Xavier Dolan's It’s Only the End of the World (Juste La Fin Du Monde) is in the top 9 selections for the Best Foreign Language Film. The Quebecois director's first film outside Quebec finished second at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
This is the third Dolan film that Canada has submitted to the Academy Awards in this category. J'ai tué ma mère and Mommy were also submitted but did not make the short list.
The front-runners in this category are Toni Erdmann (Germany) and The Salesman (Iran). The other films on the short list are Tanna (Australia); Land of Mine (Denmark); The King’s Choice (Norway); Paradise (Russia); A Man Called Ove (Sweden); and My Life as a Zucchini (Switzerland).
Though I enjoyed A Man Called Ove a lot, I doubt the film will make the short list. The Australian film qualifies because of the Nauvhal language in the film. The films from Denmark, Norway, and Russia involve World War II. The Switzerland entry is an animated film.
I also enjoyed Julieta (Spain) from Pedro Almodovar, a film based on three Alice Munro short stories: Chance, Soon, and Silence from her book Runaway. The film was Spain's entry into the Academy Awards.
The last Canadian film to make the short list is Rebelle.
Circle January 24 on your calendar since that is when we'll know whether the Dolan film made the short list.
Breaking down 2016 WIFF Canadian films
Xavier Dolan's latest film is Canada's Oscars entry
Xavier Dolan wins Grand Prix at 2016 Cannes Film Festival
Xavier Dolan didn't get a Golden Globes nomination for It’s Only the End of the World. Then again, the Golden Globes have not been kind to Canadian films.
When Canada had the mark of 3 years in a row of reaching the Top 5 for the Oscars, there were 0 Golden Globes nominations.
The last Canadian film to receive a Golden Globes nomination was The Barbarian Invasions in 2003. Though that film won the Oscar, the Denys Arcand classic lost out to Osama (Afghanistan) for the Golden Globes.
Toni Erdmann and The Salesman were the only films that got a Golden Globe nom and made the Oscars short list. The other Golden Globe nominations went to Elle (France); Neruda (Chile); and Divines (France). Elle has its moments; Isabelle Huppert can save most stories. An interesting film but not one I would put in the top 5 for foreign films.
This Dolan interview with the Los Angeles Times noted that the film never attained U.S. distribution. "He squarely blames the Cannes reviews for this."
His frustration is rather justified. Dolan made some amazing Quebecois films that might not translated well in the United States. So he makes a film with stars that some Americans will recognize, more of a French film than a French-Canadian film. It’s Only the End of the World is his most accessible film by far and hasn't had a U.S. distribution deal. The hope is that a Oscar nomination would increase pressure for such a deal.
This isn't his best film, not even close. But this is a film that the Americans who like foreign films can appreciate. Marion Cotillard is so good in this film in a quiet role; see the film just for that performance.
video credit: TIFF Trailers
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