HOLLYWOOD—Russian filmmakers are going home empty-handed when “Loveless” failed to capture the Golden Globe here Sunday night.
The top foreign language film prize went to German entry “In the Fade.”
But the game is not over for “Loveless” — it is still in the running for an Academy Award.
The film was recently “short-listed” for an Oscar, which means that out of 93 foreign films submitted for the Oscar, “Loveless” is one of the nine finalists.
“Loveless” has been one of the best reviewed foreign films of last year in the U.S. Critics saw it as a universal story despite its theme of failed Russian state institutions.
Director Andrey Zvyagintsev, who won a Golden Globe two years ago for his much-acclaimed drama “Leviathan,” returned to the world screens with a subtle but blistering indictment of his country’s government with “Loveless.” But the director has dismissed its alleged political overtones and insisted that the story could happen anywhere.
It tells the story of a couple who are going through an acrimonious divorce marked by resentment and recriminations. As they are getting ready to embark on new lives with new partners, their world is shattered when their 12-year-old son disappears.
“Loveless” has been both a critical and financial success. Produced without Russian government funding, it has grossed more than $2 million in Russia and it is on a worldwide release now by Sony Pictures.
Before its submission to the Golden Globes competition, it received the Jury Prize at the Cannes International Film Festival, followed by Grand Prix at the 35th Munich International Film Festival. Another Grand Prix Award was captured at the London International Film Festival.
The film’s producer, Alexander Rodnyansky, is pleased with the film’s reception so far. “We are immensely proud and grateful for the recognition ‘Loveless’ has received,” he told The Moscow Times.
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