Golden Globe Nominees: Best Foreign Film

My predictions: 2/5
Who’s missing? Bardo (Mexico), EO (Poland), many others

I did much worse than I thought, but I’m not surprised by any of these nominees. It was a risky decision to predict one Korean film, “Hunt,” over the Oscar-eligible favorite, Decision to Leave (South Korea), and I thought Argentina, 1985 (Argentina) and Close (Belgium) would earn Oscar nominations after missing here. All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany) remains the frontrunner in my mind, though it may lose here to an Oscar-ineligible choice that also earned a song nomination, RRR (India).

Who will win? I’ll pick RRR.

Golden Globe Predictions: Best Foreign Language Film

I’ve been predicting the Golden Globe nominations for more than fifteen years, and even if the group doesn’t have the same industry relevance as in the past, it’s still helpful and fun to see what films and performances get honored. Here’s my assessment of the contenders in this category.

Last year’s nominees:
Compartment No. 6 (Finland)
Drive My Car (Japan)
The Hand of God (Italy)
A Hero (Iran)
Parallel Mothers (Spain)

There are some likely frontrunners in this race, most of which are also the official Oscar submissions from their countries. All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany), Bardo (Mexico), EO (Poland), Argentina 1985 (Argentina), Corsage (Austria), Decision to Leave (South Korea), Joyland (Pakistan), Holy Spider (Denmark), Klondike (Ukraine), Girl Picture (Finland), and Saint Omer (France) all have buzz. I’d watch out also for three films that are on the Globes’ official list but weren’t selected for the Oscars’: Hunt (South Korea), One Fine Morning (France), and, most importantly, RRR (India).

Current predictions:
All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)
Bardo (Mexico)
EO (Poland)
Hunt (South Korea)
RRR (India)

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Non-English Language Film

The competition:
Compartment No. 6 (Finland/Germany/Russia) is directed by Juho Kuosmanen, marking his third film. As far as I can tell, Finland has been nominated twice in the past, most recently in 2015 for “The Fencer.” This film is on the Oscar shortlist as Finland’s submission for Best International Feature.

Drive My Car (Japan) is directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, marking his thirteenth film. As far as I can tell, Japan has eleven previous nominations, most recently in 2013 for “The Wind Rises” and in 2018 for “Shoplifters.” This film is on the Oscar shortlist as Japan’s submission for Best International Feature.

The Hand of God (Italy) is directed by Paolo Sorrentino, marking his ninth film and his second nomination in this category. He won in 2013 for “The Great Beauty.” As far as I can tell, Italy has thirty-six previous nominations and nine wins. “The Life Ahead” was its most recent nominee last year. This film is on the Oscar shortlist as Italy’s submission for Best International Feature.

A Hero (France/Iran) is directed by Asghar Farhadi, marking his ninth film and fourth nomination in this category, representing all of Iran’s mentions. He won in 2011 for “A Separation” and was nominated again in 2013 for “The Past” and in 2016 for “The Salesman.” This film is on the Oscar shortlist as Iran’s submission for Best International Feature.

Parallel Mothers (Spain) is directed by Pedro Almodóvar, marking his twenty-second film and ninth nomination in this category. He won in 1999 for “All About My Mother” and in 2002 for “Talk to Her.” He was last nominated in 2019 for “Pain and Glory.” As best as I can tell, Spain has ten previous nominations and three wins, the third of which was for “The Sea Inside” in 2004. His film is also nominated for its score. This film was not Spain’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature, but “The Good Boss,” from Spain, is on the shortlist.

Additional notes: Last year, just one of the three films nominated here who were submitted at the Oscars ended up getting nominated there, which was eventual winner “Another Round.” Before last year, when “Minari” won, the previous two winners of this category, “Parasite” and “Roma,” won the corresponding Oscar, while the two before that, “In the Fade” and “Elle,” weren’t even nominated. Only seven winners in this category have gone on to win the corresponding Oscar in the past fifteen years.
What should win? This is a very good list. I’d be fine with any of them winning, though I’d probably choose “A Hero,” “Parallel Mothers,” or “Drive My Car.”
What will win? Given its critical wins, Drive My Car seems likely.

