Can someone please explain to me the eligibility rules for how the Academy determines which country films will be representing in the International Feature Film category? As I write this, "Io Capitano" just competed for that award as an entry for Italy. I realize it was an Italian production, but it's set mostly in Africa, features a mostly African cast, and maybe three words in the entire film are spoken in Italian. Seems like they could have thrown Senegal a bone and let this be the first ever nominee from that country.
"Io Capitano" is the kind of film I watch and then feel completely guilty afterwards for being American. Seriously, not a single American has the right to complain about anything when you watch a movie like this and see what's happening elsewhere in the world.
This is an absorbing film that finds a nice balance between being harrowing and uplifting. Though many terrible things happen in it, it doesn't feel like misery porn the way so many other movies about exploited people do. It wasn't my favorite of the International Feature nominees -- in fact, out of the five it would probably be in fifth place. But that's more a testament to how strong that category was this year than a knock against this movie, because it's very very good.
Grade: A.
"Io Capitano" is the kind of film I watch and then feel completely guilty afterwards for being American. Seriously, not a single American has the right to complain about anything when you watch a movie like this and see what's happening elsewhere in the world.
This is an absorbing film that finds a nice balance between being harrowing and uplifting. Though many terrible things happen in it, it doesn't feel like misery porn the way so many other movies about exploited people do. It wasn't my favorite of the International Feature nominees -- in fact, out of the five it would probably be in fifth place. But that's more a testament to how strong that category was this year than a knock against this movie, because it's very very good.
Grade: A.