Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020, VOD) - Hilarious Ferrell comeback

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+ Best Comeback of the Year: Will Ferrell + Best Music Movie of the Year

Two united melodious believers adjoin on this poster for Dave Dobkin's Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

Lars of Iceland is a middle-aged man living in his publicly shameful father's house. As this arrangement is coming to an end, Lars' dream of going to the Eurovision Song Contest comes to life, performing with his singing partner Sigrit.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is written by Andrew Steele (The Cicada Hunk (2015)) and co-writer/co-producer/co-star Will Ferrell (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)) and directed by Dave Dobkin (52nd St. Serenade (1992)).
Based on the fascinating broadcast phenomenon that is the Eurovision, the world's biggest song contest, which attracts around a couple of hundred million viewers every year, - but is not widely known outside of Europe, - the film has a ball with the outlandish costumes, uncool lyrics and gimmicks that always surround the contestants. The Iceland setting invites more fun, as the Viking-rooted, deeply peaceful and naive residents suddenly have the world's attention, - or at least so they are portrayed here.
Rachel McAdams (The Family Stone (2005)) is funny and does a good impression of the good-natured, comfortable and sweetly naive Scandinavian woman. Will Ferrell (Stranger than Fiction (2006)), who has slumped in countless comedies way under his earlier level in recent years, returns to form here with a very funny performance in a film that is obviously deliberately 'clean' enough for family consumption. (The 'pure' Icelandic protagonists make the absence of foul language and awkward sex scenes auspicious.) Pierce Brosnan (The Disappearance of Kevin Johnson (1996)) is great as Ferrell's hugely disapproving father, an exaggerated type of stock character; their scenes together are among the film's funniest.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, - a title that also matches the awkwardness of the often hilarious Eurovision acts, - also has Dan Stevens (The Guest (2014)) a real delight as the show's popular Russian act, an over-compensating super-macho (but closeted gay) singer of wealth, who tries to lure Sigrit from Lars. Both Stevens and McAdams/Ferrell do quite good accents, and the implicit critique of Russia's anti-gay policies is appreciated much, not least in the (very gay) Eurovision context. The film also has a visiting American quartet of random young tourists, who are effectively set in their place in a few scenes that are also funny because they showcase the rampant anti-Americanism in Europe under President Trump. No doubt much of the inspiration and fun in this film stems from Ferrell's being married to a Swedish woman in real life.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga takes no new ground, and it isn't a nonstop barrage of laughs, but it's a damn good time with a beloved star returning to something with a sweeter edge to it. And then it has songs like Double Trouble, Lion of Love and, yeah, the really memorable: Jaja Ding Dong!

 

Related post:

 

2020 in films - according to Film Excess

 

Watch the Volcano Man music video from the film here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: None - VOD
= Uncertain
[Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga premiered 26 June (Netflix) and runs 123 minutes. Ferrell was introduced to the Eurovision by his Swedish wife in 1999. He attended the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal to research for the script. Shooting took place in Iceland, the UK, including London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and in Tel Aviv, Israel. 3.6 mil. $ were reportedly spent in Iceland, of which 1 mil. $ was the Icelandic government's contribution in the form of a production incentive. The release, which was to coincide with the 2020 Eurovision in May, was pushed out due to the Corona crisis cancelling the song contest. The film became the top-ranked streaming item in the North-American Netflix service as well as in many other markets. The budget and viewership data are regrettably kept secret by Netflix. Dobkin returned with Resident Alien (2020, TV-series) and is slated to return theatrically with Wedding Crashers 2 (announced). Ferrell has 6 upcoming projects, among them a TV-series, currently 5 of them in pre-production and the last one just announced; McAdams returns in Sherlock Holmes 3 (2021). Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is fresh at 63 % with a 5.78/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga?

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) - Mitchell's big rock musical blow-out

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John Cameron Mitchell's platinum blonde title character sings her heart out on this poster for his Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Hansie, an East-German boy, grows up to become a beautiful female rock singer in the West, who tours with her band, all the while the bitter breakdown of her relationship with young rock phenomenon Tommy pains and affects everything.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch is written and directed by great Texan filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell (Rabbit Hole (2010)), whose debut it is. It is based on Mitchell and Stephen Trask's (The Savages (2007, score)) same-titled 1998 musical.
It is a fantastically distinctive and memorable film with some delightful songs, hair, makeup and costumes. - And an intense Mitchell in his own title role. Michael Pitt (Dawson's Creek (1999-00)) is also a star in the making as Tommy.
What can be criticized about this very stylishly assertive film, - which in fact can feel somewhat like watching a 90-minute, great music video, - is that it elevates Hedwig's narcissism and makes it its own, refusing to take interest in anything besides her limited, self-centered and overly dramatic world. This especially hurts the film's inauspicious ending.

