Watch the spankin’ new trailer here.
It’s unlikely that 2013, despite the slate of exceptionally good films, will equal last year’s collective box office take. Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained and Les Miserables were all $100 million babies before the Oscars. That’s seven out of nine that made over $100 million.
This year, so far, only two films have landed in that sweet spot. The first, is Lee Daniels’ The Butler, which has earned $114 million. And then there is Gravity, which has made $200 million in less than four weeks of release. Next in line, at least so far, is Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips, which has earned $70 million. It should have no trouble getting to $100 mil.
The three proven thoroughbreds are fast out of the gate in the early stages of what is shaping up to be a photo finish in several categories for Oscars 2013. Hot on their heels will be Alexander Payne’s Nebraska, Steve McQueen’s 12 years a Slave, The Coens’ Inside Llewyn Davis, Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station, Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, JC Chandor’s All is Lost. It’s a testimony to the depth of the field that dazzlers like Spike Jonze’s Her, Jean-Marc Vallée’s Dallas Buyers Club are still penciled in as longshots. None of the remaining films, though, seem poised to triumph at the box office. This has been the norm lately for the Oscar race. Last year’s financial bonanza was unusually good fortune for all involved.
With The Monuments Men and Foxcatcher moving to next year, there are only a small handful of “Oscar movies” left to be seen. Both David O. Russell’s American Hustle and John Lee Hancock’s Saving Mr. Banks seem like they could both hit $100 mil, especially Russell’s, being that it has Jennifer Lawrence in it. She’ll once again own the box office with that and Catching Fire.
But right now, since it was just announced that The Wolf of Wall Street is indeed opening in 2013, all eyes turn to Mr. Scorsese and Mr. DiCaprio, who have never made a movie together that didn’t make at least $100 mil since Gangs of New York didn’t quite get there, earning $70 mil. The DiCaprio/Scorsese hit parade so far:
Shutter Island $128,012,934
The Departed $132,384,315
The Aviator $102,610,330
Of those, only Shutter Island failed to get a Best Picture nomination, though it should have.
Is money going to make a difference this year? Probably not. Though even on the smaller scales that many of the strongest contenders will find themselves, they’re still making money. Oscar buzz does translate to extra dollars at the box office. Even the slightest hint of awards usually means the difference between someone buying a ticket or not. The Oscars are the big one, of course. But the Golden Globes, the DGA and the SAG – maybe even the Spirit Awards – can mean buzz, which means more money.
12 Years a Slave, for instance, made it into the top ten over the weekend, while playing only at 123 locations. It’s only made $3 million so far but that number is going to climb, I promise you, as the film starts collecting statues.
The Wolf of Wall Street now joins American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, Captain Phillips, Fruitvale Station, The Butler, Rush, Saving Mr. Banks, and The Dallas Buyers Club as the Best Picture contenders based on true stories. Many of those depicted in these films are still alive. The real Captain Phillips is on television constantly – he sells the movie entirely on his own charm.
But only The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle are about American anti-heroes rather straight up heroes, as the other films offer up. That makes them stand out, though one without the other would certainly stand out more. As it is, they will have to compete with each other in similar terrain; though their subjects are totally different, neither film is telling the story of good guys fighting the good fight.
For Scorsese, this is comfortable territory, as the director takes to mob and corruption movies like a duck to water and his fans love these movies above all others. While Scorsese is visiting what could be familiar terrain, David O. Russell is currently directing at what many define as his most ferocious in his long history. The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and now, American Hustle, he is likely to ring the bell this year at being right at the top of his game. Does that mean he’ll be in line for an Oscar nod for director? I’m sure that right now most pundits have him securely in as one of the five.
Let’s take a look right now at Best Director and how the five might start to shape up. It’s impossible to say whether Scorsese will be in or not, but one must hold his place nonetheless, being that he, along with Woody Allen and the Coens are gods among directors — routinely delivering the goods, year after year after year. Scorsese and Allen, along with the third of the 70s trio Steven Spielberg (who doesn’t have a film this year) are particularly impressive – Allen having made his best film since Crimes and Misdemeanors and Scorsese, well, what is there left to say.
The Directors Guild will once again leave the Academy to mostly fly blind with their predictions. The DGA has around 14,500 members, where the Academy’s directors branch has around 400. It tends to work much more harmoniously when the DGA announces their nominations and then the Academy doesn’t have to do as much work – they can piggy-back what the DGA has done. But last year, for the first time in as long as I could find out (going back sixty years), the Academy picked their five BEFORE the DGA announced theirs. We’re mostly in that same situation again, with only one day between the DGA’s announcement and the Academy’s ballot deadline. But since most members will have long since voted, we’re likely looking at another scenario where the expected five turn out not to be.
It ended up looking like this:
DGA’s nominees
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Tom Hooper, Les Miserables
Ben Affleck, Argo (the winner)
Academy’s five:
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Ang Lee, Life of Pi (winner)
Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
Michael Haneke, Amour
David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook
When I say no one was taking my warnings seriously I mean — my theory about the DGA was blown off by everyone in my field. Most said it wouldn’t matter – that the Academy and the DGA would vote the same way. They didn’t. Also, only two nominees made both lists. You have go pretty far back in Academy/DGA history to find such an odd occurrence. It hardly ever happens.
Couldn’t it just be that the Academy relies heavily on the DGA to help them decide who should get nominated? Doesn’t just the nomination itself suddenly elevate the status of any nominee over another? Of course it does.
The other possibility is that the Directors branch didn’t see fit to follow the status quo, the consensus that is built up starting, well, now, and wanted to go another way. Could it be they felt obligated to nominate Bigelow, Affleck, Tarantino, Hooper but instead went with what they liked best? I don’t know the why of it. I only know how it all turned out, which was unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the fifteen years I’ve been watching the race.
That Argo won in such a weird year only added to the weirdness because it was one of the first times I’ve ever seen (well, since Driving Miss Daisy) where the directors, who usually lead the Best Picture race, were selected out of the process. That is kind of like winning the presidential election without Ohio (which Obama could have done, incidentally).
So, where does that leave us this year? How might things go? It is an equally competitive year as last, with as many great movies crowding in for attention. Mercifully, several have opted out of this year’s race which makes it a little less difficult.
Let’s first look at the films that are known quantities – those that have been seen, reviewed, and in some case, actually opened to the public.
The locks right now:
Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
Alexander Payne, Nebraska
The first two will likely fill every list, much the way Steven Spielberg and Ang Lee did last year. I can’t imagine any sane person leaving off Payne so for me he in.
Next:
4. Paul Greengrass, Captain Phillips (I feel sure he will be one of the mainstays in the category
5. Joel and Ethan Coen for Inside Llewyn Davis — it’s hard to gauge whether this film will hit with the big voting bodies or not. But they’re the Coens, and they made one of the best films of the year.
The next in line would be:
6. Lee Daniels, The Butler (won’t hit with the critics but perhaps with the larger voting bodies)
7. JC Chandor, All is Lost —I suspect Chandor could Benh Zeitlin his way into the Academy’s five.
8. Woody Allen, totally deserves it for Blue Jasmine but he’s had so many at bats… of course, he is being awarded at the Globes for a lifetime achievement award, which could go a long way towards pushing him towards an Academy nod. He could Michael Haneke his way into the Academy’s five.
9. Spike Jonze, Her – anything’s possible with a movie that hasn’t opened yet.
10. Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale Station – this young auteur will have many more opportunities for recognition – his movie might get into Best Picture, and he’ll likely be nominated for Screenplay. Director is a tougher field.
There are plenty of other names hovering on the periphery, like Jason Reitman for Labor Day, Jean-Marc Valle for Dallas Buyers Club, Richard Linklater for Before Midnight, etc. But there are only five slots. Five.
Coming up right behind them are:
1. Martin Scorsese, The Wolf of Wall Street – because Scorsese. Nothing else needs to be said.
2. David O. Russell, American Hustle – homeboy is on fire.
3. John Lee Hancock, Saving Mr. Banks – who knows, right?
4. Scott Cooper, Out of the Furnace.
5. Peter Berg, Lone Survivor – well, you never know.
If I had to guess how they might divide up between DGA and Academy I might do it like this:
DGA
Steve McQueen
Alfonso Cuaron
Paul Greengrass
Alexander Payne
Martin Scorsese
David O. Russell
Then, the Academy, if they don’t choose the same names (it’s a crap shoot whether they will or not) might go:
Steve McQueen
Alfonso Cuaron
Martin Scorsese
JC Chandor
The Coens
We just don’t know anything yet. The only thing we do know is that there is a chance that the DGA and Oscar might not match up. Is that the end of the world? No, but it opens the door for a film like Argo, without a directors nomination, to win. Clearly, that matters now less than it used to.
