Choose your favorite for Best Foreign Language Film

This weekend two of the year’s most acclaimed international films added more trophies to their shelves. A Prophet was awarded 9 C√©sars and The White Ribbon won the top prize from the American Society of Cinematographers. Have these honors influenced your prediction for Best Foreign Language Film?

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Not that I’m lobbying for any title in particular, but hey, lookie here! it’s an article about A Prophet by Greg Ellwood at HitFix:

It’s been an incredibly dramatic year for the three men behind France’s acclaimed drama “A Prophet” (or “Un Prophete” as the filmmakers would prefer). The film was generally regarded as the best picture at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where it made its debut, but lost the prestigious Golden Palm to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon.” And since then, that’s been a constant outcome for director Jacques Audilard, writer Thomas Bidegian and breakout star Tahar Rahim.

“Loser, loser,” Bidegian jokes after we chatted following the Golden Globes last month. “That’s been our life for the past six months. We travel 6,000 kilometers. We put on a tux. We go, we sit. We applaud Michael Haneke, we have a couple of drinks and we go home.”

That all changed last Sunday, however, when “A Prophet” upset “Ribbon” to win Best Foreign Language Film at the British Orange Film Awards. Nominated in the same category for the Oscars, “Prophet’s” chances of upsetting “Ribbon” or Argentina’s underdog “The Secret of their Eyes” are slim because of what are becoming increasingly outdated Academy rules, but fans of the picture are holding out hope. Moreover, “Prophet” is finally hitting theaters this weekend in New York and Los Angeles so even more moviegoers will have a chance to enjoy it.

The contemporary story tells the tale of a young French man of Arab descent, Malik (the charismatic Tahar Rahim), who is set to prison for a petty crime. In the ensuing years, he becomes the trusted lackey for a former crime boss still trying to control his empire from behind bars. What happens to him next should be predictable, but director Jacques Audiard’s vision is so captivating that you are completely enthralled and on the edge of your seat as Malik’s journey develops

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