The Best International Feature Film Oscar is complicated and controversial, yet often predictable. Known as the Best Foreign Language Film award prior to 2020, the award can often get mired in political and cultural issues surrounding nationhood, language, and imperialism. The idea of having a separate award for films not in English and made outside the US can sometimes appear demeaning to the cinema of other countries, but it’s also often the only time these movies are given a spotlight in America. In 2020, Parasite was the first foreign-language film ever to win Best Picture, which goes to show how the Academy has always diminished the accomplishments of cinema outside its home country and language.
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The one straightforward aspect of the award is that there is usually a clear favorite going into the ceremony that usually wins — looking at the verdicts over the past ten years in particular shows a trend of unsurprising choices. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation, it makes sense that the award-winners are the best-remembered films after all, but even when that is taken into account, it can often feel like the decision is made weeks before the Oscars even air. However, this year, that is not the case.
Both Drive My Car and The Worst Person in the World seem like they could take home the prize on March 27th as the respective submissions from Japan and Norway have received rave reviews across the board. Directors Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Joachim Trier are experienced artists operating at the top of their game, but only one can win. Let’s look at why both films deserve the honor, which is more likely to gain the Academy’s recognition, and which should edge out the competition.
Unquestionably Oscar-Worthy
Neon
Let’s get this out of the way first: both films are fantastic and deserve the ample praise they are receiving. They are two very different films, but each is extremely effective at accomplishing what it set out to do. The Worst Person in the World was directed by Joachim Trier, the man also behind the well-received films Oslo, August 31st, Louder Than Bombs, and Thelma. His newest film (and the third in his Oslo Trilogy) is his first to nab Oscar nominations and stars Renate Reinsve as the perpetually aimless Julie. The movie follows Julie over four years as she navigates her career and romantic relationships with petulant cartoonist Askel (Anders Danielsen Lie) and barista Eivind (Herbert Nordrum). Trier described the film as a “coming-of-age movie for grown-ups” in an interview with Variety. The film impressively balances comedy and drama, never becoming too dark or saccharine. All three leads give dynamic performances, with Reinsve particularly shining as Julie. The film captures a universal story about young adulthood while also telling a unique story with flawed characters.
Drive My Car is an adaptation of a Haruki Murakami story directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi and starring Hidetoshi Nishijima as Yūsuke Kafuku. The movie, clocking in at almost three hours, tells the story of Yūsuke directing a production of Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya as he continues to mourn the death of his wife, Oto (Reika Kirishima), two years prior. The theater where the play is being staged assigns him a chauffeur, Misaki Watari (Tōko Miura), despite his desire to go over lines while he drives alone. The relationship starts icy, but the two of them begin to bond over their shared grief after Misaki’s excellent driving capabilities break the chill between them. Oto cheated on Yūsuke throughout their relationship, and Misaki’s recently deceased mother was abusive to her daughter, so both of them are unsure how to reconcile these immense flaws with their complex feelings for the dead. Over three hours, Ryusuke Hamaguchi slowly unveils a beautifully humanistic work about love and loss. The film imparts no easy answers on the audience, instead giving these wonderfully realized characters time to process their emotions in whatever way they need to, flawed or not. A subtle drama of its length could easily be boring, but Drive My Car is engrossing from beginning to end.
Which Will Win?
C & I Entertainment
Now for the big question: which will win? While both films have a good chance at receiving the honor, it does seem like Drive My Car is the likelier choice. Both Indiewire and Variety predict that Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s three-hour meditation on grief will triumph over the competition. In addition, The Worst Person in the World only received an additional nomination for Best Original Screenplay, while Drive My Car is also up for Best Picture. Various Oscar betting websites also have the odds in Drive My Car’s favor. Despite all of this, there is no reason to believe that The Worst Person in the World is out of the running.
Does either film deserve the award over the other? To be honest, not really. Whichever the Oscars choose, it’ll be a good choice. There could even be a major upset in which the animated docudrama, Flee, takes home the prize. Regardless of what film wins, both Drive My Car and The Worst Person in the World are prime examples of the power of cinema and reminders that great works exist outside the United States and the English language.