The only thing we know for sure right now is that this prize is Steve McQueen’s to lose. The Wolf waits at the door. Any year with Scorsese in the race is a good year.
FEATURE FILM AWARD DGA’S Site
DGA | Oscar
*film nominated/+ won Best Picture at the Oscars
2012
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln | Steven Spielberg, Lincoln |
Ang Lee, Life of Pi | Ang Lee, Life of Pi |
Ben Affleck, Argo | David O. Russell, Silver Linings |
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty | Michael Haneke Amour |
Tom Hooper, Les Miserables | Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild |
2011
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist | Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist+ |
Martin Scorsese, Hugo | Martin Scorsese, Hugo* |
Alexander Payne, The Descendants | Alexander Payne, The Descendants* |
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris | Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris* |
David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Terrence Malick, Tree of Life* |
2010
Tom Hooper The King’s Speech | Tom Hooper the King’s Speech+ |
David Fincher, Social Network | David Fincher, Social Network* |
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan | Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan* |
David O’Russell, The Fighter | David O’Russell, The Fighter* |
Christopher Nolan, Inception* | The Coens, True Grit* |
2009
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker | Bigelow, Hurt Locker+ |
Lee Daniels, Precious | Lee Daniels, Precious* |
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air | Jason Reitman, Up in the Air* |
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds | Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds* |
Jim Cameron, Avatar | Jim Cameron, Avatar* |
2008
Danny Boyle, Slumdog | Danny Boyle, Slumdog+ |
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon | Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon* |
Gus Van Sant, Milk | Gus Van Sant, Milk* |
David Fincher, Benjamin Button | David Fincher, Benjamin Button* |
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight | Stephen Daldry, The Reader* |
2007
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country | Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country+ |
Sean Penn, Into the Wild | Jason Reitman, Juno* |
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly | Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly |
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton | Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton* |
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood | Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood* |
2006
Stephen Frears, The Queen | Stephen Frears, The Queen* |
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel | Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel* |
Bill Condon, Dreamgirls | Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima* |
Faris and Dayton, Little Miss Sunshine* | Paul Greengrass, United 93 |
Martin Scorsese, The Departed | Martin Scorsese, The Departed+ |
2005
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain | Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain * |
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck | George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck* |
Paul Haggis, Crash | Paul Haggis, Crash+ |
Bennett Miller, Capote | Bennett Miller, Capote* |
Steven Spielberg, Munich | Steven Spielberg, Munich * |
2004
Alexander Payne for Sideways | Alexander Payne for Sideways* |
Martin Scorsese for The Aviator | Martin Scorsese for The Aviator* |
Taylor Hackford for Ray | Taylor Hackford for Ray* |
Marc Forster for Finding Neverland* | Mike Leigh for Vera Drake |
Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby | Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby+ |
2003
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation | Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation* |
Clint Eastwood, Mystic River | Clint Eastwood, Mystic River* |
Peter Jackson, ROTK | Peter Jackson, ROTK+ |
Peter Weir, Master and Commander | Peter Weir, Master and Commander* |
Gary Ross, Seabiscuit* | Fernando Merielles, City of God |
2002
Martin Scorsese, Gangs of New York | Martin Scorsese* |
Peter Jackson, Lord of the Rings* | Pedro Almodovar |
Roman Polanski, The Pianist | Roman Polanski* |
Rob Marshall, Chicago | Rob Marshall+ |
Steven Daldry, The Hours | Steven Daldry* |
2001
Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind | Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind+ |
Peter Jackson, Lord of the Rings | Peter Jackson, LOTR* |
Christopher Nolan, Memento | Robert Altman, Gosford Park* |
Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down | Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down |
Baz Luhrmann, Moulin Rouge* | David Lynch, Mulholland Drive |
2000
Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous | Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot* |
Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* |
Ridley Scott, Gladiator | Ridley Scott, Gladiator+ |
Steven Soderbergh, Erin Brockovich | Steven Soderbergh, Erin Brockovich * |
Steven Soderbergh, Traffic | Steven Soderbergh, Traffic* |
1999
Frank Darabont, The Green Mile* | Lasse Hallstrom, Cider House Rules* |
Spike Jonze, Being John Malkovich | Spike Jonze, Being John Malkovich |
Michael Mann, The Insider | Michael Mann, The Insider* |
Sam Mendes, American Beauty | Sam Mendes, American Beauty+ |
M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense | M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense* |
1998
Peter Weir, Truman Show | Peter Weir, Truman Show |
Terrence Malick, Thin Red Line | Terrence Malick, Thin Red Line |
John Madden, Shakes in Love | John Madden, Shakes in Love* |
Steven Spielberg, SPR | Steven Spielberg, SPR |
Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful | Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful |
1997
James L. Brooks As Good As It Gets* | Peter Cattaneo, The Full Monty* |
Steven Spielberg Amistad | Atom Egoyan, The Sweet Hereafter |
Gus Van Sant, Good Will Hunting | Gus Van Sant, Good Will Hunting* |
James Cameron, Titanic | James Cameron, Titanic+ |
Curtis Hanson, L.A. Confidential | Curtis Hanson, L.A. Confidential* |
1996
Cameron Crowe, Jerry Maguire* | Milos Forman for The People vs. Larry Flynt |
Joel Coen, Fargo | Joel Coen, Fargo* |
Mike Leigh, Secrets & Lies | Mike Leigh, Secrets & Lies * |
Anthony Minghella, The English Patient | Anthony Minghella, The English Patient+ |
Scott Hicks, Shine | Scott Hicks, Shine* |
1995
Mike Figgis for Leaving Las Vegas | Mike Figgis for Leaving Las Vegas |
Mel Gibson for Braveheart | Mel Gibson for Braveheart+ |
Ron Howard for Apollo 13* | Chris Noonan for Babe* |
Ang Lee for Sense and Sensibility* | Tim Robbins for Dead Man Walking |
Michael Radford for Il Postino | Michael Radford for Il Postino* |
1994
Mike Newell for Four Weddings and a Funeral* | Woody Allen for Bullets Over Broadway |
Frank Darabont for The Shawshank Redemption* | Krzysztof Kieslowski for Red |
Robert Redford for Quiz Show | Robert Redford for Quiz Show* |
Quentin Tarantino for Pulp Fiction | Quentin Tarantino for Pulp Fiction* |
Robert Zemeckis for Forrest Gump | Robert Zemeckis for Forrest Gump+ |
1993
Andrew Davis for The Fugitive* | Robert Altman for Short Cuts |
Jane Campion for The Piano | Jane Campion for The Piano* |
James Ivory for The Remains Of the Day | James Ivory for The Remains Of the Day* |
Martin Scorsese for The Age Of Innocence | Jim Sheridan for In the Name Of the Father* |
Steven Spielberg for Schindler’s List | Steven Spielberg for Schindler’s List+ |
1992
Robert Altman for The Player | Robert Altman for The Player |
Rob Reiner for A Few Good Men* | Martin Brest for Scent Of a Woman* |
Clint Eastwood for Unforgiven | Clint Eastwood for Unforgiven+ |
James Ivory for Howards End | James Ivory for Howards End* |
Neil Jordan for The Crying Game | Neil Jordan for The Crying Game* |
1991
Barbra Streisand for The Prince Of Tides* | John Singleton for Boyz N the Hood |
Oliver Stone for JFK | Oliver Stone for JFK* |
