The Quebec film " Incendies'' has just won a big booster in its bid for Oscar glory.
Roger Ebert, perhaps the world's most famous film critic, has picked it as his favourite to win the Academy Award for best foreign-language picture.
There's one caveat: Ebert admits he's only seen three of the five films nominated in the category, and is going on the opinion of friends.
"Here we have an interesting situation, because the voters in this category have to see all the nominees. That leads to victories by dark horses, like the wonderful Japanese corpse-preparation movie 'Departures' a few years ago,'' Ebert wrote this week on his website.
"This year, I've seen three of the five, but friends who have seen the Quebec film 'Incendies' at festivals say it's great.
"If they're right, it's 'Incendies.' ''
He made his prediction as part of the, "Outguess Ebert'' contest _ where he lays down his own picks and participants have a chance to win a share of $100,000 if their predictions are right.
Ebert's choice for best overall picture has changed in recent days.
"On the day the Oscar nominations were announced, I made some quick guesses and toyed with the possibility that 'True Grit' might sneak in,'' he wrote.
"I've changed my mind and now agree with the conventional wisdom that 'The King's Speech' will be the year's best picture winner. Still, 'True Grit' or 'The Social Network' could pull off an upset.''
The Oscars will be held Feb. 27.
"Incendies,'' about Quebec twins who uncover dark secrets from their mother's past, is also nominated for 10 Genies and 10 of Quebec's Jutra awards. It also won an audience award at the Rotterdam Film Festival.
