Ready for the OscarS?

It's been a well covered story, I know, but I wanted to see for myself and have a go at the film first before joining in with the flock of congratulators (besides, this makes for a fitting post to mark our National Holiday, you'll see). Now I honestly can: director Fatih Akin after winning the Berlinale and in Cannes as well, has now been named the official selection as Germany's entry in the category of Best Foreign Language Film for next year's 80^th Academy Awards, aka “the Oscars”, with his latest masterpiece “Auf der anderen Seite” / “The Edge of Heaven”. It is a very deserving nomination indeed and hopefully will be recognized as such by the academy members making their choice. I for one can only recommend this film wholeheartedly as one of the very best I've seen over the course of the year so far, guaranteeing you a powerful, challenging and suspenseful movie experience – exactly like what we've come to know his films' most distinguishing feature to be. It is a well written, well acted movie, and above all he trusts his camera best like any director should.
As far as I am concerned it isn't so much about whether this one will be shortlisted or even bring the third trophy in six years back home to our (multi-cultured) shores. What counts is that “Auf der anderen Seite” hopefully succeeds in affecting its audiences worldwide and bring an understanding of split lives, which seems to me like one of the most pressing and determining issues of our times.

BTW, if this shouldn't work out for Akin, well, he actually has two strings to his bow as “Takva: A Man's Fear of God” is Turkey's selection for the same category naturally (and he is a co-producer of this one). I saw it earlier in the year at the Berlinale and thought it a well done and strong film also (here), a good choice by all means.
So do have a look at both of these if you can, it is worth it! (And in case you haven't seen “Gegen die Wand” / “Head-On” yet, first installment in that projected trilogy “Liebe-Tod-und Teufel” / “Love-Death-and-the Devil” that “The Edge of Heaven” is the second part of, try that one too, it is Fatih's best.)

(pic©REUTERS)