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General Comments

 

Very much reflecting the wider universe, 2008 in film was a year that seemed to give prominence to violence and seemed to offer us films that failed to reach the sublime standard of some years.  We had films of great technical prowess, we had small gems that cast light on shady corners but in the end we were left with a selection that was not so attractive in content terms as in many other years.  So, we are left to sort through the disappointment and find something to commend.  So much of the good stuff seen was also so full of violence that it became hard to accept and recommend.  Can you praise a film that is technically excellent but also repulsive?  That question emerged far more than just once.

 

Before going on to the categories, some remarks.

 

1. A new category – that of Best Comedy or Musical to compensate for all the gore in the mainstream stuff.
2. The return of the Worst of the year.
3. A great dominance of US films reflecting the distribution policies in Argentina, followed by Argentine, French and British movies. Switzerland, Chile, Lebanon, Algeria, Luxembourg and Austria among the places where films came from this year – more often in part than in whole.  Eastern Europe and Asia somewhat underrepresented.
4. Sweeney Todd (7) and Eastern Promises (7) lead the nominations, followed by Away From Her (5)

 

Comments on films that didn’t make the cut or deserve a mention:

Death at a Funeral – gets one nomination but probably deserves more; a typical case of the sum almost being more than the parts.  Saw it twice and despite all the cliches I laughed a lot and felt it was a return to the British slapstick comedy of yore

 

Atonement – too pretty, too forced

 

A Mighty Heart – captures a mood and shows Jolie has got great presence but not outstanding anywhere

 

Nue Proprieté – Isabelle Huppert in a bind.  Violent in psychological ways and better than perhaps critics or box office suggest.  All too small though.

 

Caramel – wonderful to see Lebanon here.  A chick flick – enjoyable and predictable.

 

Rendition – punchy and poignant political drama with Reese, Meryl and others in fine form.  Almost there

 

Cassandra’s Dream – had one saving merit.  Colin Farrell can act!

 

Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont – you like this and you want it to be rewarded for Joan Plowright’s careful performance and the fine supports of Rupert Friend and Anna Massey but it is all too twee and forced in this day and age.

El orfanato – gets one nod and it is scary but somehow also finds better competition in each category.  Enjoyable of its kind.

 

El otro – Argentine mood piece which doesn’t go very far but captures a moment well.

 

La Soledad – Award winning Spanish film that really didn’t grab me at all

 

Die Falscher – Austrian Oscar winner – tightly put together and a good story but its cinema by numbers feel leaves it largely out of the nominations this year.

 

Irina Palm – Weird film that at times works and at times you ask yourself, what are they doing?  And we are not talking avant garde, rather a melodrama with some unusual elements.

 

Shara – much touted Japanese film that despite some nice set pieces failed to grab me at all.

 

Francesca e Nunziata – old made for television Italian saga showcasing the talent of the legendary Sophia Loren.

 

Late Bloomers – unbelievable Swiss comedy that won you over by feelgood factors not by authenticity.