Editor’s note: For the Oscar foreign film category, we love “Roma,” “Cold War,” “Capernaum,” and “Shoplifters.” But “Never Look Away” is in a category all its own.

Germany’s Oscar entry, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s “Never Look Away,” provides a glimpse into an artist’s life against the backdrop of the Nazi’s declining power in Europe.

Based loosely on Gerhard Richter’s career, his coming of age in Dresden, escape to the West, painting studies in Dusseldorf, and phenomenal professional and personal success, this epic length movie moves briskly through its three hours plus: it’s a love story with a potent villain played by Germany’s uber romantic hero, Sebastian Koch, with young lovers Tom Schilling and Paula Beer. Schilling’s Kurt makes his breakthrough discovery of collaging gauzy images of photos from the past.

In a traditional movie narrative, this filmmaker depicts Europe’s destruction by the Nazis, euthanasia of mental patients, political loyalties and injustices and its aftermath. As in his Oscar winning “The Lives of Others” (2006), a potent message comes forward: Yes, Germans suffered too.

At a special New York screening hosted by documentary filmmaker Katherina Otto-Bernstein in her art-filled townhouse, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck spoke about his inspiration in making this film, how he wanted to explore art’s immense allure: “Art has the possibility of making us feel that life is worthwhile. I didn’t know that much about Gerhard Richter, except for the picture he called “Mother and Child;” later he revealed this was a picture of his aunt who was murdered after she was institutionalized for schizophrenia. The father of the woman Richter married was a high-ranking Nazi who was responsible for sterilizing the mentally unstable in such an institution. The past continued to haunt Richter in terms of his father-in-law. I thought, there’s enough in there to tie the elements together.” More hidden was his exploration of the nature of evil.

Sebastian Koch’s Professor Carl Seeband in “Never Look Away” is a bit like Satan in Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” the most compelling, charismatic evil character. When asked about this casting, Florian said, “I went to him and said, I wrote this atrocious character for you. He replied, ‘Why can’t I play the hero?’ Then he offered me his house by the lake to write.”

“Koch didn’t work for a year to prepare for this part. He said, ‘I have to understand this character from within. How could a person commit these terrible crimes?’ The sad part is, that’s how it was. This story pales compared to other things the Nazis did, but is in itself so awful. So often the most horrible people did get away. They went free.”

Richter’s father-in-law was truly an atrocious human being; died in 1988, a highly decorated doctor, unpunished. If we need punishment, we will be disappointed. There is still a way to look at this as a triumph. The good side won. We have to look at our victories. This is the triumph of art and truth.”

As to Gerhard Richter’s response: Florian traveled with Richter to the places of his youth. He understood: “I was not making a biography of him but another work of art inspired by him. He does not want to see the film. Maybe this film is for everyone but Richter.”

In the past when something ugly was uncovered about an Oscar movie, people pointed to Harvey Weinstein as the culprit.

But this season, Harvey is really out of the race and the dirt being dug up and thrown around is worse than ever.

In the last 48 hours, “Green Book”– which wasn’t a legit front runner until Sunday’s Golden Globes– has been trashed over and over.

First there was a ridiculous whisper campaign that the movie was somehow racist. Or racist in an old fashioned way. Again, ludicrous.

Then actor Viggo Mortensen used the “N” word to describe the use of the “N” word– not to call anyone the “N” word– and his misspeaking was turned against him like a flame thrower.

Since Sunday, someone poured through the screenwriter’s ancient messages to find something they could call anti-Muslim. Then the director was accused of taking his penis out when he directed comedies.

On top of that, someone dug up the distant relatives of Don Shirley, who suddenly think the film is inaccurate. Could it be they’re angry they weren’t consulted or paid for the film? Someone ginned them up.

All of this is orchestrated very carefully. Do you really think it appears by accident? No, someone has gone to a lot of trouble to try and kill off “Green Book.”

The same thing happened last summer to “First Man.” A front runner when it opened to rapturous reviews in Venice, Damien Chazelle’s film was suddenly shouted down for not being patriotic. Whoever came up with that item about the American flag scene not being re-enacted was an evil genius. They destroyed a wonderful film.

It was too late to really hurt “Bohemian Rhapsody,” but an effort rose up right after it won the Golden Globe. Even though Bryan Singer was forced out of the production soon after it started, a suggestion was made on Monday that the movie should be punished for his past indiscretions. But “BR” has already made $750 million, and a lot of people love it. Singer’s problems are of course irrelevant.

I’m surprised no one’s come after the portrayal of Queen Anne in “The Favourite,” or found fault with the treatment of alcoholism in “A Star is Born.” Maybe the paella was made wrong in “Roma.”

Once Oscar nominations come out on January 22nd, watch for more “revelations” and reprisals against the front runners. Maybe Glenn Close really killed that bunny in “Fatal Attraction.” Or better yet– Wakanda isn’t even a real place!

As for “Green Book”: it deserves all accolades.

Kevin Hart was in the “house” Wednesday night before a screening of his new dramatic comedy “The Upside,” in a packed Manhattan theater for mainly moms and their children. The comic’s had a hectic few weeks, what with his plans to host the Oscars, only to drop out after homophobic material from years ago shows surfaced. Then there was confusion over whether he apologized sufficiently or not. (The consensus was no.)

“Well, I will tell you this because like you said there’s so many mothers here, you need an amazing woman to help you with that so I didn’t get so much credit,” he said.

“I definitely don’t do it by myself. I have help and I try to make sure that my time with my kids is strictly their time so I devote that six p.m. to ten or nine, whatever their bedtime is to just getting in my time and trying to shut down what I can’t. So, you know, it’s also going back to communication. And understanding that I have goals and working hard for it. And the end result is all for them so when everybody’s done, I’m gonna follow the game plan and all understand what the endgame is, everybody’s pretty much a part of it. So they’re very supportive,” Hart said. “My wife does a major part in helping me with them. And I would just say that I definitely don’t take for granted the help that I have. I understand how much work goes into the dealing with households and so kudos to all women here that hold it down… “Enjoy the movie guys!” And then Hart was off to the next stop — a SAG screening and Q&A — as part of the movie’s publicity blitz.

The “Black Panther” awards campaign has gone awry.

Disney-Marvel’s huge push to get Ryan Coogler’s movie into the main awards has failed miserably this week.

Despite making $700 million and receiving rapturous reviews, “Black Panther” was snubbed this morning by BAFTA, aka the British Academy, and by the Directors Guild of America.

Coogler, surprisingly, was left off the DGA top five directors. And BAFTA simply ignored the film altogether.

Now Disney waits to see if the voters in the Motion Picture Academy will make “Black Panther” one of its top 9 or 10 movies of the year. It doesn’t seem possible that they won’t, but this latest turn of events is a shock, too.

As well, “Mary Poppins Returns” — another Disney film — was omitted from the DGA and BAFTA.

If Disney is blanked from the Oscars list, that means the Academy list would likely be Roma, Green Book, A Star is Born, Blackkklansman, Vice, The Favourite, Bohemian Rhapsody for the top 7, with If Beale Street Could Talk and maybe Can You Ever Forgive Me as the final two.

It’s certainly not a boring year, that’s for sure!