The love for the international feature Drive My Car has been palpable across different critics groups. It was recently named best picture by the LA Film Critics Association and the New York Critics Circle. It comes as no shock that today, The National Society of Film Critics, which consists of critics that are selected and then elected from various major outlets, named Drive My Car the best picture of 2021 during their 56th annual meeting. The film is directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who also directed this year’s highly acclaimed Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy. Hamaguchi was selected as best director for his work on both films. Petite Maman, from Portrait of a Lady on Fire director Celine Sciamma received second place, and The Power of the Dog received third place.
It’s highly likely that Drive My Car may get some love at the Oscars following today’s announcement. Previous year’s winners have included Nomadland and Parasite, both going on to win Best Picture at the Oscars their respective years. While a win is not guaranteed for the Japanese film, Parasite’s historic win as the first international film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture sets a precedent for the film. At the very least, it makes aBest Picture nomination extremely likely.
The film is about the relationship between an aging actor and his chauffeur, and the Academy is known for liking films that are about show business and acting. With films expected to be major contenders like Don’t Look Up and Nightmare Alley being met with mixed reviews, from audiences and critics, it opens up room for Drive My Car to be a contender. With the Oscars nominating ten films for best picture, it’s chances of making it in are very high.
Other notable winners include Penelope Cruz, receiving the best actress award for Parallel Mothers, and Hidetoshi Nishijima receiving the best actor award for Drive My Car. Cruz’s win indicates a better shot at making it into a very crowded Best Actress category at this year’s Oscars, which includes actresses such as Lady Gaga (House of Gucci), Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza), Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter), Rachel Zegler (West Side Story), and Kristen Stewart (Spencer). Historically, most of their best actress picks seem to at least get nominated at the Oscars. Nishijima has not received enough buzz (and campaigning) for his performance to expect an Oscar nomination, but his win here isn’t discouraging.