Well, folks. I have good news and bad news. The bad news, as was announced today, is that the Oscar Blitz will be somewhat delayed this year. The Academy decided today to postpone the reveal of the nominees, which was supposed to take place this coming Friday, as well as cancelling the annual Nominees’ Luncheon, in the wake of the Los Angeles Wildfires, which are still burning with minimal containment. As of right now, the nominees will be unveiled next Thursday, January 23, and the voting window for members will be extended. The ceremony itself has not been pushed back, but it’s a distinct possibility.
The good news, at least for me, is that I have more time to go through my batch review backlog. Since the shortlists were released last month, as well as the Independent Spirit nominees, I’ve been running myself ragged trying to see as much as possible, but I’ve had little time to review everything. If the current calendar holds, this extra six days allows me to clear off a good chunk without interfering with my planned Blitz coverage, which I’ve already tentatively mapped out. I just need the actual list of noms to determine the order of categories. The only change from previous years for me is that I won’t be doing a predictions video this time, at least, not the way I usually do. My friends at No Rest for the Weekend and I might do a joint video or livestream if we can work out the logistics, and I’ll still go on record here on the blog like I used to do, but the way things stand, my plan is to start category coverage on Wednesday, January 29 and do blogs every weekday and videos each Friday, culminating with Best Picture on Friday, February 28, with the Oscars themselves taking place on Sunday, March 2. It’ll be tight, but I think it’ll work.
So, gee Brain, what are we gonna do tonight? The same thing I do on several nights, Pinky, try to cover the world! By the time we get to Oscar Night, I’ll have seen 26 of the 85 eligible entries for International Feature. My goal was 30, and strictly speaking, I can surpass it, as several films that didn’t make the cut are available in one form or another, but given everything else on my plate, doing so would have to be the lowest of priorities. I’ve seen 24 so far (two others on the shortlist I haven’t gotten around to yet), which means there are 11 on my list that didn’t advance, and of those, I’ve already taken care of five. That leaves six unfortunate works to process before I move on to those that are still in the running.
I’ll go over three of them here tonight, and coincidentally, they all come from the same source. For the last two years, I’ve had the pleasure of covering AFI Fest at the TCL Chinese Theater in October. During those five-day marathons, I take in as many films as I can, particularly International Feature submissions, as often it’s my only chance, since many don’t get full public releases here in the States, even if they’re eventually shortlisted or nominated. That’s where our trio originates this time around. All of these movies have something to offer, but honestly, I kind of agree with the Academy voters this time, as none of them would have made my personal top 15. Still, these were determined to be the best representatives of their respective nations, so let’s give them their due.
Under the Volcano – Poland
Have you ever been on vacation and fantasized about just staying there? Like, you’re having so much fun that you just don’t want to leave and return to your normal life? Well, what if you couldn’t? That’s the hypothetical posed by Poland’s entry, Under the Volcano, directed by Damian Kocur in his second feature, after his award-winning debut, Bread and Salt.
The story focuses on the Kovalenko family – father Roman (Roman Lutskyi), stepmother Anastasiia (Anasatasiia Karpenko), teenage daughter Sofiia (Sofiia Berezovska), and young son Fedir (Fedir Pugachov) – who are on holiday in Spain, specifically the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. They’ve had a nice trip, but you can tell that it wasn’t perfect. Roman and Nastia argue occasionally, Fedir wanders off when unsupervised, and Sofia finds it difficult to socialize with kids her own age, preferring to film them on her phone or talk to her friend back home. The family, being from Ukraine, took a risk in going on this vacation, as they’re aware of Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric and preparations for war. The idea was that if Russia does invade, then this would be one last happy memory together before things become dire, and if it doesn’t, then it’s a chance to bond as a unit, particularly with Nastia being the newest member. The trip also coincides with Fedir’s birthday, so it’s a celebration all around.
Unfortunately, we know what happens. On the day before they’re meant to leave, Putin does indeed cross the border, war rages, and the Kovalenkos are unable to get back home. Suddenly they’re trapped in paradise with little money and no resources. The hotel where they’ve been staying graciously allows them to remain free of charge, which is one less burden to bear, but the uncertainty of what comes next is still overwhelming. It also doesn’t help that there’s a Russian family who’s also staying at the resort, blissfully eating and drinking to their hearts’ content as if the people at the next table aren’t suffering.
