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:
The Flowers of War
In the Land of Blood and Honey
The Kid with a Bike
A Separation
The Skin I Live In

This category also bears some noticeable differences from the corresponding Oscar race, in that countries don’t have to pick just one movie to submit, and foreign-language films produced in the United States are eligible too. Without knowing too much or having seen any of the films in the running, it seems that the frontrunners are the highly acclaimed The Intouchables (France), Amour (Austria), A Royal Affair (Denmark), and Rust and Bone (France). Other possibilities include No (Chile) and Fill the Void (Israel), though the latter country has a much better track record with the Oscars than with Globe voters.

Current predictions:
Amour (Austria)
The Intouchables (France)
No (Chile)
A Royal Affair (Denmark)
Rust and Bone (France)