Best Picture? What a Foreign Concept!

Over the last eleven year’s TIFF has slowly become a major when it comes to Academy Award winners. Two of the last three Best Picture winners (Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech) were also winners of TIFF’s prestigious People’s Choice Award. 2009 Best Picture winner, The Hurt Locker, did not win the People’s Choice Award, but it screened at the festival the same year as Slumdog Millionaire. If you look closely at the Best Picture nominees over an eleven year span you will noticed that eighteen of the sixty-five nominated films screened at TIFF. This number increases drastically when you start factoring in all the other Academy Award categories.

One less publicized area where TIFF seems to have an outstanding track record is in the Best Foreign Language film category. In the past eleven years, every winner of this category has screened at TIFF. Despite its track record with foreign language films, TIFF has been unsuccessful in changing people’s perceptions of the Best Picture with respects to foreign language films winning. This year’s People’s Choice winner was Where Do We Go Now? The weeks leading up to TIFF, and especially during, people were speculating which films would win the award and thus become a front-runner for the Best Picture award. Many of the film titles being thrown around featured several well known actors/actresses. Then something strange happened, a Lebanese film was announced as the People’s Choice winner and the mood shifted immediately. No longer were the media outlets talking Best Picture buzz, but almost lackadaisically referred to the film as having a shot in the Foreign category.

The fact that a foreign language film immediately gets discredited from the Best Picture debate is still rather shocking in this day and age. Even more disturbing is that a foreign language film still has not won the Best Picture award. The last two foreign language films to even get nominated in the Best Picture category were Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000 and Letters from Iwo Jima in 2006. Both of those films lost to Gladiator and The Departed respectively.

Of course some will point to the fact that foreign language films have their own specific category; others will simply state that not every film can be nominated for Best Picture. However, these are probably the same people who will turn around and champion the merits of Pixar films such as Up or Toy Story 3 winning the Best Picture award instead of being relegated to the Best Animated category. The sad thing is that animated films, while good in their own right, still stand a better chance of snagging a Best Picture award than a foreign language film.

What is it about foreign language films that keep Academy voters away? Maybe the lack of Best Picture support is merely a reflection of the current film going culture. At the end of the day people want to cheer for stars they know. Critics and bloggers now post list of possible award hopefuls well before the actual film is released. Their views are often based simply on the film’s synopsis, director and cast. Clint Eastwood making a film on J. Edgar Hoover with Leonardo DiCapro immediately gets thrown in the Oscar discussion just based on the idea. Whether the film is actually good or not is the last thing considered. Foreign language films on the other hand are usually judged by the strength of their story.

It is a shame that with all the technology we have today, foreign language films are still viewed with a bit of distain. Although access to foreign language films has increased, it seems many are still not willing to look at them as serious Best Picture contenders. No matter how much people love a film like Amélie, at the end of the day films like A Beautiful Mind will most likely walk away with the Best Picture praise.

A Good Woody Hard To Forget

Toy Story 3

Andy (John Morris) is getting ready to head off to college and is forced to decide what to do with all his childhood toys. Although Andy intends to store most of them in the attic, a mix up causes Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and the rest of the gang to end up in the Sunnyside Daycare facility. At first the daycare looks like heaven on earth for the toys. They are warmly greeted by Lotso (Ned Beatty), who seemingly is the head of all the Sunnyside toys, and there are tons of kids to play with the toys. Even the possibility of romance arises as discarded Barbie (Jodi Benson) meets Ken (Michael Keaton). While most of the toys seem to enjoy their new surroundings, Woody is determined to get back to Andy. It is only after setting out to find Andy that Woody discovers Lotso may not be as friendly as he appears. With his friends in danger, Woody must figure out a way to save his pals and get back to Andy’s house before it is too late.

What is left to say about a movie that almost every professional movie critic and blogger has already said for me? I think Andy summed it up perfectly at the end of the Toy Story 3 when he somberly says “thanks guys.”

