Golden Globe Musings: Best Foreign Language Film

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced in just a few weeks, so here’s a survey of the contenders and the most likely predictions at this time. Weigh in with your thoughts, and let me know if I’ve left off anything important. A reminder that the Globes are wildly unpredictable and that it is still a bit early to gauge the reception or awards potential of a number of the so-called “contenders” at this point.

Last year’s nominees:
Broken Embraces
Baaria
The Maid
A Prophet
The White Ribbon

Like the Best Original Song category, this one isn’t subject to the same limitations as the Oscar race. It’s usually a combination of the eventual Oscar frontrunner that you’ve heard about and the most buzzed-about foreign films to make it over from other countries. Multiple films from one country can also contend, and the USA counts as a country if the film is in a foreign language. That said, it’s important to consider major foreign films from this year that aren’t eligible at the Oscars, like The Girl with the Dragon Tatttoo (Sweden) and I Am Love (Italy). Leading the buzz among foreign contenders in Of Gods and Men (France) and Biutiful (Mexico) – which are both great films, for the record – as well as Incendies (Canada) and When We Leave (Germany). Beyond that, I can’t offer much insight at this point, having heard little of the other contenders.

Predicted nominees:
Biutiful (Mexico)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Sweden)
I Am Love (Italy)
Incendies (Canada)
Of Gods and Men (France)