By making it all the way to the Final Four, these films have proven their supremacy, but only one can survive through to the Championship for a chance at eternal glory (that comes around every four years). Spirited Away is already coming into the round as the giant slayer by taking down Return of the King, but City of God took down a favorite of its own in Pan’s Labyrinth. Two underdogs that have proven victorious. Now, one of them has to go home before the big dance. Who will it be?

So far, the representative from Spain has bested the films it has gone up against with relative ease – seeing some of the largest margins of defeat in the entire tournament. In this round, Pan’s Labyrinth goes up against a bit tougher competition in the highly acclaimed City of God from Brazil. Both films are imaginative and desperate as dramas, but they are world’s apart in the final product. The wild black market of Movie World Cup betting (which is still illegal in the US) still favors Pan’s Labyrinth, but as we’re learning with the other matches in Round Three – the competition is now completely up in the air.

Wow. What a ride. After a full week of heated competition, we’ve been deposited here at the threshold of Round Three. The teams that survive what promises to be a brutal round of competition will be the final four standing, and will be only one more victory away from standing strong in the Championship Round. Many great films have fallen, and what remains includes a meddling French girl, a haunted hero in a cape and cowl, a man who spies on others, an ex-porn star, a young girl working for a witch, a man who would be king, impoverished youths in Brazil, and a girl caught between the horrors of WWII Spain and a giant faun.

Out of the few favorites in this competition, City of God and Os Imortais, despite both being fantastic films from down South America way (that’s a joke) remain underdogs in the overall competition. However, fans of drama and international cinema should rise up in defense of both of them. It’s a tough draw that they see each other in Round Two because one of them will be knocked out, but one will live on to face the big boys in the intensifying battle when only 8 films are left. Which one will it be?

A truly difficult pairing, the critically acclaimed City of God faces the importer’s dream film J.S.A. – which is standing in for North Korea considering the inability of that country to show its films to the rest of the world even when they are clamoring for The Respected Comrade Supreme Commander is Our Destiny. Thus, a film about North Korea will have to do. Besides, it’s technically listed as a country of origin. Semantics aside, this match proves to be the most anticipated of the day because it sees two strong contenders squaring off.

We don’t come to mourn Miramax, but to bury you in great films to add to your rental queue.

As part of our epic, two week long Decade in Review, master of the Foreign Objects Rob Hunter lays down his picks of the best foreign language films of the decade.