FILM #36
OF 39
95TH ACADEMY AWARDS | 2023 OSCARS CHALLENGE
“Argentina 1985”
MARCH 4, 2023
PRIME VIDEO
DAY 40
OF 48
Best INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
Argentina
Including this year, Ricardo Darín has been in the last four Argentinian films nominated for Academy Awards. “Son of the Bride,” “The Secret in Their Eyes” (which won the Oscar), and “Wild Tales” were the previous three. In “Argentina 1985,” he plays a prosecutor tasked with convicting the leading members of an overthrown military dictatorship in 1984. Not only was it dangerous for him and his family, no one thought it possible. No leaders in any country had been tried, let alone convicted, until this history-making case.
Darín has a command of the screen, where even his quieter roles speak volumes. While most of the film occurs in courtrooms and stuffy offices with characters pouring over documents, Darín does a great job keeping your attention. He also does a beautiful job playing off his younger counterpart, Peter Lanzani. Overall, the historical relevance of the trial is enough to keep your attention, with some great testimonies ripped straight from transcripts. Still, in the end, Ricardo Darín sells this enough to make it worthy of an Oscar nomination.
PREVIOUS NOMINATIONS
Argentina
| 87th Academy Awards (2014) | Best Foreign Language Film | “Wild Tales” | Nominee |
| 82nd Academy Awards (2009) | Best Foreign Language Film | “The Secret in Their Eyes” | WINNER |
| 74th Academy Awards (2001) | Best Foreign Language Film | “Son of the Bride” | Nominee |
| 71st Academy Awards (1998) | Best Foreign Language Film | “Tango” | Nominee |
| 58th Academy Awards (1985) | Best Foreign Language Film | “The Official Story” | WINNER |
| 57th Academy Awards (1984) | Best Foreign Language Film | “Camila” | Nominee |
| 47th Academy Awards (1974) | Best Foreign Language Film | “The Truce” | Nominee |
A team of lawyers takes on the heads of Argentina’s bloody military dictatorship during the 1980s in a battle against odds and a race against time.
Directed by Santiago Mitre
Amazon Studios
September 30, 2022
140 minutes
ACCOLADES
BAFTA Awards — Best Film Not in the English Language (Nominee)
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards — Best Foreign Film (Nominee)
Cinema Writers Circle Spain Awards — Best Foreign Film [Winner]
Critics Choice Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Días de Cine Awards — Best Foreign Film [Winner]
Georgia Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best International Film (Nominee)
Gold Derby Awards — International Feature (Nominee)
Golden Globe Awards — Best Motion Picture – Non-English Language [Winner]
Hawaii Film Critics Society Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Hollywood Critics Ass. Awards — Best International Film (Nominee)
Houston Film Critics Society Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
José María Forqué Awards — Best Latin American Picture [Winner]
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Latino Ent. Journalists Ass. Film Awards — Best Non-English Language Film (Nominee)
National Board of Review Awards — Freedom of Expression Award [Winner]
National Board of Review Awards — Top Five International Films [Winner]
North Texas Film Critics Ass. Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
Palm Springs Int. Film Festival Awards — Best Narrative Feature [Winner]
Palm Springs Int. Film Festival Awards — Best Foreign Language Film (Nominee)
San Fran. Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards — Best Intl Film (Nominee)
San Sebastián International Film Festival Awards — Best Film [Winner]
Satellite Awards — Best Motion Picture, International [Winner]
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
1. “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
2. “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
3. “Close” (Belgium)
4. “The Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
5. “EO” (Poland)
PERSONAL PREDICTIONS
1. “All Quiet on the Western Front” (Germany)
2. “Close” (Belgium)
3. “The Quiet Girl” (Ireland)
4. “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina)
5. “EO” (Poland)
