Final Prediction:
1. ROMA (yawn). 85%
2. SHOPLIFTERS 6%
3. COLD WAR 5%
4. NEVER LOOK AWAY 3%
5. CAPERNAUM 1%
Frankly, I don't understand all the Oscar love for "Roma". I'm happy that Yalitza Aparicio got nominated (she was great) and the B&W cinematography certainly is beautiful. It's a nice movie to be sure....But I certainly preferred the devastating family drama of "Shoplifters" (Japan) and "Capernaum" (Lebanon), as well as "Cold War" (Poland). I felt "Roma" was the weakest of the four. I also preferred the shortlisted "The Guilty" and "Birds of Passage".....though I probably would have ranked "Roma" ahead of "Burning".
I was never able to find the time to see "Never Look Away" (Germany), with its three hour running time and eleventh-hour release date, or "Ayka" (Kazakhstan).