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Foreign Language Film

The competition:

 
Another Round (Denmark) is directed by Thomas Vinterberg, marking his thirteenth feature film and third Golden Globe nomination after previous bids in this category in 1998 for “The Celebration” and in 2013 for “The Hunt.” As far as I can tell, Denmark has been nominated ten times in the past, winning in 1988 for “Pelle the Conqueror” and in 2010 for “In a Better World.” This film is on the Oscar shortlist as Denmark’s submission for Best International Feature.

La Llorona (Guatemala) is directed by Jayro Bustamante, marking his third film. This is the first Globe citation for Guatemala. This film is on the Oscar shortlist as Guatemala’s submission for Best International Feature.

The Life Ahead (Italy) is directed by Edoardo Ponti, marking his third film. As far as I can tell, Italy has thirty-five previous nominations and nine wins, most recently in 2013 for “The Great Beauty.” While this film is not was not selected as Italy’s submission for Best International Feature, it is on the corresponding shortlist for Best Original Song, which also serves as a second Globe nomination.

Minari (USA) is directed by Lee Isaac Chung, marking his fourth film. This is the sixth time that a film cited as being only from the USA has been nominated. None of them have won, though “Letters from Iwo Jima” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” billed as being from the USA and another country, did prevail in 2006 and 2007. This is the film’s only Globe nomination, though it is up for three SAG Awards.

Two of Us (France) is directed by Filippo Meneghetti, marking his feature debut. As best as I can tell, France has been nominated a whopping eighty-one times and has been credited with twelve wins. This film is on the Oscar shortlist as France’s submission for Best International Feature.

Additional notes: All three Oscar-eligible films are on the shortlist for the Oscar Best International Feature category. Last year, all three of the nominees here who were submitted at the Oscars ended up getting nominated there. The past two winners of this category, “Parasite” and “Roma,” won the corresponding Oscar, while the two before that, “In the Fade” and “Elle,” weren’t even nominated. Only seven winners in this category have gone on to win the corresponding Oscar in the past fifteen years.
What should win? These are all good choices. I would choose “Minari” over the rest.
What will win? This is the first time in a few years that there’s no set frontrunner, and even though Minari didn’t earn other bids here, I think it’s safe to say that it has the edge.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Foreign Film

My predictions: 4/5
Who’s missing? Many films!

I did pretty well here, predicting “I Carry You With Me” instead of horror movie La Llorona (Guatemala/France), which I’ve avoided seeing until now but am finally going to screen. It joins Another Round (Denmark) and Two of Us (France/USA) as the films eligible for the corresponding Oscar race. Minari (USA) didn’t earn nominations in any other categories, which probably reduces its chances of victory, while The Life Ahead (Italy) did earn a nomination for its song but missed out on a bid for star Sophia Loren. What I’ve seen is pretty good of this list but isn’t likely to match up too closely with Oscar.

Who will win? Even though it isn’t nominated elsewhere, I’ll pick Minari.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Foreign Film

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced shortly, 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, especially this year, it’s hard to know which films and performances will end up being honored.

Last year’s nominees:
The Farewell (USA)
Les Miserables (France)
Pain and Glory (Spain)
Parasite (South Korea)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France)

I correctly predicted all five nominees in this category last year, and I would love to repeat that feat this year. There are a staggering 139 films in consideration from 77 countries, which is of course much more than on Oscar’s list. Among the likeliest contenders only eligible here are Minari (USA), The Life Ahead (Italy), I Carry You With Me (Mexico), New Order (Mexico, France), and Cuties (France). It’s hard to know which films will ultimately be ahead from around the world, but it’s fair to say that Another Round (Denmark) is surely at the top of that list. Two of Us (France) feels like a safe choice too. I’ve heard excellent things about This Is Not A Burial, It's A Resurrection (Lesotho, South Africa, Italy) and Quo Vadis, Aida? (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Romania, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Norway, Turkey), but I’m not sure either will end up picked here. Other possibilities include Apples (Greece), Charlatan (Czech Republic), Dear Comrades! (Russia), La Llorona (Guatemala, France), My Little Sister (Switzerland), Never Gonna Snow Again (Poland, Germany), Night of the Kings (France, Côte d'Ivoire, Canada, Senegal), A Sun (Taiwan), Sun Children (Iran), True Mothers (Japan), and You Will Die at Twenty (Sudan).

