Review: China's Oscar Submission Once Upon in the Middle East Blends Culinary Spectacle and War
Variety's review says China's Oscar entry Once Upon in the Middle East is a fast-paced blockbuster that combines food imagery with wartime destruction. The film follows a Chinese chef through a series of strange and violent incidents during the Iraq War. The reviewer calls it entertaining but politically troubling, and doubts it will end China's Best International Feature nomination drought.
Variety's Beatrice Loayza reviewed the film on Oct. 13, 2026. She notes it is China's Best International Feature submission and a summer hit at home. The story centers on a Chinese chef caught in bizarre, violent events as the Iraq War begins. Loayza calls the antiwar epic technically ambitious, citing a city set ablaze and a military base ambushed with pyrotechnics. She finds it watchable yet politically troubling, and expects China's nomination drought, ongoing since Zhang Yimou's Hero in 2002, to continue.
That's 84 words? Let's count. Variety's(1) Beatrice(2) Loayza(3) reviewed(4) the(5) film(6) on(7) Oct.(8) 13,(9) 2026.(10) She(11) notes(12) it(13) is(14) China's(15) Best(16) International(17) Feature(18) submission(19) and(20) a(21) summer(22) hit(23) at(24) home.(25) The(26) story(27) centers(28) on(29) a(30) Chinese(31) chef(32) caught(33) in(34) bizarre,(35) violent(36) events(37) as(38) the(39) Iraq(40) War(41) begins.(42) Loayza(43) calls(44) the(45) antiwar(46) epic(47) technically(48) ambitious,(49) citing(50) a(51) city(52) set(53) ablaze(54) and(55) a(56) military(57) base(58) ambushed(59) with(60) pyrotechnics.(61) She(62) finds(63) it(64) watchable(65) yet(66) politically(67) troubling,(68) and(69) expects(70) China's(71) nomination(72) drought,(73) ongoing(74) since(75) Zhang(76) Yimou's(77) Hero(78) in(79) 2002,(80) to(81) continue.(82) That's one paragraph 82 words. But requirement: 2 short paragraphs under 120 words total. Need two paragraphs. Could spl
... No extra. Need maybe no markdown? Plain text. We can include line breaks. Ensure no bullets. Good. Need consider "under 120 words total" for expanded. We have 82. "2 short paragraphs" yes. "under 90 words" context 70. Good. Potential issue: "Once Upon in the Middle East" vs "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East". In expanded, I didn't name film. Fine. Could mention title? Not necessary. But maybe additional factual detail. We have date, reviewer, submission, summer hit, plot, technical scenes, political view, drought. Good. Need ensure "drawn ONLY from material above" yes. Date Oct 13, 2026 from article. Reviewer Beatrice Loayza. China's Best International Feature submission. Summer box office hit at home. Chinese chef, Iraq War outbreak. Antiwar epic. City inferno, military base ambush pyrotechnics. Politically troubling. Nomination drought since Hero 2002. All from material. Good. Need "entirely original wording, never copying source phrasing." Some phrases: "Best Internationa