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10 Possible Oscar Contenders From The First Half Of 2014

We're somehow already at the mid-way point for 2014, which means it's just about time to start talking about the best we've seen at the multiplex in the first half of the year. And though this fall will be stocked to the gills with some tremendous films, the first six months of 2014 weren't exactly a barren, cinematic wasteland either.

8. Venus in Fur

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Roman Polanski is one of the Academy’s favorite directors – just look at his nominations for Knife in the WaterChinatown and Tess, and his statuette for The Pianist. And though the Best Director field will be very crowded this year, it’s possible voters will honor him yet again for Venus in Fur, a French drama about the writer-director (César winner Mathieu Amalric) of a play who becomes obsessed with an energetic actress (César nominee Emmanuelle Seigner) during her audition for the lead character. The film has received very strong reviews, including four stars from our own Dominic Mill, who concluded that, “It’s smart, energetic and fiercely original filmmaking, the kind of stuff true movie fans will always crave.”

If Venus in Fur stands a chance of a nomination, it will either come in Best Director, though that’s highly unlikely, or Best Foreign Language Film, which seems a little more believable. After all, Polanski’s name is still well-respected in Hollywood, despite his legal troubles, and Venus in Fur has been hailed as a return to form for him.