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John Cameron Mitchell: 2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Rabbit Hole (2010) - Kidman and Eckhart shine in Mitchell's excellent drama 

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 6 mil. $
Box office: 3.6 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.6 times its cost)
[Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered 19 January (Sundance Film Festival) and runs 92 minutes. Shooting took place in Ontario, including Toronto, from July - August 2000. Most of the lead vocals were recorded live. Pitt reportedly ate onion and garlic prior to his prolonged kissing scene with Mitchell out of discomfort. The film opened #28 to a 156k $ first weekend in 9 theaters in North America, were it peaked at #23 and in 101 theaters (different weeks), grossing 3 mil. $ (83.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were South Korea with 286k $ (7.9 %) and France with 94k $ (2.6 %). The film was nominated for a Golden Globe, won an award at the Berlin International Film Festival, was nominated for 5 Independent Spirit awards, won a National Board of Review award, 2 awards at Sundance and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. Mitchell returned with Shortbus (2006) as a filmmaker and as an actor in Girls (2013-14)). Hedwig and the Angry Inch is certified fresh at 92 % with a 7.9/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hedwig and the Angry Inch?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) - Columbus lands new family franchise successfully

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Exciting and colorful, classic adventure-style poster for Chris Columbus' Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

The bespectacled Harry Potter is saved from his existence as the black sheep in a foster family in the 'muggler' world and enrolls in the wizard school Hogwarts, where the Sorcerer's Stone has been stolen!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is written by Steve Kloves (The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)), adapting J.K. Rowling's (The Casual Vacancy (2012)) same-titled 1997 novel, and directed by great Pennsylvanian filmmaker Chris Columbus (Adventures in Babysitting (1987)).
The fresh-faced child cast are sweet, (though Emma Watson's (My Week with Marilyn (2011)) supercilious Hermione is a bit annoying) in this the first film in the Potter franchise, which spans 7 sequels, as the last entry in Rowling's book series was broken into two films. They are backed up by a handsome British adult cast of which especially Robbie Coltrane's (Midnight Breaks (1990)) Hagrid is a pleasure here.
The film has very good effects, but the running time is excessive, especially for grown up audiences who would expect some kind of thematic counterweight to justify this, which the Potter films rarely inhabit.

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Chris Columbus: Top 10: Best dramedies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) - Columbus and Robin Williams score with a truly great family jewel
Gremlins (1984) - Dante's 1980s puppetry classic (writer)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 125 mil. $
Box office: 1,075.1 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned 8.60 times the cost)
[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone premiered 4 November (London) and runs 152 minutes. Warner Bros. bought the rights to the first 4 Potter novels for 1 mil. £. Steven Spielberg was one in a line of directors in talks to head the film, but he turned down the offer, calling it "no challenge." Rowling preferred Terry Gilliam, but Columbus was hired, and Rowling had great power over several other aspects of the film and franchise, from casting to lines, plot and more. English child labor laws were altered to accommodate the production to shoot in the UK. Shooting took place from September 2000 - March 2001 in the UK, including London and Scotland. Coca Cola reportedly paid 150 mil. $ for marketing affiliation with the first two Potter films and optioning on the 3rd. The film opened #1 to a 90.2 mil. $ first weekend in North America, breaking opening day and opening weekend records: It held the #1 for another 4 weekends and stayed in the top 5 for another 4 weeks (#2-#4-#5-#5), grossing 317.5 mil. $ (32.6 % of the total gross) in the original 974.7 mil. $ release, selling more than 55 mil. tickets in the US alone. The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 152.9 mil. $ (15.7 %) and the UK with 84.6 mil. $ (8.7 %). It was the highest-grossing film of the year and the 2nd highest-grossing of all time at the time of its release, behind Titanic (1997). It has had several re-releases since, boosting its gross total with another 100 mil. $, mostly from the UK. The film was nominated for 3 Oscars, winning none: It lost Best Art-Set Direction and Costume Design to Moulin Rouge! and Score (John Williams) to Howard Shore for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It was also nominated for 8 BAFTAs, won an AFI award and was nominated for another and was nominated for a Grammy. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches higher than this one. Columbus returned with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), the next in the franchise. Daniel Radcliffe (Jungle (2017)) first returned as Potter in the same film. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is certified fresh at 81 % with a 7.07/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?

