …
We are less than a month away from the Oscars ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel on March 10th at 7PM.
Matt at the Movies will have our annual Oscar exchange thread featuring our cinephile muse Dana Gillis, along with our picks for all the categories.
Before the ceremony, there’s still plenty of time to see these great films and support local cinema in the meantime. Thank you as always for being loyal readers of Y’all Weekly and Matt at the Movies.
As Hirayama said to perfection in Perfect Days, “Next time is next time, now is now.” See you next time at Matt at the Movies!