Best Foreign Language Film: Ida vs. Leviathan

Finally, a category where any of the nominees can win and people will be pretty satisfied with the choice. (When I refer to ‘people,’ I refer to the art-house devotees.) This diverse collection of titles really comes down to two films: Pawel Pawlikowski’s magnificent, moving Ida and the zeitgeist-defining Leviathan, from director Andrey Zvyagintsev. (Hopefully, whoever presents the award doesn’t have to say the winning director’s name.) For the record, Russia (Leviathan) has won four foreign language Oscars, while Poland (Ida) has never won.