Ridley Scott for Thelma & Louise | Ridley Scott for Thelma & Louise |
Barry Levinson for Bugsy | Barry Levinson for Bugsy* |
Jonathan Demme for The Silence Of the Lambs | Jonathan Demme for The Silence Of the Lambs+ |
1990
Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather Part III | Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather Part III* |
Kevin Costner for Dances With Wolves | Kevin Costner for Dances With Wolves+ |
Barry Levinson for Avalon | Stephen Frears for The Grifters |
Martin Scorsese for GoodFellas | Martin Scorsese for GoodFellas* |
Giuseppe Tornatore for Cinema Paradiso | Barbet Schroeder for Reversal Of Fortune |
1989
Driving Miss Daisy won Best Picture
Born on the Fourth of July: Oliver Stone | Born on the Fourth of July: Oliver Stone |
Field of Dreams: Phil Alden Robinson | Henry V: Kenneth Branagh |
Crimes and Misdemeanors: Woody Allen | Crimes and Misdemeanors: Woody Allen |
Dead Poets Society: Peter Weir | Dead Poets Society: Peter Weir |
When Harry Met Sally…: Rob Reiner | My Left Foot: Jim Sheridan |
1988
Rain Man: Barry Levinson | Rain Man: Barry Levinson+ |
A Fish Called Wanda: Charles Crichton | A Fish Called Wanda: Charles Crichton |
Working Girl: Mike Nichols | Working Girl: Mike Nichols |
Mississippi Burning: Alan Parker | Mississippi Burning: Alan Parker |
Who Framed Roger Rabbit: Robert Zemeckis | The Last Temptation of Christ: Martin Scorsese |
1987
The Last Emperor: Bernardo Bertolucci | The Last Emperor: Bernardo Bertolucci+ |
Broadcast News: James L. Brooks | Hope and Glory: John Boorman |
My Life as a Dog: Lasse Hallström | My Life as a Dog: Lasse Hallström |
Empire of the Sun: Steven Spielberg | Moonstruck: Norman Jewison |
Fatal Attraction: Adrian Lyne | Fatal Attraction: Adrian Lyne |
1986
Platoon: Oliver Stone | Platoon: Oliver Stone+ |
Hannah and Her Sisters: Woody Allen | Hannah and Her Sisters: Woody Allen |
Children of a Lesser God: Randa Haines | The Mission: Roland Joffé |
A Room with a View: James Ivory | A Room with a View: James Ivory |
Stand by Me: Rob Reiner | Blue Velvet: David Lynch |
1985
Out of Africa: Sydney Pollack | Out of Africa: Sydney Pollack+ |
The Color Purple: Steven Spielberg | Kiss of the Spider Woman: Hector Babenco |
Prizzi’s Honor: John Huston | Prizzi’s Honor: John Huston |
Cocoon: Ron Howard | Ran: Akira Kurosawa |
Witness: Peter Weir | Witness: Peter Weir |
1984
Amadeus: Milos Forman | Amadeus: Milos Forman+ |
Places in the Heart: Robert Benton | Broadway Danny Rose: Woody Allen |
A Soldier’s Story: Norman Jewison | Places in the Heart: Robert Benton |
The Killing Fields: Roland Joffé | The Killing Fields: Roland Joffé |
A Passage to India: David Lean | A Passage to India: David Lean |
1983
Terms of Endearment: James L. Brooks | Terms of Endearment: James L. Brooks+ |
Tender Mercies: Bruce Beresford | Tender Mercies: Bruce Beresford |
Fanny and Alexander: Ingmar Bergman | Fanny and Alexander: Ingmar Bergman |
The Big Chill: Lawrence Kasdan | Silkwood: Mike Nichols |
The Right Stuff: Philip Kaufman | The Dresser: Peter Yates |
1982
Gandhi: Richard Attenborough | Gandhi: Richard Attenborough+ |
An Officer and a Gentleman: Taylor Hackford | The Verdict: Sidney Lumet |
Das Boot: Wolfgang Petersen | Das Boot: Wolfgang Petersen |
Tootsie: Sydney Pollack | Tootsie: Sydney Pollack |
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Steven Spielberg | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Steven Spielberg |
1981
Reds: Warren Beatty | Reds: Warren Beatty |
Chariots of Fire: Hugh Hudson | Chariots of Fire: Hugh Hudson+ |
Atlantic City: Louis Malle | Atlantic City: Louis Malle |
On Golden Pond: Mark Rydell | On Golden Pond: Mark Rydell |
Raiders of the Lost Ark: Steven Spielberg | Raiders of the Lost Ark: Steven Spielberg |
1980
Ordinary People: Robert Redford | Ordinary People: Robert Redford+ |
The Elephant Man: David Lynch | The Elephant Man: David Lynch |
Coal Miner’s Daughter: Michael Apted | Tess: Roman Polanski |
The Stunt Man: Richard Rush | The Stunt Man: Richard Rush |
Raging Bull: Martin Scorsese | Raging Bull: Martin Scorsese |
1979
Kramer vs. Kramer: Robert Benton | Kramer vs. Kramer: Robert Benton+ |
Manhattan: Woody Allen | La cage aux folles: Edouard Molinaro |
The China Syndrome: James Bridges | All That Jazz: Bob Fosse |
Apocalypse Now: Francis Ford Coppola | Apocalypse Now: Francis Ford Coppola |
Breaking Away: Peter Yates | Breaking Away: Peter Yates |
1978
The Deer Hunter: Michael Cimino | The Deer Hunter: Michael Cimino+ |
An Unmarried Woman: Paul Mazursky | Interiors: Woody Allen |
Coming Home: Hal Ashby | Coming Home: Hal Ashby |
Heaven Can Wait: Warren Beatty, Buck Henry | Heaven Can Wait: Warren Beatty, Buck Henry |
Midnight Express: Alan Parker | Midnight Express: Alan Parker |
1977
Annie Hall: Woody Allen | Annie Hall: Woody Allen+ |
Star Wars: George Lucas | Star Wars: George Lucas |
The Turning Point: Herbert Ross | The Turning Point: Herbert Ross |
Julia: Fred Zinnemann | Julia: Fred Zinnemann |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Steven Spielberg | Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Steven Spielberg |
1976
Rocky: John G. Avildsen | Rocky: John G. Avildsen+ |
Taxi Driver: Martin Scorsese | Face to Face: Ingmar Bergman |
Network: Sidney Lumet | Network: Sidney Lumet |
All the President’s Men: Alan J. Pakula | All the President’s Men: Alan J. Pakula |
Seven Beauties: Lina Wertmüller | Seven Beauties: Lina Wertmüller |
1975
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Milos Forman | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Milos Forman+ |
Nashville: Robert Altman |
Nashville: Robert Altman |
Jaws: Steven Spielberg | Amarcord: Federico Fellini |
Barry Lyndon: Stanley Kubrick | Barry Lyndon: Stanley Kubrick |
Dog Day Afternoon: Sidney Lumet | Dog Day Afternoon: Sidney Lumet |
1974
The Godfather: Part II: Francis Ford Coppola | The Godfather: Part II: Francis Ford Coppola+ |
The Conversation: Francis Ford Coppola | A Woman Under the Influence: John Cassavetes |
Lenny: Bob Fosse | Lenny: Bob Fosse |
Chinatown: Roman Polanski | Chinatown: Roman Polanski |
Murder on the Orient Express: Sidney Lumet | Day for Night: François Truffaut |
1973
The Sting: George Roy Hill | The Sting: George Roy Hill+ |
Last Tango in Paris: Bernardo Bertolucci | Last Tango in Paris: Bernardo Bertolucci |
The Exorcist: William Friedkin | The Exorcist: William Friedkin |
American Graffiti: George Lucas | American Graffiti: George Lucas |
Serpico: Sidney Lumet | Cries & Whispers: Ingmar Bergman |
1972
Cabaret: Bob Fosse | Cabaret: Bob Fosse |
Deliverance: John Boorman | Deliverance: John Boorman |
The Godfather: Francis Ford Coppola | The Godfather: Francis Ford Coppola+ |
Sounder: Martin Ritt | Sleuth: Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
Slaughterhouse-Five: George Roy Hill | The Emigrants: Jan Troell |
1971
The French Connection: William Friedkin | The French Connection: William Friedkin+ |
The Last Picture Show: Peter Bogdanovich | The Last Picture Show: Peter Bogdanovich |
Summer of ’42: Robert Mulligan | Fiddler on the Roof: Norman Jewison |
A Clockwork Orange: Stanley Kubrick | A Clockwork Orange: Stanley Kubrick |
Sunday Bloody Sunday: John Schlesinger | Sunday Bloody Sunday: John Schlesinger |
1970
Patton: Franklin J. Schaffner | Patton: Franklin J. Schaffner |
MASH: Robert Altman | MASH: Robert Altman |
Love Story: Arthur Hiller | Love Story: Arthur Hiller |
Ryan’s Daughter: David Lean | Fellini Satyricon: Federico Fellini |
Five Easy Pieces: Bob Rafelson | Women in Love: Ken Russell |
1969
Midnight Cowboy: John Schlesinger | Midnight Cowboy: John Schlesinger |
Z: Costa-Gavras | Z: Costa-Gavras |
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: George Roy Hill | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: George Roy Hill |
Easy Rider: Dennis Hopper | Arthur Penn, Alice’s Restaurant |
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?: Sydney Pollack | They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?: Sydney Pollack |
Oh! What a Lovely War: Richard Attenborough | |
Hello, Dolly!: Gene Kelly | |
The Wild Bunch: Sam Peckinpah | |
Goodbye, Columbus: Larry Peerce | |