Hannibal (2001) - Grisly highlights in low-yielding Scott sequel

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Pallid and with ominously reddish eyes, the title character lures on this spooky poster for Ridley Scott's Hannibal

FBI special agent Clarice Starling is vilified after causing the loss of five lives in a botched drug operation. Subsequently she is turned to the hunt for cannibal-on-the-run Dr. Hannibal Lecter. - The trail leads to Florence, but disfigured, wealthy Mason Verger catches him first.

Hannibal is written by David Mamet (The Edge (1997)) and Steve Zaillian (Jack the Bear (1993)), based on the same-titled 1999 novel by Thomas Harris (Red Dragon (1981)), and directed by English master filmmaker Ridley Scott (The Duellists (1977)), whose 12th feature it is. It is the 2nd sequel in the Lecter franchise, which began with Manhunter (1986) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991).

Scott manages, - with what feels like a dreadful script, - to stay far above the psyche and deeper motivations of all the major characters. The action-packed beginning is out of place, and the cliches used are many and dumb. The scenes in Hannibal are almost as blunted in their design as the film's cannibal center, still somehow elegantly acted by Anthony Hopkins (Instinct (1999)). But you will likely remember at least one grisly scene from Hannibal for years after.

The basic idea of building a horror-thriller around the depravity of the higher sciences is good; so much more the pity that it drowns in ugly devices and uninventiveness here.

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Ridley Scott:  Prometheus (2012) or, Even Then, Space Eggs Were Bad News
2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2010 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

Robin Hood (2010) - R. Scott's grand film of the English legend 

2008 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

2008 in films - according to Film Excess 

Body of Lies (2008) - R. Scott's terror actioner is a fatiguing turkey 

2007 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

2007 in films - according to Film Excess 

American Gangster (2007) - Great American - now black - gangster picture
A Good Year (2006) - Ridley Scott likes Provence

Gladiator (2000) - Experience the grandeur of the Roman Empire in Scott's dramatic masterpiece

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date  
Blade Runner (1982) director's cut - Visual extravaganza, great SF 
Alien (1979) or, Space Eggs Are Bad News

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 87 mil. $
Box office: 351.6 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.04 times its cost)
[Hannibal was released 9 February (Canada, USA, Italy) and runs 132 minutes. The sequel was long in the making due to the slow novel writing of Harris. Producer Dino de Laurentiis, who held the rights to the Lecter character after making Manhunter, bought the rights for a record 10 mil. $. Jonathan Demme, director of Silence of the Lambs, and Jodie Foster, the film's Starling, rejected the sequel due to what they perceived as excesses and "trampling" the Starling character in the novel. Scott on the other hand called the novel, "rich in all kinds of ways", but asked to and was given the go-ahead to change its ending. Hopkins was paid 15 mil. $ for his performance and suggested Moore for the Starling part, which she was paid 3 mil. $ for. Gary Oldman asked to go unbilled as Mason Verger upon being denied a prominent credit alongside Hopkins and Moore. Shooting took place from May - August 2000 in North Carolina, Virginia, Washington DC and Italy. The film opened #1 to a 58 mil. $ first weekend in North America, the 3rd biggest ever, where it retained the #1 position for another 3 weekends and spent another 2 weeks in the top 5 (#2-#4) and grossed 165 mil. $ (46.9 % of the total gross). It was the highest North-American opening for a horror movie until It (2017).  The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 30.9 mil. $ (8.8 %) and Germany with 17.3 mil. $ (4.9 %), - perhaps, because the film's Box Office Mojo tally is missing several key markets. It was the 10th highest-grossing movie worldwide of the year. Roger Ebert gave the film a 2.5/4 star review, translating to a notch higher than this one. It took in 87 mil. $ on video rentals in North America alone. Scott returned with Black Hawk Down (2001). Hopkins returned in Hearts in Atlantis (2001); Moore in Evolution (2001). Hannibal is rotten at 39 % with a 5.1/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Hannibal?

Grev Axel (2001) - Frödin and Gråbøl pull laughter from 18th century-set crazy-comedy

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Star Peter Frödin looks silly before a woman in a chastity belt on this DVD cover for Søren Fauli's Grev Axel

In late 18th century Denmark a performing actor without much luck steals a man's pony and learns that said man was about to become a count. He swiftly assumes the man's identity and suddenly becomes a popular man of means and power.

Grev Axel is written by Anders Thomas Jensen (Men & Chicken/Mænd og Høns (2015)) and directed by Søren Fauli (Antenneforeningen (1999)). The titles means 'count Axel'.
The film launches crazy comedy in the Mel Brooks vein, though with a clear Danish style  and engaged performances all the way around:
Peter Frödin (Grethe (2016-17)) and Sofie Gråbøl (Flickering Lights/Blinkende Lygter (2000)) are tremendous.
The film would have benefited from a larger budget, and its script is clearly politely structured to follow the 'three act handbook', which isn't a compliment in this case.

