Nomination Speculation: Best Director

Oscars 2012

This week’s blog post will be all about the man behind the camera–the director. This year’s list has a mix of both newcomers and more experienced directors that are used to the Oscar rounds, and like the last week’s post about Best Picture, it’s a pretty close race this year. Nothing is for certain until the names are called out on February 26, but here is some speculation anyway as to who will win the prize for Best Director.

Oscars 2012
Poster courtesy of Dhialokaaaa via Wikimedia Commons.

The Contenders:  Michel Hazanavicius – The Artist, Alexander Payne – The Descendants, Martin Scorsese – Hugo, Woody Allen – Midnight in Paris, Terrance Malick – The Tree of Life

The Front Runner: This is a pretty solid bet–Michel Hazanavicius is most definitely the front runner in this category. While there is a lot of love for Hugo, there is no question that The Artist will take home the prize. Even if The Artist doesn’t tick all of the Academy’s boxes for “Oscar Winner” (it is a silent period piece with beautiful costumes that is set in Hollywood’s Golden Age), Hazanavicius has managed to distinguish The Artist from all the other nominees by creating a modern film using bygone methods, one which manages to breathe some fresh air into the category. Hazanavicius also won the Directors’ Guild’s Best Director prize, which is further proof that he will most likely take home the little gold man this February. What’s more, The Artist is the most likely to win Best Picture. Historically, the two categories have been closely linked together.

Worth Mentioning: Even though The Artist will most likely take home the prize, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo is a directorial triumph that has earned its place on the list of nominees. With its lavish and beautifully directed story that manages to intersect childhood fantasy with a melancholic touch, it is a different side to Scorsese that audiences haven’t seen from him. Instead of his usual adult-orientated films, his family friendly fantasy is an intricately designed, almost Harry Potter-esque film that is infused with the Lumière brothers’ whimsical influence. All in all, it is a great film that is worthy of a prize.

Martin Scorsese
Hugo was great, but it probably won't win. | Photo courtesy of Paulae via Wikimedia Commons

Probably Won’t Win: That just leaves Alexander Payne’s The Descendants, Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris and Terrance Malick’s The Tree of Life. All three are examples of great filmmaking, but on Oscar night they most likely will not take home the prize. Having said that, the directors’ efforts should not be overlooked. Alexander Payne makes his film visually lush with the Hawaiian setting, managing to adeptly capture the natural beauty of the area. Likewise, Woody Allen captures Paris in all its romantic glory, making viewers swoon under the charm of the French capitol. While Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life is not the most conventional of films and at times is even a little confusing, his direction provides the film with visually stunning sequences of the origins of the world.

Snubs Galore: The five directors on the list are all worthy of the Oscar this year, but where are Steven Spielberg, David Fincher and Nicolas Winding Refn? Spielberg is having a tough Oscar year with two snubs, first for being left off of the Best Director list for War Horse, and second for The Adventures of Tintin not making the Best Animated Film category. David Fincher (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) was nominated for a Directors’ Guild Award along with the five Best Director nominees but was ultimately left off of the Oscar list. And what about Nicolas Winding Refn? He won the Best Director award at Cannes and has received lots of positive attention for Drive, so why isn’t he on the list? In a perfect world, there would be more than five nominees in the Best Director category.

About Ruth Chan

Ruth Chan (COM '14) is just your average moviegoer. Fortunately, she got a gig here at The Quad and is now lucky enough to write reviews for them. Shoot her a message if you ever want to discuss the geeky world of films with someone.

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