Medium Cool: Haskell Wexler |
1968
Oliver!: Carol Reed | Oliver!: Carol Reed |
2001: A Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick | 2001: A Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick |
Rachel, Rachel: Paul Newman | The Lion in Winter: Anthony Harvey |
Funny Girl: William Wyler | The Battle of Algiers: Gillo Pontecorvo |
Isabel: Paul Almond | |
Closely Watched Trains: Jirí Menzel | |
Hello, Dolly!: Gene Kelly | |
Rosemary’s Baby: Roman Polanski | |
The Odd Couple: Gene Saks | |
Romeo and Juliet: Franco Zeffirelli | Romeo and Juliet: Franco Zeffirelli |
1967
The Graduate: Mike Nichols | The Graduate: Mike Nichols |
In Cold Blood: Richard Brooks | In Cold Blood: Richard Brooks |
In the Heat of the Night: Norman Jewison | In the Heat of the Night: Norman Jewison+ |
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: Stanley Kramer | Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: Stanley Kramer |
Bonnie and Clyde: Arthur Penn | Bonnie and Clyde: Arthur Penn |
The Dirty Dozen: Robert Aldrich | |
To Sir, with Love: James Clavell | |
Two for the Road: Stanley Donen | |
Cool Hand Luke: Stuart Rosenberg | |
Ulysses: Joseph Strick |
1966
A Man for All Seasons: Fred Zinnemann | A Man for All Seasons: Fred Zinnemann+ |
Grand Prix: John Frankenheimer | Blow-Up: Michelangelo Antonioni |
The Professionals: Richard Brooks | The Professionals: Richard Brooks |
Alfie: Lewis Gilbert* | |
Born Free: James Hill | |
The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming: Norman Jewison* | |
A Man and a Woman: Claude Lelouch | A Man and a Woman: Claude Lelouch |
Georgy Girl: Silvio Narizzano | |
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Mike Nichols | Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Mike Nichols* |
The Sand Pebbles: Robert Wise* |
1965
The Sound of Music: Robert Wise+ | The Sound of Music: Robert Wise+ |
The Ipcress File: Sidney J. Furie | Doctor Zhivago: David Lean |
The Pawnbroker: Sidney Lumet | Woman in the Dunes: Hiroshi Teshigahara |
Darling: John Schlesinger | Darling: John Schlesinger |
Cat Ballou: Elliot Silverstein | The Collector: William Wyler |
1964
My Fair Lady: George Cukor | My Fair Lady: George Cukor+ |
The Night of the Iguana: John Huston | Zorba the Greek: Mihalis Kakogiannis |
Becket: Peter Glenville | Becket: Peter Glenville |
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: Stanley Kubrick | Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: Stanley Kubrick |
Mary Poppins: Robert Stevenson | Mary Poppins: Robert Stevenson |
1963
Tom Jones: Tony Richardson | Tom Jones: Tony Richardson |
8½: Federico Fellini | 8½: Federico Fellini |
America, America: Elia Kazan | America, America: Elia Kazan |
Lilies of the Field: Ralph Nelsonk | The Cardinal: Otto Preminger |
Hud: Martin Ritt | Hud: Martin Ritt |
1962
Lawrence of Arabia: David Lean | Lawrence of Arabia: David Lean+ |
Divorce Italian Style: Pietro Germi | Divorce Italian Style: Pietro Germi |
To Kill a Mockingbird: Robert Mulligan | To Kill a Mockingbird: Robert Mulligan |
The Miracle Worker: Arthur Penn | The Miracle Worker: Arthur Penn |
Birdman of Alcatraz: John Frankenheimer | David and Lisa: Frank Perry |
The Manchurian Candidate: John Frankenheimer | |
The Longest Day: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki | |
Freud: John Huston | |
Lolita: Stanley Kubrick | |
Long Day’s Journey Into Night: Sidney Lumet | |
Billy Budd: Peter Ustinov | |
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?: Robert Aldrich | |
The Music Man: Morton DaCosta | |
Mutiny on the Bounty: Lewis Milestone | |
Requiem for a Heavyweight: Ralph Nelson | |
A Taste of Honey: Tony Richardson |
1961
West Side Story: Robert Wise | West Side Story: Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins+ |
La Dolce Vita: Federico Fellini | |
Judgment at Nuremberg: Stanley Kramer | Judgment at Nuremberg: Stanley Kramer* |
The Hustler: Robert Rossen | The Hustler: Robert Rossen* |
The Guns of Navarone: J. Lee Thompson | The Guns of Navarone: J. Lee Thompson* |
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Blake Edwards | |
One-Eyed Jacks: Marlon Brando | |
Pocketful of Miracles: Frank Capra | |
The Innocents: Jack Clayton | |
Summer and Smoke: Peter Glenville | |
The Misfits: John Huston | |
Splendor in the Grass: Elia Kazan | |
Flower Drum Song: Henry Koster | |
A Majority of One: Mervyn LeRoy | |
Hand in Hand: Philip Leacock | |
Fanny: Joshua Logan | |
El Cid: Anthony Mann | |
The Great Impostor: Robert Mulligan | |
A Raisin in the Sun: Daniel Petrie | |
The AbsentMinded Professor: Robert Stevenson | |
Romanoff and Juliet: Peter Ustinov | |
The Children’s Hour: William Wyler |
1960
The Apartment: Billy Wilder | The Apartment: Billy Wilder |
Sons and Lovers: Jack Cardiff | Sons and Lovers: Jack Cardiff |
Bells Are Ringing: Vincente Minnelli |
Never on Sunday: Jules Dassin |
Psycho: Alfred Hitchcock | Psycho: Alfred Hitchcock |
The Sundowners: Fred Zinnemann | The Sundowners: Fred Zinnemann |
Elmer Gantry: Richard Brooks | |
Sunrise at Campobello: Vincent J. Donehue | |
Sink the Bismarck!: Lewis Gilbert | |
Can-Can: Walter Lang | |
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs: Delbert Mann | |
Home from the Hill: Vincente Minnelli | |
Our Man in Havana: Carol Reed | |
Hiroshima, mon amour: Alain Resnais | |
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies: Charles Walters |
1959
Ben-Hur: William Wyler | Ben-Hur: William Wyler |
Anatomy of a Murder: Otto Preminger | Room at the Top: Jack Clayton |
The Diary of Anne Frank: George Stevens | The Diary of Anne Frank: George Stevens |
Some Like It Hot: Billy Wilder | Some Like It Hot: Billy Wilder |
The Nun’s Story: Fred Zinnemann | The Nun’s Story: Fred Zinnemann |
The Shaggy Dog: Charles Barton | |
A Hole in the Head: Frank Capra | |
Compulsion: Richard Fleischer | |
The Horse Soldiers: John Ford | |
Rio Bravo: Howard Hawks | |
North by Northwest: Alfred Hitchcock | |
Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys!: Leo McCarey | |
Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk |
1958
Gigi: Vincente Minnelli | Gigi: Vincente Minnelli |
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Richard Brooks |
The Defiant Ones: Stanley Kramer | The Defiant Ones: Stanley Kramer |
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness: Mark Robson | The Inn of the Sixth Happiness: Mark Robson |
I Want to Live!: Robert Wise | I Want to Live!: Robert Wise |
Damn Yankees!: George Abbott, Stanley Donen | |
The Brothers Karamazov: Richard Brooks | |
Cowboy: Delmer Daves | |
The Young Lions: Edward Dmytryk | |
The Vikings: Richard Fleischer | |
Vertigo: Alfred Hitchcock | |
The Long, Hot Summer: Martin Ritt | |
Teacher’s Pet: George Seaton | |
The Big Country: William Wyler |
1957
The Bridge on the River Kwai: David Lean | The Bridge on the River Kwai: David Lean |
Les Girls: George Cukor | Sayonara: Joshua Logan |
12 Angry Men: Sidney Lumet | 12 Angry Men: Sidney Lumet |
Peyton Place: Mark Robson | Peyton Place: Mark Robson |
Witness for the Prosecution: Billy Wilder | Witness for the Prosecution: Billy Wilder |
Funny Face: Stanley Donen | |
The Great Man: José Ferrer | |
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison: John Huston | |
A Face in the Crowd: Elia Kazan | |
The Pride and the Passion: Stanley Kramer | |
Men in War: Anthony Mann | |
An Affair to Remember: Leo McCarey | |
Fear Strikes Out: Robert Mulligan | |
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: John Sturges | |
Love in the Afternoon: Billy Wilder | |
A Hatful of Rain: Fred Zinnemann |
1956
Giant: George Stevens | Giant: George Stevens |
Around the World in Eighty Days: Michael Anderson | Around the World in Eighty Days: Michael Anderson |
The King and I: Walter Lang | The King and I: Walter Lang |
War and Peace: King Vidor | War and Peace: King Vidor |
Friendly Persuasion: William Wyler | Friendly Persuasion: William Wyler |
The Teahouse of the August Moon: Daniel Mann | |
The Searchers: John Ford | |
The Trouble with Harry: Alfred Hitchcock | |
The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alfred Hitchcock | |
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit: Nunnally Johnson | |