Current predictions:
Another Round (Denmark)
I Carry You With Me (Mexico)
The Life Ahead (Italy)
Minari (USA)
Two of Us (France)

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Foreign Language Film

The competition:
The Farewell (USA) is directed by Lulu Wang, marking her second feature film and first Golden Globe nomination. This is the fifth time that a film cited as being only from the USA has been nominated. None of them have won, though “Letters from Iwo Jima” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” billed as being from the USA and another country, did prevail in 2006 and 2007. This film is also nominated for Awkwafina’s lead performance.

Les Miserables (France) is directed by Ladj Ly, marking his feature film debut. As best as I can tell, France has been nominated a whopping eighty times and has been credited with twelve wins. This film is on the Oscar shortlist as France’s submission for Best International Feature.

Pain and Glory (Spain) is directed by Pedro Almodovar, marking his twenty-first film. Seven of his films have been nominated in this category before, with two wins, for “All About My Mother” in 1999 and “Talk to Her” in 2002. Star Antonio Banderas is nominated for his performance. This film is on the Oscar shortlist as Spain’s submission for Best International Feature.

Parasite (South Korea) is directed by Bong Joon Ho, marking his seventh film. He is also nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay. This film is on the Oscar shortlist as South Korea’s submission for Best International Feature.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France) is directed by Céline Sciamma, marking her fourth film. This is her first Golden Globe nomination. As best as I can tell, France has been nominated a whopping eighty times and has been credited with twelve wins. This film was not submitted by France as its official Oscar submission.

Additional notes: All three Oscar-eligible films are on the shortlist for the Oscar Best International Feature category. Last year’s “Roma” was nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture, while the previous two winners of this award, “In the Fade” and “Elle,” weren’t even nominated for Best Foreign Film. Only seven winners in this category have gone on to win the corresponding Oscar in the past fifteen years. Every time a film nominated here has also contended for Best Director, it’s taken home this prize, most recently with “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Letters from Iwo Jima,” “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly,” and “Roma.”
What should win? I like all of these films a lot and would be happy to see them win. “Parasite” is my favorite, but any of these would be great as winners.
What will win? I would be shocked, as would anyone else, if anything other than Parasite won.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Foreign Film

My predictions: 5/5
Who’s missing? Corpus Christi, Out Stealing Horses, Atlantics, Beanpole, many others

I’m thrilled to have achieved a perfect score in this category, which is definitely a first for me. It’s not entirely informative for the Oscar race, since The Farewell (USA) and Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France) aren’t eligible. I still haven’t seen the latter but look forward to soon since I’ve heard only great things. Parasite (South Korea) was a no-brainer and also scored other bids, as did Pain and Glory (Spain). Rounding out the list is Les Miserables (France), which seems set for an Oscar nomination also.

Who will win? I don’t think anything but Parasite can win this.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Foreign Film

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced shortly, 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:
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Girl (Belgium)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)

I’ve seen more than ever before this year, and I just have to adjust my expectations slightly from the corresponding Oscar race due to certain films being eligible here and not there, and vice versa. The most significant films present on the list of 92 submissions from 63 countries is The Farewell (USA), making it ineligible in the normal motion picture category, and Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France), while “Honeyland,” from North Macedonia, is ineligible because it’s a documentary. Parasite (South Korea), Pain and Glory (Spain), and Les Miserables (France) seem like the surest bets. The question is whether Corpus Christi (Poland) will make the cut after last year’s “Cold War,” which went on to earn a Best Director bid, was shockingly snubbed. Among the other films vying for a slot are Invisible Life (Brazil), Out Stealing Horses (Norway), Truth and Justice (Estonia), And Then We Danced (Sweden, Georgia, France), Atlantics (Senegal, France, Belgium), Beanpole (Russia), Synonyms (Israel, France, Germany) and Tel Aviv on Fire (Luxembourg, Belgium, Israel, France).

