They fucked it up - again.
With "Waltz for Bashir" not winning Best Foreign Language movie and then not at least award alternate "The Class" the Oscar it once again shows that this category still doesn't work. At this point the Oscars might be better off without that award. I mean, come on: How many times do they have to embarass themselves? I don't see any way to fix this mess.

there should be a maximum voting age.

You didn't like Departures?

Seriously, I don't get what the fuck the fuss is about this year. Last year, I think most already knew that The Counterfeiters isn't really that great (I have seen it before the Oscar night last year)...but Departures is apparently a great flick from all I read. So the only reason why some folks complain is that the film they haven't heard much about won - no matter whether it's good or not because they simply don't know.

I think many of you need to realize that in an awards environment you can't take it out on everybody when your choice doesn't win. There's absolutely nothing that you can do about it. YOU ARE POWERLESS. It's not your awards.

Deal with it.

If it was only this year, okay. But this category almost always fails to honor the right movies.

Has anyone seen Departures to claim that it was NOT the right movie?

So how bad was Departures? It hasn't even played in my town yet...

what exactly was wrong with departures?

According to IMDb, Departures was released in Germany two weeks ago, so Lecter/Levy, you guys should've a chance to see it?

Almodovar's movie will converge the stupid and the bright.

You mean this?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1069238/releaseinfo

It wasn't offiicially released here...I assume it played just at that one occasion.

Like Volver?

Volver didn't get a nomination...

But I think if Almodovar's next movie gets a nomination, the voters who choose Departures over Waltz for Bashir won't be able to pull the stunt twice (or thrice)...it'll win, it's Almodovar.

Perhaps there were politics involved - - Waltz With Bashir was none too positive a look at Israel's foreign policy.

Even though it was a great movie, perhaps it's promoters didn't want to generate too high a profile for it, what with all the problems with Gaza and such...

I'm so sick of Israel.

regardless of the quality of the mystery winner, I think we can safely say that the new "process" serves nothing more to make the nominations slightly better, but has little impact on the winner. the elderly voting body who pick the original five nominees (which were reduced to two this year), are going to be basically the only ones voting in this category, and will not no go for a film they already chose not to nominate, further consolidating the mass of votes for the films they originally selected. so the new system is stupid.

I will never forgive them for giving it to Lives of Others (which was great) over Pan's (which is a masterpiece and my favorite film of all-time...favorite, not "best", I won't pretend to know nearly as much about moviemaking or seen as many films to judge something as the "best").

All that matters, at the end of the day, is the quality of the winner.

Now I think most of us/all can agree that last year's winner certainly wasn't all that. Not that they had a good lot to choose from anyway (12 is brilliant, though).

Not sure about this year, but Departures looks much better.

Back in 2006 - I disagree with the winner, but I actually know a lot of people who prefer The Lives of Others over Pan's Labyrinth.

Tsotsi - I disagree (Joyeux Noel and Sophie Scholl are better - but not significantly).

It doesn't matter. that's all petty. just look at the stuff they used to honor [fellini, de sica, bergman] and then look at now. yeah. not so hot.

But does the problem really lie with those who honor the films...or with the films themselves?

Now I disagree on this.....but many many many people think that The Lives of Others is a real masterpiece.

the problem is not with the films. the problem is you're not watching them.

[by you I mean everyone]

Then the problem are the audiences. I am watching them, heh. Well, I try to at least.

I found The Counterfieters to be a tremendous film. Are you referring to the fact that Diving Bell wasn't nominated? Which sucks but says nothing about Counterfieters. And I really like The Lives of Others.

Diving Bell wasn't eligible. The problem was 4 Months.

The Counterfeiters was a flat out bad movie, evidence again that roo is the original Shack.