Venice: Alice Diop’s ‘Saint Omer’ Leads French Oscar Submission Race

I’ve landed in Toronto. Expect lots of coverage incoming … on the horizon today ate screenings of Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking” and Elegance Bratton’s “The Inspection.”

I will also be catching Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer,” which has to now be the frontrunner for the French Oscar submission.

Last year’s Fremaux-led committee choosing Julia Ducournau’s “Titane” over Audrey Diwan’s “Happening” was a controversial one. Ducournau won the Palme d’Or and Diwan won the Golden Lion at Venice.

I liked both movies, but Diwan’s was the more Oscar-baity film. In hindsight, choosing the more polarizing “Titane” was probably the wrong decision to make.

It doesn’t help that this year’s crop of Cannes movies heralding from France weren’t good at all. The 2022 crop had Arnaud Desplechin’s “Brother and Sister,” Leonor Seraille’s “Mother and Son,” and Valeri Bruno Tedeschi’s “Forever Young” — all three titles received mixed reviews.

The sidebars didn’t fare any better, French-wise at least. At the Quinzaine, Lea Mysius’ “The Five Devils,” and Alice Wincour’s “Paris Memories” were panned. Only Mia Hansen-Love’s “One Fine Morning” received good reviews from US critics, the French were a little more lukewarm towards that film.

Curiously, the best-reviewed French film at Cannes was Dominik Moll’s “La Nuit Du 12,” which played out of c”competition. I’m kicking myself for missing that one. I was at the premiere for Moll’s film, but projection had to be halted for a good 10 minutes after the audience jeered at a technical glitch on-screen (no subtitles!) 

Now, it’s on to Venice where Fremaux passed on Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer,” and Rebecca Zlotowski’s “Other People’s Children,” both of which are getting very good reviews.

Diop’s film screened yesterday. It is part of the New York Film Festival’s prestigious main slate and is also set to screen this week at TIFF. Its 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes is no fluke. The amount of praise Diop’s film is getting is flat-out universal.

At Venice, the most reliable poll is less obvious, but this year seems to be the Venezia News one composed of critics from Screen International, THR, Film Verdict, Le Monde, The Wrap, El Pais, The Observer, Rzeczpospolita, and Frankfurter Rund.

“Saint Omer” is in a tie for second-place and Golden Lion vibes are definitely all over this movie.

TÁR — 4.1
The Banshees of Inisherin — 3.8
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed — 3.8
Saint Omer 3.8
Argentina 1985 — 3.5
Bones and All — 3.4
The Whale — 3.3
Love Life — 3.3
White Noise — 3.2
The Eternal Daughter — 3.1
Other People’s Children — 3.1
Monica — 2.9
L’Immensita — 2.8
The Son 2.8
Athena — 2.7
Bardo — 2.4
The Lord of the Ants — 2.4
Un Couple — 2.4