Carousel: Henry King | |
Trapeze: Carol Reed | |
Alexander the Great: Robert Rossen | |
Meet Me in Las Vegas: Roy Rowland | |
The Eddy Duchin Story: George Sidney | |
Moby Dick: John Huston | |
Bus Stop: Joshua Logan | |
Somebody Up There Likes Me: Robert Wise |
1955
Marty: Delbert Mann | Marty: Delbert Mann |
East of Eden: Elia Kazan | East of Eden: Elia Kazan |
Mister Roberts: John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy | Summertime: David Lean |
Picnic: Joshua Logan | Picnic: Joshua Logan |
Bad Day at Black Rock: John Sturges | Bad Day at Black Rock: John Sturges |
The Rose Tattoo: Daniel Mann | |
Blackboard Jungle: Richard Brooks | |
The Long Gray Line: John Ford | |
A Man Called Peter: Henry Koster | |
The Bridges at Toko-Ri: Mark Robson | |
Love Me or Leave Me: Charles Vidor | |
The Seven Year Itch: Billy Wilder |
1954
On the Waterfront: Elia Kazan | On the Waterfront: Elia Kazan |
Rear Window: Alfred Hitchcock | Rear Window: Alfred Hitchcock |
The Country Girl: George Seaton | The Country Girl: George Seaton |
The High and the Mighty: William A. Wellman | The High and the Mighty: William A. Wellman |
Sabrina: Billy Wilder | Sabrina: Billy Wilder |
A Star Is Born: George Cukor | |
The Caine Mutiny: Edward Dmytryk | |
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: Stanley Donen | |
Knock on Wood: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama | |
Hell and High Water: Samuel Fuller | |
Dial M for Murder: Alfred Hitchcock | |
King of the Khyber Rifles: Henry King | |
The Glenn Miller Story: Anthony Mann | |
Three Coins in the Fountain: Jean Negulesco | |
Riot in Cell Block 11: Don Siegel | |
Executive Suite: Robert Wise |
1953
From Here to Eternity: Fred Zinnemann | From Here to Eternity: Fred Zinnemann |
Shane: George Stevens | Shane: George Stevens |
Lili: Charles Walters | Lili: Charles Walters |
Stalag 17: Billy Wilder | Stalag 17: Billy Wilder |
Roman Holiday: William Wyler | Roman Holiday: William Wyler |
Come Back Little Sheba: Daniel Mann | |
Above and Beyond: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama | |
The Robe: Henry Koster | |
Call Me Madam: Walter Lang | |
Julius Caesar: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | |
Titanic: Jean Negulesco | |
Young Bess: George Sidney |
1953
The Quiet Man: John Ford | The Quiet Man: John Ford |
The Greatest Show on Earth: Cecil B. DeMille | The Greatest Show on Earth: Cecil B. DeMille+ |
Pat and Mike: George Cukor | Moulin Rouge: John Huston |
5 Fingers: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | 5 Fingers: Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
High Noon: Fred Zinnemann | High Noon: Fred Zinnemann |
I’ll See You in My Dreams: Michael Curtiz | |
Singin’ in the Rain: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly | |
My Six Convicts: Hugo Fregonese | |
The Big Sky: Howard Hawks | |
Viva Zapata!: Elia Kazan | |
The Snows of Kilimanjaro: Henry King | |
Rashomon: Akira Kurosawa | |
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman: Albert Lewin | |
The Bad and the Beautiful: Vincente Minnelli | |
Scaramouche: George Sidney | |
Ivanhoe: Richard Thorpe | |
Hans Christian Andersen: Charles Vidor |
1952
A Place in the Sun: George Stevens | A Place in the Sun: George Stevens |
Strangers on a Train: Alfred Hitchcock | The African Queen: John Huston |
A Streetcar Named Desire: Elia Kazan | A Streetcar Named Desire: Elia Kazan |
An American in Paris: Vincente Minnelli | An American in Paris: Vincente Minnelli+ |
Detective Story: William Wyler | Detective Story: William Wyler |
Death of a Salesman: Laslo Benedek | |
Cyrano de Bergerac: Michael Gordon | |
David and Bathsheba: Henry King | |
Quo Vadis: Mervyn LeRoy | |
Decision Before Dawn: Anatole Litvak | |
Show Boat: George Sidney | |
The Great Caruso: Richard Thorpe |
1951
All About Eve: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | All About Eve: Joseph L. Mankiewicz+ |
The Asphalt Jungle: John Huston | Born Yesterday: George Cukor |
Father’s Little Dividend: Vincente Minnelli | The Asphalt Jungle: John Huston |
The Third Man: Carol Reed | |
Sunset Blvd.: Billy Wilder | Sunset Blvd.: Billy Wilder |
1950
All the King’s Men: Robert Rossen | All the King’s Men: Robert Rossen+ |
The Third Man: Carol Reed | A Letter to Three Wives: Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
Champion: Mark Robson | The Fallen Idol: Carol Reed |
Lost Boundaries: Alfred L. Werker | Battleground: William A. Wellman |
SuThe Heiress: William Wyler |
1949
A Letter to Three Wives: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Hamlet: Laurence Olivier+ |
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: John Huston | |
Red River: Howard Hawks | The Search: Fred Zinnemann |
The Snake Pit: Anatole Litvak | The Snake Pit: Anatole Litvak |
The Search: Fred Zinnemann | Johnny Belinda: Jean Negulesco |
+also won Best Picture
(best picture that didn’t match director)
2012 | ||
2011 | Michel Hazanavicious, The Artist | Michel Hazanavicious, The Artist+ |
2010 | Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech | Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech+ |
2009 | Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker | Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker+ |
2008 | Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire | Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire+ |
2007 | Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country | Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country+ |
2006 | Martin Scorsese, The Departed | Martin Scorsese, The Departed+ |
2005 | Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain | Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain* (Crash+) |
2004 | Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby | Clint Eastwood, MDB+ |
2003 | Peter Jackson, Return of the King | Peter Jackson, Return of the King+ |
2002 | Rob Marshall, Chicago | Roman Polanski, The Pianist (Chicago) |
2001 | Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind | Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind+ |
2000 | Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger | Steven Soderbergh, Traffic (Gladiator) |
1999 | Sam Mendes, American Beauty | Sam Mendes, American Beauty+ |
1998 | Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan | Steven Spielberg (Shakespeare in Love) |
1997 | Jim Cameron, Titanic | Jim Cameron, Titanic+ |
1996 | Anthony Minghella, English Patient | Anthony Minghella, English Patient+ |
1995 | Ron Howard, Apollo 13 | Mel Gibson, Braveheart+ |
1994 | Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump | Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump+ |
1993 | Seven Spielberg, Schindler’s List | Steven Spielberg, Schindler’s List+ |
1992 | Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven | Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven+ |
1991 | Jonathan Demme, Silence of the Lambs | Jonathan Demme, Silence of the Lambs + |
1990 | Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves | Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves+ |
1989 | Oliver Stone, Born on the Fourth of July | Oliver Stone, Born on the Fourth of July (Driving Miss Daisy – director Beresford not nommed for Oscar or DGA) |
1988 | Barry Levinson, Rain Man | Barry Levinson, Rain Man+ |
1987 | Bernardo Bertolucci, Last Emperor | Bernardo Bertolucci, Last Emperor+ |
1986 | Oliver Stone, Platoon | Oliver Stone, Platoon+ |
1985 | Steven Spielberg, Color Purple | Sidney Pollack, Out of Africa+ |
1984: | Milos Forman, Amadeus | Milos Forman, Amadeus+ |
1983: | James Brooks, Terms of Endearment | James Brooks, Terms of Endearment+ |
1982: | Richard Attenborough, Gandhi | Richard Attenborough, Gandhi+ |
1981: | Warren Beatty, Reds | Warren Beatty, Reds (Chariots of Fire) |
1980: | Robert Redford, Ordinary People | Robert Redford, Ordinary People+ |
1979: | Robert Benton, Kramer Vs. Kramer | Robert Benton, Kramer Vs. Kramer+ |
1978: | Michael Cimino, Deer Hunter | Michael Cimino, Deer Hunter+ |
1977: | Woody Allen, Annie Hall | Woody Allen, Annie Hall+ |
1976: | John Avildson, Rocky | John Avildson, Rocky+ |
