A French movie that impressed at Cannes is looking more and more like a serious Oscar contender now that the National Board of Review has dubbed it the year’s best foreign language film.
Inspired by a true story, “Of Gods and Men” follows an order of French Trappist monks living in Algeria, a primarily Muslim country. The monks live peacefully among the townspeople, and when a civil war rips through the country, they refuse to take sides. But their efforts to maintain a calm existence at the monastery fall through the cracks when they are taken hostage by a group of Islamic revolutionaries.
The film has earned glowing reviews at the Cannes Film Festival and walked away with the Grand Prix, the festival’s second-place honor behind the Palme d’Or. As France’s submission to this year’s Academy Awards, the buzz surrounding the film will undoubtedly climb as the February telecast approaches.
“Of Gods and Men” made its U.S. debut in September at the Telluride Film Festival. Sony Pictures Classics has acquired the U.S. distribution rights.
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