Japan's 'Drive My Car' stokes 'Parasite'-esque Oscar buzz

TOKYO -- Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "Drive My Car" has emerged as a leading contender in the Oscars race, with a key bellwether award going to the quiet Japanese film about a theater director grieving his wife and a female chauffeur driving his cherished Saab.

The drama, adapted from a short story by Haruki Murakami, won the Golden Globe for best non-English-language picture on Sunday, beating works by such acclaimed directors as Paolo Sorrentino, Asghar Farhadi and Pedro Almodovar.