1975: | Milos Foreman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | Milos Foreman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest+ |
1974: | Frances Coppola, Godfather II | Frances Coppola, Godfather II+ |
1973: | George Roy Hill, The Sting | George Roy Hill+ |
1972: | Frances Coppola, The Godfather | Bob Fosse, Cabaret (Godfather) |
1971: | William Friedkin, The French Connection | William Friedkin, The French Connection+ |
1970: | Franklin J. Schaffner, Patton | Franklin J. Schaffner , Patton+ |
1969: | John Schlesinger, Midnight Cowboy | John Schlesinger, Midnight Cowboy+ |
1968: | Anthony Harvey, Lion in Winter | Carol Reed, Oliver+ |
1967: | Mike Nichols, The Graduate | Mike Nichols, The Graduate (In Heat of the Night) |
1966: | Fred Zinneman, A Man for all Seasons | Fred Zinneman, A Man for all Seasons+ |
1965: | Robert Wise, The Sound of Music | Robert Wise, the Sound of Music+ |
1964: | George Cukor, My Fair Lady | George Cukor, My Fair Lady+ |
1963: | Tony Richardson, Tom Jones | Tony Richardson, Tom Jones+ |
1962: | David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia | David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia+ |
1961: | Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise, West Side Story | Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise, West Side Story+ |
1960: | Billy Wilder, The Apartment | Billy Wilder, The Apartment+ |
1959: | William Wyler, Ben Hur | William Wyler, Ben Hur+ |
1958: | Vincent Minnelli, Gigi | Vincent Minnelli, Gigi+ |
1957: | David Lean, Bridge on the River Kwai | David Lean, Bridge on the River Kwai+ |
1956: | George Stevens, Giant | George Stevens, Giant (Around/World in 80 Days) |
1955: | Delbert Mann, Marty | Delbert Mann, Marty+ |
1954: | Elia Kazan, On the Waterfront | Elia Kazan, On the Waterfront+ |
1953: | Fred Zinnemann, From here to Eternity | Fred Zinnemann, From here to Eternity+ |
1952: | John Ford, The Quiet Man | John Ford, The Quiet Man (Greatest Show on Earth) |
1951: | George Stevens, A Place in the Sun | George Stevens, A Place in the Sun (An American in Paris) |
1950: | Joseph L. Mankiewicz, All About Eve | Joseph L. Mankiewicz, All About Eve+ |
1949: | Robert Rossen, All the King’s Men | Joseph L. Mankiewicz for A Letter To Three Wives (All the King’s Men) |
1948: | Joseph L. Mankiewicz for A Letter To Three Wives | John Huston, Treasure of the Sierra Madre (Hamlet) |
1947 | Elia Kaza for Gentleman’s Agreement | |
1946 | William Wyler for The Best Years of Our Lives | |
1945 | Billy Wilder for The Lost Weekend | |
1944 | Leo McCary for Going My Way | |
1943 | Michael Curtiz for Casablanca | |
1942 | William Wyler for Mrs. Miniver | |
1941 | John Ford for How Green Was My Valley | |
1940 | John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath (Rebecca) | |
1939 | Victor Flemming, Gone with the Wind | |
1938 | Frank Capra, You Can’t Take it With You | |
1937 | Leo McCary, The Awful Truth (The Life of Emile Zola) | |
1936 | Frank Capra, Mr. Deed Goes to Town (The Great Ziegfeld) | |
1935 | John Ford, The Informer (Mutiny on the Bounty) | |
1934 | Frank Capra, It Happened One Night | |
1933 | Frank Lloyd, Calvalcade |
I think what you said was very logical. But, what about this?
what iff you added a little information? I mean, I don’t want to tell you how to run your blog,
but what if yoou added a title to maybe get people’s attention? I mean Awards Daily
Somehow WoW seems very out of date to me. Who cares to watch for these uber-males anymore.
These days Scorsese movies are just “better” van Damme/Schwartzenegger/Segal things projecting a really weird picture of men. I was totally bored half-way through the trailer, with the screaming dudes tying to prove they have the biggest dick, di Caprio always being the same (and I used to like him a lot). I find it really unlikely that any in my age-group (under 30) will go to see this because nobody wants to relate to guys like these.
“I’ve got my ticket for long way ’round
Two bottles of whiskey for the way
And I sure would like some sweet company
And I’m leaving tomorrow, whatdya say?
When I’m gone, when I’m gone
You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone
You’re gonna miss me by my hair
You’re gonna miss me everywhere
And I know you’re gonna miss me when I’m gone”
Eh… Good question. There are so many times when I’ve asked myself that too. Why don’t I feel like watching the really good movie, but instead I’m watching something ridiculous for the umpteenth time. I think it’s because I don’t want to burn myself out on the good ones.
Whenever we get to making these lists I have to slap my head against a wall because it angers me I’ve only seen most of these movies once. Why the fuck did I watch Pitch Perfect a second time, when I’ve only see The Son once? Why? Am I that dumb? It pisses me off.
Nice!! I wish I could say that I’m planning on seeing 12 Years… tomorrow, but I’m probably not. I found out that it’s only playing at the Uptown Theater, and I don’t feel like dealing with that. My roommate told me that on Nov. 8 it will be playing in St. Louis Park at the West End theater. I just feel like by then I’ll be the only one who hasn’t seen this movie yet. Oh well. At least I’ve already seen All Is Lost. 🙂
Al,
Thankfully I didn’t have to go to that one. It opened at a mall multiplex, but they were almost keeping it a secret.
Bryce,
How was the slummy, seedy theater? Did it at least suffice?
There’s a lot of discussion going on here, and the thread might have expired so I’ll be brief. Regarding the scene Rufuss is describing. I haven’t read the Slant review but if that was really that guy’s argument then we have yet another fraud review. I will pick it apart if it comes up again in the discussion. Now the scene. The Scene WORKS, and more importantly it WORKS cinematically. Lazy and ignorant are the right words to describe someone who argues the scene should be different. It is indeed brilliant filmmaking. I will cite examples of scenes that work similarly by not showing us the obvious and in the process achieving greater meaning, greater effect. It is the cinematic language boys, it is the camera shying away from Travis’s calling Betsy.
Well, Julian, I know that Chariots of Fire is a much-maligned film, but I still love it, even though it won the Oscar. I have no control over what people think post-Oscar, but if people are so shallow that they reassess a film just because it won an award, it says more about them than it does the picture or the award that it won.
The contrast between free and enslaved feels unexplored? Really? In the scene where Northup is building the house/shed/barn with Ford’s hireling (played by Paul Dano) you couldn’t see the difference between being free and being enslaved? Maybe I don’t get your point, but I think this scene captures it entirely. To me it’s so obvious I can’t even describe it, heck, it’s text not subtext.
As to your being a racist, CB, I’ve no idea, I just listed it as one of four possibilities in which I could conceive. But I do know 12 Years offers a special challenge to racists and non-racists alike. Of course all of us here will willingly say that the enslavement of black people by white people was wrong. And there’s a certain safety in viewing this film, it was over 150 years ago, and, well, if one wants to, one could say it could never happen today.
But that’s not necessarily the case. All over the world, and also in America, the strong prey on the weak, and that’s essentially what slavery was, the strong preying on the weak. Many don’t know this, but slavery began not as a white v. black affair in colonial America. Rich white plantation owners were constantly worried about escaping slaves and the plantation owners needed another tool to ensure their investments would stay in their posessions. So over time their was a campaign to label blacks as inferior. This resulted in poor white people without property to start doing the bidding for the rich whites, as they believed they were superior to the enslaved blacks. Now the rich white people had an army of people to find and chase and return the slaves who escaped. Racism was invented and created for the enhancement of the rich.