Thank you Toy Story 3 for offering up yet another engaging buddy film that never felt forced. Not for a minute. The movie features two distinct, and fully realized, story arcs that allowed both Woody and Buzz to continue the growth established in the previous two films. Woody’s arc leads the film into in a much darker place than the other films. Even though the main characters are toys Toy Story 3 offers a lot of food for thought in regards to death and the longevity of friendship. It is touching to witness Woody struggles with issues of mortality while still trying to maintain a brave face amongst his friends.

Director Lee Unkrich smartly balances the more somber mood of Woody’s adventure with Buzz’s more comedic arc. What I like about the Buzz Lightyear segments are that they never resort to cheap gags. Unkrich ensures that the humour is always grounded and often ties back into the allusions to Buzz’s love life. Another thing that is noticeable about Buzz’s arc is that it provides a platform for all the supporting characters to have their moments in sun. Unlike many film out right now, there is not one supporting character that feels out of place. Jesse, Rex, Hamm and the Potato Heads have become such an essential part to the Toy Story universe. Toy Story 3 would have felt odd without them.

I would also like to say thank the film for finding a way to sell Happy Meal without ever comprising the integrality of the main product. Are you taking notes Shrek? Whether it is the references to classic films such as Escape from Alcatraz and The Great Escape, or the reflective moments that will leave your eyes a little misty by the end, Toy Story 3 just gets better as the film goes on. Even in its final installment the Toy Story series continues to be a reminder that you can make big budget films that tell good stories, are full of action and humour, and feature well rounded characters.

If I had to make a complaint about the film, it would be that Pixar opted to go the 3D route yet again. Similar to Up, Toy Story 3 really does not need the 3D gimmick at all. I would have been impacted the exact same way had the film been done in 2D, the only real difference is I would have few bucks more in my pocket. Still, the loss of three extra dollars is minor considering how much the Toy Story franchise has given me back in return. So thanks again guys, it has been a fun ride and I am sad to see you go.

Fricassee Five Friday: Tom Hanks

Spiced Just Right

Toy Story 2
Toy Story 2 is one of my all time favourite Pixar flicks. In my opinion it is the definitive moment when Pixar proved that they were here to stay. Toy Story 2 reminded us that great animation and strong stories are both needed to make a successful animated feature.

Big
This film still holds up well, it takes me back to my youth when I see it. Seriously, who did not want to be in that keyboard playing scene?

Forrest Gump
It was hard to exclude Philadelphia from this list but there simply was not enough room. Out of Hanks’ two Oscar winning performances, Forrest Gump is the film that has the greater replay value.

A League of Their Own
“There is no crying in baseball” A classic line that I have said to myself many times on the softball field. Tom Hanks gives a great performance in this film while still allowing his female co-stars to shine as well.

Saving Private Ryan
Here is another example of too many quality films and not enough space for them all. Not only is Saving Private Ryan a great war movie, it also help to pave the way for both Band of Brothers and The Pacific.


Lay Off The Cheese

The Bonfire of the Vanities
I have seen this film a few times and I still cannot figure what they were trying to achieve? The film does not work as a dark comedy, it is too light to be a serious drama, and none of the characters are likeable to begin with.

Joe Versus the Volcano
Remember when Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were the brief face of romantic comedies? Sure they have great chemistry together but it did not really meld perfectly until Sleepless in Seattle. Joe was just too silly to work any level.

The Polar Express
I never understood the love that this film received from both critics and movie goers. The animation did not reach the level of realism it strived for; and the story was as engaging as you would hope from a Christmas tale. No matter how hard the studio tries, The Polar Express is not going to be considered a holiday classic in my books. I would rather watch A Christmas Story than this film any day.

That Thing You Do!
Tom Hanks feature film directorial debut had its moment but was ultimately a rather forgettable film.

Turner & Hooch
Before mall cops were all the rage, Hollywood had a fascination with lawmen and their dogs. Both Turner & Hooch and K-9 were released in the same year and both were erased from my mind a year later. If I had to choose one over the other I would pick K-9; but that is the equivalent on picking being punched in the face over being kicked in the groin.