For those wanting to do a little additional research before they throw in for that sweet $50 jackpot at their office Oscar pool, here are trailers for Incendies and In a Better World, which have been nominated for Best Foreign Film. Oh I know, you think Biutiful's got it because it's the one everyone has heard of and it will be a nice consolation when Bardem gets shafted for the award he deserves, right? Fine. If you indeed chose The Secrets in their Eyes over A Prophet and White Ribbon last year then you can skip the research. Oscar pools aside though, both of these films look quite good, though I'm still personally backing surprise-nominee Dogtooth.
Both films concern family strife set against a backdrop of instability and violence in a developing country. Since the latter aspect is usually a tough sell for American audiences, both trailers include quotes emphasizing that the film is both important and totally entertaining. Cool.
Incendies looks like the more intriguing of the two, with two twins traveling to the middle east to try and piece together their deceased mother's secret past. But don't count In a Better World out either. From Susanne Beir, who made the excellent Things We Lost in the Fire and After the Wedding, the film's plot seems a bit harder to cram into a trailer. Apparently it explores the effects of two boys' dangerous revenge plot and how their single parents sort it out...all against the backdrop of war-torn Africa. Whew!
Verdict: Sold x 2!