Time to once again put on my Oscar hat, ladies and gentlemen. For this post, I will be dissecting the Best Director race. Much like with the Best Picture race and the acting races, it is a little easier to try and decipher the Director race, since most of our contenders have already been seen on the festival circuit. So, thankfully there won’t be too much blood and guts on my messy surgical gloves.
My current predicted five:
Damien Chazelle, First Man
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Yorgos Lanthimos, The Favourite
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Now, for those on the outside looking in:
Bradley Cooper could follow the same footsteps as other actors turned directors before him, and score his first Directing nomination for A Star Is Born. However, because he’s a frontrunner for Best Actor and will compete in other categories, there might not be an urgency for him to be included here. Which means he could be left out entirely. Especially if the directors opt for their own passion picks, like with what happened in 2012. We all thought Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow were sure bets for Directing nominations. Until they were left out in favor of Benh Zeitlin and Michael Haneke, who bulldozed their way in with little to no precursor support.
Unless Widows ends up mainly being a commercial play, Steve McQueen is still in the running for Best Director. The attention for that film seems to be more focused on its acting ensemble, but McQueen still has respect as a filmmaker thanks to his previous Directing nomination, and Best Picture win for 12 Years A Slave.
If Black Panther does end up becoming a Best Picture player, then director Ryan Coogler could easily get pulled along with the film’s Best Picture heat. Plus, he’s been making good on his early promise that he showed with his debut film Fruitvale Station. Maybe his time will finally come.
Inevitably, the issue of the near lack of female representation in this race will be brought up. The best shot at a female filmmaker making the field, though, is Marielle Heller for Can You Ever Forgive Me?. One reason is because of the positive response her film received. And another is because she’s making good on her early promise that she showed with Diary Of A Teenage Girl.
Lastly, there’s Peter Farrelly for Green Book. Yes, you read that right. One of the guys who helmed films like Dumb And Dumber and There’s Something About Mary is in the running for an Oscar nomination. Then again, he did helm the film that won the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. So, he could be honored for his career turnaround in the same manner as Adam McKay, another comedic director who went serious.
Now, your turn. What do you think of these predictions and who do you have predicted in Best Director? Please be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section. Thanks for reading!