Why the dog from Anatomy of Falling is banned from the 2024 Oscars

© Presse-citron/Le Pacte

This Sunday, March 10, 2024, the 96th Oscars ceremony will be held. Like every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science rewards multiple fields related to the world of cinema. Directing, editing, writing, visual effects and even interpretation are all crowned categories.

We already know that Poor Creatures by Yórgos Lánthimos (11 nominations), Oppenheimer by Christopher Nolan (13 nominations), Barbie by Greta Gerwig (8 nominations) or La Zone d' interest (still showing and rewarded with 5 nominations) will be at the forefront.

This year, we have the chance to see France shine thanks to Justine Triet and the excellent Anatomy of a fall. After winning the Palme d'Or, two Golden Globes and six César Awards, the feature film directed by Sandra Hüller received five nominations for the 2024 Oscars: best film, best direction, best original screenplay, best actress and best editing. . We sincerely wish him to leave with, at least, a golden statuette. If the film is acclaimed, it shed light on an unexpected star: Messi, the border collie who plays Snoop, the family dog ​​in Anatomy of a Fall.

We hoped to see Messi walking proudly on the red carpet during Sunday's ceremony, like Uggie who marked The Artist in 2011. Unfortunately, we will have to do without the canine star. Why ? His unanimous popularity would have displeased many people…

So cute…

If Anatomy of a Fall appealed to moviegoers, who were also not indifferent to Messi's charm. Since the announcement of the 5 nominations for Justine Triet's feature film at the Oscars, the border collie has even become the darling of all Hollywood. He was actually invited to the Oscar nominees' luncheon last month. The opportunity for the canine star to make friends with all the American elite. From Ryan Gosling to Billie Eilish, without forgetting Emma Stone and Bradley Cooper. Meetings that involve dogs, that is.

Thus, Messi's visit to Los Angeles was a real hit. Some fans even demanded, for fun, the creation of the “Best Dog” category at the Oscars to reward this new star.

But according to sources from The Hollywood Reporter, several companies with films in the running for the Oscars have complained to the Academy of presence of the charming dog. They believe that allowing Messi to attend this meal reserved for Oscar nominees would have given Anatomy of a Fall a real advantage during the crucial voting period. And would have eclipsed their favorites. The absence of Messi during the Oscars this Sunday would therefore have a link to these complaints.

Oscars: a real campaign is playing out behind the scenes

Whether intended or not, the media coverage of the adorable border collie helped increase the popularity of Justine Triet's feature film across the Atlantic. This, without a doubt, worked in favor of Anatomy of a Fall. But isn't that the whole game ? Making a good film isn't enough to win an Oscar. You also have to put all the chances on your side. Thus, it is a real campaign carried out vigorously, with strategies and tactics, which takes place during the Oscar season. The emergence of new communication channels has only amplified this phenomenon.

As producer Joe Pichirallo explained to the ABC channel, reported by France Info last year, “Oscar campaigns have become like political campaigns”.

All we have to do now is wait for the results of the 96th Academy Awards. In the meantime, discover the 4 films that will mark the 2024 Oscars in our dedicated article. Do you think that Anatomy of a Fall will win one (or more) prizes ?

Also read – Anatomy of a fall: 5 reasons to see the Palme d’Or 2023

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