A Small Plea

Can we import fewer Hollywood, French and Oscar foreign film winning mediocrities and more Asian cinema in general? Please?

EDIT: Lest anyone think I have some kind of unthinking bias against French Film (or the Oscar's foreign film selections) I should mention that this year's Alliance French Film Festival has an incredible selection. Love like Poison, Of Gods and Men, Outside the Law, Potiche, On Tour and Carlos are all on my list as must-sees. Although Carlos is a butchered 2 1/2 hour cut which makes me glad I caught the full 5 1/2 hours at BIFF.

(I also like plenty of Hollywood films, I just think these categories are over-represented)

Dear The Australian

In the future please don't pay someone to write about film when they (a) utalise the phrase "Awkward Alert" in order to sound hip and snappy, (b) think Hollywood is another way of referring to the entire American film industry, (c) think Apatow comedies are about the limitations of institutionalised romantic commitment, (d) think Just Go With It and No Strings Attached will not have conventional happy-ever-afters and (e) call their mythical trend of realistic romcoms "extreme date movies".

On the Uselessness of National Stereotypes

"So very French."

- Overheard at the end of writer-director Abbas Kiarostami's (Iran) largely English language philosophical romance Certified Copy starring William Shimmell (UK) and Juliette Binoche (France) shot on location in Tuscany (Italy) and produced by m2k Productions (France), BiBi Film (Italy), Abbas Kiarostami Productions (Iran?) and others.