Related post:

Søren Fauli: How to Get Rid of the Others/Hvordan Vi Slipper Af med De Andre (2007) - A generally awful Danish surreal comedy turkey (co-star)

Watch a scene from the film here, which is regrettably without subtitles but hysterically funny if you understand Danish

Cost: 13.5 mil. DKK, approximately 2.03 mil. $
Box office: 348k $
= Box office disaster (returned 0.17 times its cost)
[Grev Axel premiered 6 April (Denmark) and runs 90 minutes. The film was supported with a sum of money from the Danish Film Institute. It sold 67,468 tickets in production country Denmark. The listed gross, - only from there, - makes for an average ticket prize of 5.15 $. The film was not theatrically released elsewhere. The film won 2/5 Robert award nominations (Denmark's Oscar). Fauli returned with Polle Fiction (2002). Frödin returned in En Kort En Lang (2001); Gråbøl in Livsforsikringen (2003, short), Nikolaj og Julie (2002-03) and theatrically in Lad De Små Børn... (2004). 645 IMDb users have given Grev Axel a 5.5/10 average rating.]

What do you think of Grev Axel?

Gosford Park (2001) - Smith triumphs in Altman & Fellowes' exquisite whodunit

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Scarlet roses and a menu attached to a waiter's backside with the title, tagline and impressive list of stars make up this inviting poster for Robert Altman's Gosford Park

A British family patriarch invites to a grand hunting weekend in 1930s upper class England. The family and their servants cultivate etiquette, gossip and viciousness as usual. But then a murder occurs!...

Gosford Park is written by Julian Fellowes (Romeo and Juliet (2013)), based on an idea by co-producer/co-star Bob Balaban (The Last Good Time (1994)) and co-producer and Missourian master filmmaker Robert Altman (The Delinquents (1957)), whose 33rd feature it was.
It is a wonderful multi-character film with a terrific ensemble of whom especially Maggie Smith (Keeping Mum (2005)) and Kelly Macdonald (Finding Neverland (2004)) impress. Smith is tart and incredibly funny here.
Altman serves the whodunit in a breezy style without giving the misdeed more room than is necessary.
The British social reservation that's integral to Gosford Park may affect my own feelings about it a bit to the cool side, but it is certainly still a splendid picture.

Related post:

Robert Altman: The Company (2003) - Campbell, Turner and Altman's fine ballet picture

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 19.8 mil. $
Box office: 87.7 mil. $
= Big hit (returned 4.42 times its cost)
[Gosford Park premiered 7 November (London Film Festival) and runs 137 minutes. Balaban asked Altman if they could develop a film together in 1999, and upon Altman's response of an Agatha Christie-like whodunit introduced him to Fellowes. Shooting took place in England from March 2001 - ?. Filming took place with two cameras perpetually moving in opposite directions, forcing all actors to stay in character throughout every scene, all of which has at least one servant in them. The film opened #23 to a 241k $ first weekend in 9 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #9 and in 918 theaters (different weeks), grossing 41.3 mil. $ (47.1 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 17.1 mil. $ (19.5 %) and Australia with 4.5 mil. $ (5.1 %). It was Altman's most commercially successful film, following MASH (1970). The film was nominated for 7 Oscars, winning for Best Screenplay. It lost Best Picture, Supporting Actress (Smith and Helen Mirren) to Jennifer Connelly, Director to Ron Howard, all for A Beautiful Mind, and Art/Set Decoration and Costume Design to Moulin Rouge!. It won 1/5 Golden Globe nominations, 2/9 BAFTAs, 1/4 AFI award nominations, was nominated for a César award, 3 European Film awards and several other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches higher than this one. Fellowes was inspired by the film to create his hit-series Downton Abbey (2010-15). Altman returned with The Company (2003). Smith returned in Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002); Macdonald in Brush with Fate (2003, TV movie), State of Play (2003, miniseries) and theatrically in Intermission (2003). Gosford Park is certified fresh at 86 % with a 7.51/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Gosford Park?

Freddy Got Fingered (2001) - Green's nonstop insane comedy feat

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Sloppily dressed co-writer/director/star Tom Green looks more or less insane on this poster for his Freddy Got Fingered

Gord is 28 years old and lives in his parents' basement with a dream of being an animator. Now he will attempt to materialize that dream in Hollywood!