Much of the film’s story is filtered through Sofia, which is an intriguing and often proper choice. She’s got her own angst to deal with as a 16-year-old, and now she’s got the added stress of trying to keep her parents together, figure out when and if she’ll ever be able to go home, and of course keep the worst of things away from Fedir’s young eyes lest he be traumatized. A good deal of the cinematography is taken from her height and vantage point, creating a sense of scale and isolation that works really well. Frankly, there are a lot of great shots, particularly a running series of conflicts where Roman tries to find parking in his rental car, only for there to be none available. In one case he resorts to a handicapped spot and gets a ticket, in another, some cocky dude-bro is sitting in his car blocking the road, and starts a fight with Roman just to prove how macho he is rather than just clear the way. It’s a great visual metaphor for the family having nowhere to go.
The only comfort Sofia gets is in an unexpected friendship with a boy called Michael (Isaac Awuah), a refugee from Africa. Living in camps and busking in touristy areas for whatever spare cash he can get, his presence offers Sofia a bit of perspective on her situation, showing that things can always be worse, and that even in impossible moments, you can survive. Their relationship dynamic drifts too closely to cheesy teen romance at times to be fully believable, but when they’re focused on genuine understanding, it’s gold.
Really, this is the double-edged sword of making Sofia the focal point character. She has a lot of wisdom and a solid perspective to be our cipher, but too often Kocur defaults to teen melodrama when it’s not needed. Sofia doesn’t get along with her stepmom, she judges her dad for drinking and being a wimp at times, she’d rather play on her phone than watch her brother, shit like that. It’s not egregious, but it does drag things down a bit. Also, because so much time is spent on her, the asides with Nastia trying to find her place in the family or her stalking of the Russian wife feel like padding rather than actual character development.
In the end, this is a fine entry, but it just didn’t rise to the level of the competition. The invasion of Ukraine will unfortunately be rich for story for many years to come, especially because we don’t know how it’ll end, what with our soon-to-be leader being Putin’s bitch and all. But for what it is, Under the Volcano posits an interesting spin on the effects of global conflict in the 21st Century and the western world as a whole, asking what would happen if there was no escape from escapism.
Grade: B
Grand Tour – Portugal
Directed by Miguel Gomes, Grand Tour is the third film of his to be submitted by Portugal to the Academy (the others being Our Beloved Month of August and Arabian Nights: Volume 2 – The Desolate One), but he’s 0-for-3 so far. He shouldn’t feel too bad, though, as the country itself has never been nominated, so it’s not like he’s being singled out.
Anyway, Grand Tour only really works if you’re a fan of classic noir-style cinema, as Gomes employs many techniques from the early-to-mid 20th Century in this piece. It’s shot in black-and-white, many of the sets are minimalist soundstages, opening and closing the iris is used as a scene transition, etc. If you’re into such throwbacks, you’ll probably enjoy yourself, and admittedly it is fun up to a point. Beyond that, though, you’ll be left wanting, as the plot and performances don’t add up to much.
Essentially this is a story told twice over. Beginning in Rangoon in 1918, back when Myanmar was still called Burma and under British rule, we meet Edward (GonƧalo Waddington), a wealthy English gadabout (though everyone speaks Portuguese) who’s engaged to a blue-blooded woman named Molly (Crista Alfaiate). It’s made clear that the couple love each other, but for whatever reason, Edward has gotten the coldest of feet. When he receives a telegram that Molly is on her way to Rangoon for the wedding, he finds the first transport out and scarpers. From there, it’s just a pursuit across Asia. First we travel with Edward as he attempts to evade his betrothed, then we repeat the process with Molly, always in close pursuit.
