Waltz with Bashir, Israel, will win.
Departures, Japan, should win.
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Will win: Waltz with Bashir
Should win: The Class

The buzz has been deafening for Ari Folman's one-of-a-kind Waltz with Bashir, an animated documentary about the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon; some might find the subject matter a little tough to take, but the film's contemporary resonance should put it over the top.
The Class is about a year in the life of a French inner-city classroom -- it's another superb effort by director Laurent Cantet, who specializes in tales of modern society in breakdown.

Should've been nominated - I've Loved You So Long
while it was never actually submitted for the prize -- France instead opted for The Class as its official selection. lead actress Kristin Scott-Thomas deserved a nomination, too for this movie.
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will win - Departures
should win - Waltz with Bashir
Another great foreign film from 2008 that was not nominated - Taare Zameen Par - Nomination from India - a lovely story about a dyslexic kid.
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