Freddy Got Fingered is written by Derek Harvie (Meet the Family (2013-14)) and debuting co-writer/director/star Tom Green (Tom Green: Endangered Feces (1999, video)).
It is an insane film that parts opinions sharply, - but I'm one of its fans!
Green creates a kind of performance comedy in it, which may remind one of Jim Carrey's overwrought performances as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994; sequel 1995), - but Green's work is just more insane and transgressive. The fact that he attracted a considerable studio budget and some established stars to this lunacy is incredible.
Rip Torn (Slaughter (1972)) runs admirably amok in the film, and Julie Hagerty (Held Up (1999)) is also hilarious.
Freddy Got Fingered is like no other film: It is vulgar and naughty, (some would say tasteless); a comedy with a mission to be outrageous, which it achieves in one crazy scene after another, tightly packed with screaming, yelling, violence and major hit songs. Green seems manic and not much of a healthy individual here, but darn is it fun to watch.
The title is fittingly outrageous and vulgar to match the movie and doesn't really have much of an import in the story itself.

Related post:

Tom Green: Charlie's Angels (2000) - McG's saucy Hollywood Entertainment winner (actor)

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 14 mil. $
Box office: 14.3 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 1.02 times its cost)
[Freddy Got Fingered premiered 18 April (USA) and runs 87 minutes. Shooting took place from August - October 2000 in British Columbia, including Vancouver, and in California. The film opened #5, behind holdover hits Bridget Jones' Diary, Spy Kids and Along Came a Spider and fellow new release Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, to a 7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it left the top 5 in its 2nd week and grossed 14.2 mil. $ (99.3 % of the total gross). The film was released in at least 6 other markets, so the assertion that these should have grossed less than 100k $ for the film seems dubious but could be true given its critical negation. Roger Ebert gave the film a zero star rating, translating to 4 notches under this one. The film earned more than 24.3 mil. $ from North-American video sales, which, if added into the equation, would make the film a box office success. Green returned with Subway Monkey Hour (2002, TV movie), Light Coming Out of Ear!!! (2005, short) and theatrically with the little-seen Prankstar (2010). As an actor he returned in Malcolm in the Middle (2002, TV-series) and theatrically in Stealing Harvard (2002). Freddy Got Fingered is rotten at 10 % with a 2.64/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Freddy Got Fingered?

Nowhere in Africa/Nirgendwo in Afrika (2001) - Link's powerful African exile drama

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Two intimate photographs make up the major part of this poster for Caroline Link's Nowhere in Africa

A Jewish lawyer flees out of Germany to Kenya with his family shortly before Kristallnacht, and in the foreign African country they are made responsible for a small farm, while the situation worsens for their kin left behind in Germany.

Nowhere in Africa is written and directed by great German filmmaker Caroline Link (Sommertage (1990)), adapting the same-titled, autobiographical 1995 novel by Stefanie Zweig (Irgendwo in Deutschland (1996)).
The Jewish family, - and not least the mother and wife, portrayed in a central, fantastically human and strong performance by Juliane Köhler (The Whole Shebang/Alles Inklusive (2014)), - are very German, and their culture clash with the Kenyans is skillfully utilized. The film shows how differing cultures can coexist peacefully, - but not without each making their mark on the other.
Nowhere in Africa is handsomely produced and thoroughly well-made and well-acted. It insists that life for the persecuted Jews abroad wasn't all misery but that it also entailed new relations and love. Obviously many more difficulties for the family came after the film ends, as they ventured back home. 
It is a valuable and very worthwhile grand film about being on the run, losing one's country, to be a refugee, - SPOILER with a very powerful climactic scene during an invasion of locusts, which with mythical precision seems to show the affectingly bared, vulnerable situation that the family find themselves in.

 

Related post:

 

Top 10: Best German movies

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 7 mil. €, approximately 7.9 mil. $
Box office: 24.3 mil. $
= Box office success (returned 3.07 times its cost)
[Nowhere in Africa was released 27 December (Germany) and runs 141 minutes. Shooting took place from January - April 2001 in Kenya and Germany. The film had a slow release that continued into 2004. It opened #71 to a 22k $ weekend in 2 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #18 and in 78 theaters (different weeks), grossing 6.1 mil. $ (25.1 % of the total gross). The film's biggest market was its production country Germany with 10.2 mil. $ (42 %). North America was the 2nd biggest, and Spain was 3rd with 2.3 mil. $ (9.5 %). The film won the Best Foreign Film Oscar. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe and won 5/6 German Film award nominations. Link returned with A Year Ago in Winter/Im Winter ein Jahr (2008). Köhler returned in My First Miracle/Mein Erstes Wunder (2002). Nowhere in Africa is certified fresh at 85 % with a 7.51/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Nowhere in Africa?