And really, that’s about it. We pick up some side characters along the way, but they don’t really add anything, and honestly, we have no real understanding of our leads’ motivations. We don’t know why Edward is hesitant to get married beyond the nebulous desire to not be “tied down,” and we have no idea why Molly even gives a shit about someone who is clearly disrespecting her. You can argue that this is intentional as part of the antique style, where exotic vistas or adventure could be seen as more important, but to that I’d offer the likes of Casablanca, which did all of that while still making it perfectly clear what everyone was doing and why. Even modern homages like The Artist leave no such ambiguity.
As such, Grand Tour is just all right, because the cinematics do a lot of heavy lifting for a lack of focus on narrative and character. It’s pretty to look at, and you can tell that Gomes is a truly talented filmmaker for even dreaming this up, but when it comes to substance, this falls pretty well short of its peers. You can definitely enjoy it for the novelty, but not much else.
Grade: B-
Sujo – Mexico
Finally tonight we have Mexico’s submission, Sujo, directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez. Of all the entries I saw that missed the semifinal cut, this was the most surprising to be left off, given that it won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance last year, and its story and themes are pretty hot button right now. Mind you, I agree with it not advancing, because to me it felt far too clichĆ©d, but I’m shocked nonetheless.
The coming-of-age story mostly takes place in a rural area in the state of MichoacĆ”n, where drug cartels rule with lethal force. The four-year-old Sujo (Kevin Aguilar) is abandoned after his father (Juan JesĆŗs Varela, who later plays the adolescent Sujo in a clever bit of thematic casting), a sicario in one of the cartels, is killed for betrayal. Young Sujo is about to be executed as well, but is spared after the intervention of his aunt Nemesia (Yadira PĆ©rez), who agrees to raise the boy in a remote shack, keeping him from the eyes of the cartel and never letting him join a rival gang. Sujo grows up isolated, with the only outside world contact being his other aunt Rosalia (Karla Garrido) and his two cousins, Jai and Jeremy (Alexis Varela and Jairo Hernandez, respectively).
However, as we’re all well aware, history has a way of repeating itself, and Sujo eventually does fall in with the cartel, along with Jai and Jeremy, as it’s the only way for them to make money. When things predictably go pear-shaped, Nemesia smuggles him away to Mexico City, where he’ll presumably be safe and have a chance at a normal life. Fostering a curiosity for literature since childhood, Sujo spends his days loitering at the local community college, sneaking in to a class taught by Susan (Sandra Lorenzano), who takes a liking to him after learning of his situation. She offers him a chance to enroll at the college, provided he take remedial courses to get a certification (the Mexican equivalent of a GED, essentially) in addition to private lessons and continuing his overnight work on loading docks to afford his rent. Things go well for a while, but when Jai arrives looking for money to pay off Rosalia’s debts, he’s thrust back into a dilemma between his quest for a clean living and his loyalty to the life of crime his previous circumstances forced him into.
All of this is well-performed and competently made, but man if it doesn’t feel like an Afterschool Special. Basically every plot beat is predictable, and there’s no derivation from the formula of similar films. The only bit of intrigue comes from the fact that Sujo doesn’t know what his own name means (nor does anyone else). The answer isn’t technically revealed until the end, but it’s obviously set up in the first scene, so the payoff is really just confirmation, and the only satisfaction we get is on a basic thematic level, where we’re meant to put two and two together and understand that Sujo was meant for a better life than being a drug mule.
I can’t say I hated this. In fact, I liked it slightly more than Grand Tour. But it’s just too simplistic. There was a lot of hype behind this in the early part of 2024, but as more contenders joined the fray, I think voters just realized that this is perfectly adequate, but nothing groundbreaking or all that special.
Grade: B-
***
I know that wasn’t exactly rousing, but now that I’ve got some extra time before nominations come out, I can start polishing off the rest of the International Feature submissions I took in, including the actual shortlist, and we can be well prepared to properly analyze the final five that get to vie for the prize.
Join the conversation in the comments below! Did you see any of these films? Which one piques your interest most? If you were stuck at a resort, how long would it take you to get bored with the amenities? Let me know! And remember, you can follow me onĀ TwitterĀ (fuck āXā) as well asĀ Bluesky, and subscribe to myĀ YouTubeĀ channelĀ for even more content, and check out the entire BTRP Media Network atĀ btrpmedia.com!
I Actually Paid To See This 