So much of this dynamic is still in play in the United States as poor white people vote the way the rich people want them to vote, and it’s always at the expense of minorities. If you don’t believe me look at the current fight over food stamps, it’s one of the policy changes the GOP is fighting for (although they complete don’t care about corporate welfare) and so many rural white lower class people vote Republican even though that group makes up the majority of food stamp recipients. As the media and political leaders don’t often make this point preferring to have people believe it’s inner city black people who soak up most of those funds.
And that’s why 12 Years is such a potent film. To see the white people show empathy for the black people while they simultaneously enslave them. Most people will say that Epps is the real villain, but I think the real villain in the film is Robert Ford, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. It’s people like him that propped up the system all because of the financial reward. If like-minded people had acted on their conscience, slavery would have likely ended in the south when it was ending in the north.
What was the quote that someone said about the Nazis, “First they came for the handicapped?” At some point you have to stand up for what you believe in long before you yourself are in danger. And this film is a potent reminder of that. Yes, there is evil in all of us, the trick is to recognize it and fight it, even if it makes no obvious difference in your life if you don’t.
Rufus:
Good reply. And don’t get me wrong, I approve of your passion. I just think you ought to consider the possibility that at this point the universal acclaim 12 Years is reaping is probably it’s biggest flaw. Furthermore; its Oscar win (it will happen!) will be its critical downfall, trust me. Argo was a beloved by critics and bloggers until it won. The King’s Speech wouldn’t have been so reviled if it wasn’t for its win. Just you wait for all the backlash and critical reassessments post-Oscar glory… if it had what it took to win an Oscar, it was too safe and sobering, the argument will run…
Trust a fellow Kelly Reichardt aficionado…:)
Bryce:
Enjoy the movie! And i’ll buy “replay value”. It’s better and shorter.
It didn’t feel like 12 years to me because the pacing was weak and the story plodded along, sort of a list of horrible things that happened, checking the boxes as you’d say. Malcolm X does not have blatant on-screen time markers (and yes I understand that slaves in the South did not have calendars and so forth and other newspaper-like indicators of time passing), but it does have a sense of how to do very long scenes that lead into montages, that lead into character moments that lead into family moments. I get that. 12 Years does not feel like 12 years, and that is a problem, as is the fact that the contrast between free and enslaved feels weirdly unexplored.
You and I have different tastes. I loved Silver Linings Playbook. It was a weird, totally engrossing, almost drunk movie that was shot and written in the same eerie cognizance of its protagonist. I did not like ZDT – it was a styleless, boring, pro-torture waste of time with a dull point A to B to C storyline. That’s my opinion. I don’t call your opinions idiotic, and I acknowledge the points that you make. I have a genuine love of film and of debate, so I’d appreciate if you’d appreciate my attempt at a dialogue and not take my response to the film personally by insinuating that I may be racist or that I’m an idiot.
I find particular offense when criticism is weak and lazy, especially when the critic is paid to do what he does. And I found that particularly criticism from the Slant guy to be particularly lazy, because it showed how lazy of a viewer he was. Instead of trying to determine what McQueen was doing with the scene, he preferred to describe what he wanted out of the scene. That’s the worst kind of criticism. Heck, that’s not even criticism. Hence, the label.
I’m a warrior when it comes to this film, and while I do not intend to find every negative comment about the film and respond to it, if I find a comment on here that’s particularly off or nonsensical (from my point of view) and if I have the time to respond, I am going to do it not out of some combative place, but because the film deserves people fighting for it.
Julian, I do definitely agree that not all great films are universally loved, heck I just spent the last fifteen minutes crying to Joyful Noise of all things. I love many a film that others miss completely and rarely do my favorite films of any given year reach a broad audience (last year’s ZDT being a major exception). I love the small films that hone in on character that I can identify with, often with compete disregard to any of the technical aspects of film that many here find exciting.
I think the most important aspect of any film is its sincerity. So even if a “bad” film is sincere in what it’s trying to do, there’s a good chance I will identify with it. A Divisive film from last year’s race was Silver Linings Playbook, a film I found that ticked all the boxes, but it was done in a completely insincere fashion, that it became laughable at the tend. It was well crafted, but it was also horribly awful and I can’t comprehend how anyone fell for it.
But 12 Years isn’t a film you fall for. It’s a completely cerebral experience that, once complete, completely overwhelms you. It takes hours and days and weeks to process what you’ve seen. It’s unfathomable to me that someone can dismiss it so readily, especially with a criticism such as “it didn’t seem like 12 years to me” – Why? because it didn’t have graphics telling you what year it was, it didn’t, like Steel Magnolias, show the passing of time by having all of its scenes set during holidays?. The passage of time is in the title for crying out loud, when Northup returns his small children are grown and now have children of their own, what more would you want? I don’t get it. Sorry, I just don’t.
That’s not to say the film has to be necessarily divisive. Just as many, maybe even more films which were near-universally acclaimed upon release still got it. For instance, BATTLE OF ALGIERS –to keep it within historical recounts. Others give you no reason whatsoever to see them again (e.g. Costa Gavras’ MISSING)
Divisive films are usually the most interesting and the most likely to be true masterpieces (whatever that is). The more vocal the opposition, the more the film is likely to be either passionate, idiosyncratic or boundary-pushing or a combination thereof.
+1
Or as the rest of us -who don’t have a way with words like julian- call it: Replay Value
I can’t comment about rufuss’ posts because, in all honesty, I haven’t read them. He’s all out describing scenes and even though I’ve read the book that just doesn’t fly with me. I’m seeing 12 YEARS tonight and I’ve only seen trailer #1. Then I’m going back to see what critics, pseudo-critics, fellow readers said about it. Also I’m dying to see Steve MacQueen and cast interviews/Q&A’s. Busy night.
So the Slant reviewer is a “pseudo-critic” because he fails to appreciate the same scene as you, Rufus? Come on.
If every single critic out there declared 12 Years to be an uncontested masterpiece, I would start to worry about either the film itself (too perfect? too obvious?) or the conformity of the critics. Because, frankly, something would be amiss.
Divisive films are usually the most interesting and the most likely to be true masterpieces (whatever that is). The more vocal the opposition, the more the film is likely to be either passionate, idiosyncratic or boundary-pushing or a combination thereof.
It’s all very well with metacritic.com, I for one like to refer to them, but not as a means to say something normative about the quality of a film, only to say something about the critical perception of it. The Counselor has a 49 on metacritic right now, 12 Years and Gravity a 96, but who says that the more divisive film is the less attractive or the less interesting?
Philomena has a value of 82 right now, and I can tell you that that movie is as far from a true work of art as any film I have seen in recent times. It’s perfectly calculated and well-executed and some critics seem to respond to that. But I bet that a LOT of movies in the 50s or 60s on metacritic deserve to be called true works of art as opposed to safe picks like Philomena, a film custom-made to not offend anyone.
All I’m saying is, instead of going on some witch hunt to tackle all opposition to 12 Years, you should really embrace it. It probably means that the movie you feel compelled to isn’t as safe and perfectly executed as – say – Philomena.
Rufus,
First off, I’m not racist, and I’m not racist for not finding unique artistic merit in 12 Years a Slave. Nor am I not racist for finding intense artistic merit in Malcolm X, the works of Toni Morrison, particularly the novel Beloved, the poetry of Amiri Baraka, the art of Kara Walker, the music of Billie Holiday, the novel ‘Invisible Man’, or any of the other countless African American creative works that have touched me. None of my appreciation or lack thereof for works about race by artists of color proves or disproves my being a racist or not. That is immaterial.
I love Steve McQueen’s works. I loved Shame and Hunger, and I saw the former twice in theaters because it was so visceral and moving and beautiful.
Why do I see 12 Years as a work of solid craftsmanship and not as a masterpiece or a work deserving Oscar recognition? Because it played too safely. It was a major Important Movie, much like Lincoln (though far far far superior to Lincoln, which I found turgid, self-involved, and boring). 12 Years was not turgid, self-involved, and boring, but it didn’t take too many risks either, and there was nothing about it that I could say was artistically unique. Honestly, if I didn’t know it was McQueen behind the lens, I wouldn’t have been able to say who the director was. It was a very good movie, but as I’ve said before, it did not feel like it needed cinema itself to tell itself, nor do I feel that it used cinema beyond its ability to tell a long amount of time and plot in two hours.
