The Race For A Foreign Language Oscar: Who Will Win?

Beginning tomorrow a committee will begin watching the 9 films that are left in the Foreign Language Category and on January 15 the list of 9 will be whittled down to 5. Which ones have you seen?

I, of course, help out hope until the end that Paolo Virzì’s Il Capitale Umano (Human Capital), would make the first cut, but no such luck.

I’ve seen 2 of the 9, Force Majeure, and Ida.

Sweden’s Force Majeure from director Ruben Östlund underwhelmed me with its story of a husband and father whose cowardly reaction during an avalanche makes his wife and children have doubts about his commitment to them.

Poland’s Ida from director Paweł Pawlikowski tells the story of a nun in 1962 who about to take vows when she learns from her only relative that she is Jewish. This one, I loved, and its Oscar buzz is good, but there are so many others I haven’t seen.

I’m dying to see Russia’s Leviathan, from director Andrey Zvyagintsev; have you seen it?

Those of you that are luckier than me and can tell us about the Oscar contenders, please let us know.