Current predictions:
The Farewell (USA)
Les Miserables (France)
Pain and Glory (Spain)
Parasite (South Korea)
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (France)

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Foreign Language Film

The competition:
Capernaum (Lebanon) is directed by Nadine Labaki, marking her third feature film and first Golden Globe nomination. This is Lebanon’s first nomination as well.

Girl (Belgium) is directed by Lukas Dhont, marking his feature film debut. Belgium has been nominated five times before in this category, winning in 1994 and 1997 for “Farinelli” and “My Life in Pink.”

Never Look Away (Germany) is directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, marking his third film. He was nominated in this category in 2006 for his directorial debut, “The Lives of Others.” Germany has fourteen nominations since 1990, with twelve mentions before that for West Germany. Germany has won three times, in 1991 for “Europa Europa,” in 2009 for “The White Ribbon,” and last year for “In the Fade.”

Roma (Mexico) is directed by Alfonso Cuaron, marking his eighth film. He is also nominated for Best Director and Best Screenplay. He was previously nominated in this category in 2001 for “Y Tu Mama Tambien,” and took home the Best Director prize in 2013 for “Gravity.” Mexico has been nominated eight times previously but has yet to win.

Shoplifters (Japan) is directed by Hirokazu Koreeda, marking his thirteenth narrative film. This is his first Golden Globe nomination. Japan has been nominated ten times previously, and its only win comes from additional citation for co-producing the American-made Clint Eastwood film “Letters from Iwo Jima” in 2006.

Additional notes: Of these five, only “Girl” missed the finalist list for the Oscar race. The past two winners of this award, “In the Fade” and “Elle,” both went on to miss the list on nine finalists for the Oscar, and only six winners in this category have gone on to win the Oscar in the past fifteen years. Every time a film nominated here has also contended for Best Director, it’s taken home this prize, most recently with “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Letters from Iwo Jima,” and “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.”
What should win? I had lots of problems with “Girl,” and it definitely shouldn’t take home this prize. “Never Look Away,” which runs three hours and nine minutes, isn’t nearly as good as its director’s first film. “Shoplifters” is worthwhile and would be a decent choice here. I really liked “Capernaum” and “Roma” and would be happy with either.
What will win? The only movie that could have taken down Roma would have been “Cold War,” which wasn’t even nominated. This is one of the only sure things this year.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Foreign Film

My predictions: 2/5, missing “Capernaum,” “Girl,” and “Never Look Away”
Who’s missing? Cold War, Everybody Knows, Happy as Lazzaro, Burning, Border

I’m not too surprised by these nominees, though I did much worse than I thought I had here. Like with every category I made a switch to last minute, I swapped out an eventual nominee. I’m thrilled to see Capernaum, an excellent film that marks Lebanon’s first entry into this category. The biggest surprise, of course, is the omission of Poland’s “Cold War,” though I assume that won’t be the case come Oscar time. Germany’s very lengthy Never Look Away, made the cut, as did Japan’s Shoplifters and Mexico’s Roma, which scored director and screenplay bids also. The fifth nominee and the only one I haven’t seen is Girl from Belgium, which according to fellow critic Oliver Whitney, is very dangerous for the transgender community. I respect what Whitney has to say and will offer my take on the film when I’m able to see it.

Who will win? Without Poland competing, this seems like a very easy win for Roma.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Foreign 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:
A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
First They Killed My Father (Cambodia)
In the Fade (Germany)
Loveless (Russia)
The Square (Sweden)

I feel like I have a better handle on this race than usual, though there are always surprises here that don’t usually translate to the Oscar list. Of the eighty submissions to this category, the definitive frontrunner is Roma (Mexico), which, per Globe rules, isn’t actually eligible in the top category as an international picture. Next up should be Shoplifters (Japan), Capernaum (Lebanon), and Cold War (Poland), though they might miss out here before rebounding for the Oscar race. Happy as Lazzaro (Italy) isn’t in contention for the Oscar but will probably show up here, fending off competition from the likes of Burning (South Korea), Everybody Knows (Spain), Girl (Belgium), The Guilty (Denmark), and Never Look Away (Germany), as well as any of the other seventy or so possibilities.

