Japan rests its Oscar hopes on Suo
Posted on Friday, 14 September 2007 at 11:22 pm
Japan’s submission for next year’s best foreign language film Academy Award: Suo Masayuki’s accused train perv courtroom drama “I Just Didn’t Do It” (Soredemo Boku wa Yatte inai). The nominations will be announced on January 23rd, but in all likelihood - and this is no reflection on the film itself - it doesn’t have a chance. In fairness, I can’t think of any Japanese film from this year that generated enough of a critical buzz internationally to give it a decent chance of winning. A crowd-pleasing festival success like “Memories of Matsuko” would have been a more adventurous choice, and Yamada Yoji’s “Love and Honor” would have been a more conservative one, but the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan has settled for a typically middling selection. Can anyone out there suggest a better candidate? (source: Nikkan Sports)
comment by mo
posted on Friday, September 14 2007 at 11:22 pm
nope, can’t.
“Bushi no ichibun” would’ve been it if anyone cared to ask me…
it’s solid, elegant and mature, just a fraction of an inch short of being a true lasting masterpiece, I think.
but then again, I don’t value those gilded trophies too much. it’d be nice, of course, but j-cinema is strong enough as it is and has its standing internationally either way.
cheers for this good site!