Pro: No branch of the Academy is friendlier towards foreign-language fare than the writers, and as with “A Separation” last year, Haneke's Palme d'Or winner is the kind of intimate, articulate, character-driven critics' favorite that fellow scribes will greatly admire. Sony Classics is pushing for a Best Picture nomination, and may well get it, but even if that doesn't happen, this seems the safest bet for main-category recognition.

Con: With the film eligible for the Best Foreign Language Film award, some voters may not feel as compelled to stump for it here as they would otherwise. Even the most acclaimed subtitled films start the race with a handicap, and with Haneke's film only out in late December, will enough voters see it in time?

- Guy Lodge