Current predictions:
Cold War (Poland)
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Happy as Lazzaro (Italy)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Foreign Language Film

The competition: A Fantastic Woman (Chile), First They Killed My Father (Cambodia), In the Fade (Germany/France), Loveless (Russia), The Square (Sweden/Germany/France)

For your information: It’s hard to track statistics because multiple countries are often credited, but here goes. This is the third consecutive film nominated from Chile and the fourth overall. This is the seventh overall bid for Russia, which won with “Leviathan” in 2014. That film was also directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, as was 2003’s “The Return.” Though multiple countries are credited for this year’s pick, its main sponsor, Sweden is now at sixteen nominations with at least four trophies awarded in previous years. “The Square” director Ruben Ostlund was previously nominated for “Force Majeure” in 2014. Germany also has four modern day wins and twenty-eight total nominations. This is the first mention for Cambodia, though director Angelina Jolie did have a film that was nominated in 2011.

Who should win? At this time, I’ve only seen “The Square,” which I didn’t love, but I hope to see the others soon.

Who will win? Knowing little, I’d give the edge to The Square.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Foreign Film

My predictions: 3/5, picking “BPM” and “Thelma” over “A Fantastic Woman” and “Loveless”
Who’s missing? “BPM” (France), “Thelma” (Norway), others

I don’t have much to comment on here since the two films I didn’t predict - A Fantastic Woman (Chile) and Loveless (Russia) - were both on my radar. There’s no big shock here, since the other three, First They Killed My Father (Cambodia), In the Fade (Germany/France), and The Square (Sweden/Germany/France), all have big names of sorts attached to them, and all five films here are Oscar-eligible for what I have to assume is the first time in a long time if not ever. Statistics coming later, along with analysis once I’ve seen more than one of these films.

Who will win? I’ll pick the one I’ve seen, The Square.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Foreign 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:
Divines (France)
Elle (France)
Neruda (Chile)
The Salesman (Iran)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

I’m not too up to date on this race as of yet, but I always find it extremely useful to peruse Nathaniel’s foreign film charts over at The Film Experience to get a sense of the frontrunners. The Oscar eligibility list isn’t the same as the HFPA’s, but it’s the best place to start. The only one on the list that I’ve seen is The Square (Sweden), which is sure to place here even though I can’t comprehend how it’s Oscar-eligible given the amount of English spoken, which isn’t a problem for Globe voters. First They Killed My Father (Cambodia), from director Angelina Jolie, whose last foreign-language film earned a mention in this race, is a good bet. Other top contenders include BPM (France) and In the Fade (Germany), as well as LovelessA Fantastic Woman (Chile), On Body and Soul (Hungary), Thelma (Norway), and Summer 1993(Spain). I’m sure I’m missing some – we’ll have to see what the list turns out to be.

Current predictions:
BPM (France)
First They Killed My Father (Cambodia)
In the Fade (Germany)
The Square (Sweden)
Thelma (Norway)

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Foreign Language Film

The competition: Divines (France), Elle (France), Neruda (Chile), The Salesman (Iran/France), Toni Erdmann (Germany)

For your information: It’s hard to tabulate statistics by country since multiple countries are sometimes credited for a given film, including one nominee this year. France has been nominated a whopping 80 times and has been credited with twelve wins and has two and a half horses in the race this year. Germany shared credit on one win out of a handful of nominations. Chile has been nominated twice, and director Pablo Larrain contended last year for “The Club.” As a bonus, he also directed “Jackie,” which is up for Best Actress. Iran has been nominated twice before and won once, for “A Separation” in 2011. All three Iranian submissions were directed by Asghar Farhadi. “Divines” was the only one of these films that wasn’t submitted for the Oscars (“Elle” was instead), but both “Elle” and “Neruda” missed the nine-wide shortlist. “Elle” is also nominated for Best Actress at this year’s Globes.

