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||| Joseph L. Mankiewicz |||
Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Mankiewicz directed 20 films in a 26-year period, and was very successful at every kind of film, from Shakespeare to western, drama to musical, epics to two-character pictures, and regardless of the genre, he was known as a witty dialogist, a master in the use of flashback and a talented actors' director.

The 1950 Oscar for Best Picture and Screenplay brought Mankiewicz wide recognition as a writer and a director, with his sardonic look at show business glamour and the empty lives behind it. This well orchestrated cast of brilliant and catty character actors is built around veteran actress Bette Davis and Anne Baxter as her understudy desperate for stardom.

One of Mankiewicz’ more intimate films, this highly regarded and major artistic achievement is a spirited romantic comedy set in England of the 1880’s about a widow who moves into a haunted seashore house and resists the attempts of a sea captain specter to scare her away. This is a pleasing and poignant romance that is equally satisfying as a good old ghost story.

Mankiewicz wrote and directed this witty dissection of matrimony that has three women review the ups and downs of their marriages (with all its romance, fears and foibles) after receiving a letter telling them that one of their husbands has been unfaithful. Once again Mankiewicz deftly utilizes the skills of a well-chosen ensemble, which includes a young Kirk Douglas at his dreamiest.

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Oscar Handicap 2013: Foreign Language Film

By EdwardHavens

February 19th, 2013

We continue our annual Oscar Handicap with the Best Foreign Language Film category.

Oscar Handicap 2013: Foreign Language Film

(For explanations as to how our scoring system works, make sure to read our first article in the series, Best Picture of the Year, linked at the bottom of this article.)

They might not have the audience they once enjoyed during the days of Bergman, Kurosawa and Truffaut, but films made outside of the United States often tell us stories American filmmakers can not or will not tell. This year's batch, from the painful end of a beautiful love story to an epic tale of travel across the Pacific in a small wooden raft, continues the fine tradition of honoring some of the best films from the rest of the world.


The Breakdowns
1) As long as your film does not have the shortest running time, you've won 30 of the last 34 ceremonies (88.24%). Advantage: Bullhead, Footnote, In Darkness, A Separation
2) Films released in the United States prior to the end of final balloting have won 22 of 34 (64.71%). Advantage: Amour, No, A Royal Affair
3) Films submitted from a country in Western Europe have won 21 of 34 (61.76%). Advantage: Amour, Kon-Tiki, A Royal Affair
4) Stories set predominantly outside the past twenty years have won 20 of 34 (58.82%). Advantage: Kon-Tiki, No, A Royal Affair
5) The winner of the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film has gone on to win here 20 of 34 (58.82%). Advantage: Amour
6) When one of the Foreign Language nominees has also been nominated for another Oscar, that film has won in this category 9 of 17 (52.94%). Advantage: Amour


By The Numbers
Amour is the highest profile title in this group, and should bring Mr. Haneke his first long-deserved Oscar, but the Danish entry could be a major spoiler
"Amour" (Austria): +1, +2, +3, -4, +5, +6 (116 of 187, 62.03%)
"Kon-Tiki" (Norway): +1, -2, +3, +4, -5, -6 (105 of 187, 56.15%)
"No" (Chile): +1, +2, -3, +4, -5, -6 (107 of 187, 57.22%)
"A Royal Affair" (Denmark): +1, +2, +3, +4, -5, -6 (115 of 187, 61.50%)
"War Witch" (Canada): -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6 (65 of 187, 34.76%)


All articles in this series:
Best Picture of the Year
Best Director
Best Actor and Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress
Best Cinematography
Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Foreign Language Film
Best Animated Feature