Who should win? I didn’t catch “Divines,” which is available on Netflix, and “The Salesman” won’t be released in New York City for a few weeks. I wasn’t too fond of “Toni Erdmann” and liked “Neruda,” but “Elle” is far and away the best film of the three.

Who will win? It might be “The Salesman” or “Toni Erdmann,” but I’m going to hedge my bets on the fantastic Elle.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Foreign Film

My predictions: 3/5, picking “Aquarius” and “Julieta” over “Divines” and “The Salesman”
Who’s missing? Many films

I've seen just one of these films - Elle (France), which also got nominated for Best Actress. I'm going to watch Neruda (Chile) soon ahead of its opening this Friday, and I've heard only excellent things about The Salesman (Iran) and Tony Erdmann (Germany). Only one of these films isn't Oscar-eligible, and that's Divines (France).

Who will win? I’d bet on Elle.

Golden Globe Musings: Best Foreign Language Film

Golden Globe nominations for this year will be announced very soon, 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 Brand New Testament (Belgium)
The Club (Chile)
The Fencer (Finland)
Mustang (France)
Son of Saul (Hungary)

Last year, I predicted just one of the nominees, the eventual Globe and Oscar winner, “Son of Saul.” I’ve seen a few of the films submitted here, from a list that differs slightly from the Oscar list of possibilities. From what I’ve read, I think the frontrunners are Elle (France), Toni Erdmann (Germany), and Neruda (Chile). Other likely vote-getters include Afterimage (Poland), Aquarius (Brazil), The Handmaiden (Korea), Julieta (Spain), The Salesman (Iran), Sand Storm (Israel), Things to Come (France), and Tonio (The Netherlands). And I’m sure there will be one or two I’m not even considering that show up here too.

Current predictions:
Aquarius (Brazil)
Elle (France)
Julieta (Spain)
Neruda (Chile)
Toni Erdmann (Germany)

Golden Globe Winner Predictions: Best Foreign Language Film

The competition: The Brand New Testament (Belgium/France/Luxembourg), The Club (Chile), The Fencer (Finland/Germany/Estonia), Mustang (France), Son of Saul (Hungary)

For your information: It’s hard to tabulate statistics by country since multiple countries are sometimes credited for a given film, including two nominees this year. By my calculations, France has been nominated a whopping 79 times and has been credited with twelve wins. Germany shared credit on one win out of a handful of nominations. Belgium won twice. Hungary and Chile have both been nominated once before, and Estonia was nominated last year for the first time. Finland was cited once also, over fifty years ago. Jaco Van Dormeal, who helmed “The Brand New Testament,” was nominated in 1996 for “The Eighth Day.” Four of these films made the shortlist for the Oscar race and may be nominated – “The Club” is the only one that didn’t.

Who should win? I haven’t seen “The Brand New Testament” or “The Club,” neither of which have U.S. release dates on the schedule. The other three are all good - I’m not sure I have a preference.

Who will win? This category didn’t have a clear frontrunner the past two years, but Son of Saul seems like it this year.

Golden Globe Nominees: Best Foreign Film

My predictions: 2/5, picking only “Mustang” and “Son of Saul”
Who’s missing? The Second Mother, Felix and Meira, Labyrinth of Lies, The Assassin, countless others

As usual, this list completely redistributes expectations, and this time all five are Oscar eligible. Son of Saul (Hungary) and Mustang (France), both of which will be playing in New York as of next week, were the predicted choices. I’m surprised that “The Second Mother” isn’t here since that seemed like a sure thing, but it may still show up in the Oscar field. Instead, we get three films that weren’t even on my radar. The Brand New Testament (Belgium), whose tagline reads “God exists. He lives in Brussels,” looks very silly. The Club (Chile) is notable for being directed by “No” helmer Pablo Larrain. The Fencer (Finland) rounds out the list. I haven’t seen any of these but plan to see the first two soon and hopefully the other three at some point if they get released or screened.

Who will win? It seems like Son of Saul has this in the bag no matter what it’s up against.