The movie did not feel like 12 Years – it felt like 18 months. I have seen other epic biopics that do feel like long swaths of time are passing. I also didn’t ever feel as if the theme of ‘free to enslaved’ came across as interestingly as it could have. 12 Years a Slave was a very Point A to Point B to Point C movie – it does not require repeat viewings.
I have said before that there were exemplary elements of the movie – I think that Lupita Nyong’o should get Best Supporting Actress, and I’m glad the movie is out there to be seen by the masses, most of whom are not inclined to read a book. It is a great tool for showing the day-to-day life of the Southern slave. I am glad the movie is out there – but, yes, I do think that the vast majority of films do not use their medium to their fullest extent or take necessary narrative risks or accomplish great artistic feat. If the Oscars are presumably supposed to award the best of the best, then I don’t think 12 Years a Slave fits that in terms of Directing, Writing, or overall Picture. I’m not naive to think the Oscars are a meritocracy, but I like that we can debate film as well as Oscar politics here.
I’m going to go completely basic here.
ART (definition) – the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
OK, let’s look at another scene from the film. Let’s take one of the scenes that the guy from Slant (the one middling review on Metacritic) took apart. The one where Northup burns his letter that he was hoping would help him gain his freedom. The guy from Slant complained that we didn’t get to see Ejiofor’s face in the scene therefor we couldn’t glimpse into his soul. The pseudo-critic complained that instead McQueen focused on the burning letter (which was the focus of a static shot that lasted 20 to 30 seconds, at my best guess.) The Slant guy wanted us to observe the reaction and to process how Northup felt at that moment by observing him observing the paper.
But this is how smart McQueen is. He knows his audience is smart (well, most of us anyway) we’d just been treated to a scene were Platt came up with a story to protect his life – he surely would have been hung if discovered – and that whole scene we got to see his face turn from fear to relief as he realized Epps was, at least on the surface, swallowing his story. To be believed over a white man was truly mind-altering here.
So when we get to Northup covering his tracks, burning that letter, burning his hopes for freedom, we are already well aware of what Northup was experiencing. So when we finally get to that letter slowly being consumed by fire, we are experiencing that immense loss along with Northup. We don’t need to see his face to get a glimpse into his soul, because McQueen is allowing us a glimpse into our own soul as we experience that moment as Northup experienced that moment.
If that isn’t cinematic art (and genius) I don’t know what is.
When I read the insanely idiotic comment “12 Years lends nothing to cinema in any way” I have to wonder about the state of mind of the individual who wrote it. Maybe that person was tired or drunk when they saw the film and they didn’t grasp what they were seeing. Or maybe the person believes that about 99.9% of the movies that come to theaters lend nothing to cinema. Or maybe they are a plant for a different film in this Oscar race. Or maybe they are just a racist fool. I can’t think of any other explanation.
Yes, the book works, but the movie works in a much more immediate and visceral way. All one has to do is read the critics on Metacritic, I think the count is now 28 of the 38 critics have given it a perfect 100. I mean c’mon, to come along and say this film lends nothing to cinema. That’s just pure stupidity and ignorance.
Secondly, I completely don’t get sentences like “I don’t get why it HAD to be a movie–it could’ve been a very elegant novel.” Huh? Using that logic, why did A Streetcar Named Desire HAVE to be a movie–it could’ve just stayed a powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning play. And that damn Gone With the Wind–too long for a movie, should have stayed a bestselling epic novel. Or those talky Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight movies–why dd they have to be movies? Maybe they should have been plays instead?
What I’m saying is, 12 Years lends nothing to cinema in any way, and that its story is not better served through cinema. I’m not saying it shouldn’t exist, or that I didn’t know it was a 150-year-old autobiography. I’m saying that there’s no way in which the movie itself uses cinema in any novel or interesting way in relating to the story. And there’s nothing in this movie that’s particularly new.
To answer these questions:
1. Streetcar is not a very good movie. It neuters a brilliant, perfect play. Some performances are great (Brando, obviously), but there’s a reason it’s not considered a great film, but a recording of a great performance.
2. Gone With the Wind is a turgid, boring, unbelievable waste of time. It’s a classic, but it’s garbage.
3. Before Sunrise/Sunset are great examples of a play that simply can’t happen on stage due to movement and setting. Another similar movie choice could be My Dinner With Andre, but the reason that *works* as a movie is because it’s so UN-movie-like, and the MDWA works so well because it subverts the expectation of what a movie can be. It’s very existence itself is all about how it is, in fact, a movie. And it’s why no one could ever turn that into a genre – there’s a reason there haven’t been a slew of MDWA films that follow that exact mold since. It could only work once as a cinematic upset.
My issue with 12 Years, ultimately, is not that it isn’t very good, but that it is a wonderful work of craftsmanship, but it’s weirdly not art.
Well , I have not yet seen the movie because it doesn’t open in the UK until late January ……however , I have read numerous critical reviews and have developed, politically speaking , a keen grasp of the obvious
Indeed , after reading Sasha’s explosive review from Telluride and then Kyle Buchannon’s prophetic review from Toronto , the writing was clearly on the wall …what does surprise me is that the bookies , who are usually as wily as a coyote , are still offering odds of 1/1 evens on 12 YRS.
..now there is a real opportunity as they were offering a mere 4/7 on Obama getting re-elected and in my somewhat humble opinion the chances of 12 YRS winning BP are at least as good as that
benny, similarly reasoned, it’s why it will win Best Pic. After the film wins a ton of critics awards and audiences love it as well (TIFF Audience Award and it has an “A” Cinemascore) they simply won’t be able to vote against it unless they want to lose all credibility. This film is too big to ignore. And once everyone sees it, they will agree. Looking forward to this weekend so most of us can join in the discussion.
Nice post, rufus. Can’t wait to see it so I can join the discussion.
Based on McQueen’s other work, I agree that he has a unique ability to immerse us in situations in ways no other director can. It isn’t always pleasant and can be uncomfortable, but it’s extremely effective.
Try to imagine Oscar night when 12 Yrs wins B P and BA and /or BSA and possibly BS actress and then ignores Steve MccQueen …it’s difficult to imagine because it’s just never going to happen …it would make them look like perennial racists by refusing to make Oscar history by rewarding a black director
When 12 Yrs wins B P , as sure as night follows day , MccQueen will win B D
12 YRS was never a novel ; it was an auto-biography , and furthermore it was written in a style of the spirit of the times and reads a little awkward and anachronistic in todays postmodern frame of mind
With books written in the Victorian era there is self censorship of material of an overly gratuitous nature and so you often have to read between the lines
“I’m just thankful 12 Years a Slave IS a movie. I couldn’t give a damn whether it HAS to be or not.”
12 Years a Slave has been a published novel for over 150 years. Why the righteous indignation NOW? That’s like someone getting upset that because someone said Romeo and Juliet works better as written by Shakespeare then as adapted to film by Carlo Carlei
(I meant to say “I wouldn’t call it politically correct”)
There’s just something else in this film that I find extraordinarily haunting that wasn’t taken from the book. But it’s apparent that McQueen and screenwriter John Ridley wanted to convey, without ever being explicit about it, that all of the white people knew what was up with Platt/Northup, that he was a free man who found himself into slavery but it was never discussed. And once the viewer of the film grasped this, it’s quite interesting to see how white people behave differently towards him then the other slaves.
This creates so much tension and subtext throughout the film because it adds layers of cruelty to the slaveowners as we see how little they care about human liberty other than their own. It’s a perverse argument to make, to be sure, that this is more evil than enslaving people born on their plantation, but they knowingly accept a free man is enslaved in their midst. That they actively discourage him to let this show through is not only because they are worried about him gaining his freedom, but it’s because they don’t want to be reminded of the inherent cruelty of the situation. They don’t need any reminders of how evil they are. I am so eager to see this film again, but I want to get through the book again so I can fully understand what McQueen is doing with the material (while there are very few factual changes, the tone and subtext of the film is remarkably different than the source material.
What Rufus said.
@Jake Bart: LABOR DAY won’t be coming anywhere near the Oscars I don’t think. Word has been muted because the film really plays out more like a solid television drama (nowadays, that’s no diss) and doesn’t hit any of its notes strong enough to resonate with the voters. It’s poignant and a lovely ode to motherhood but it doesn’t have the kind of legs needed for this horserace.
Loved Wolf’s second trailer, and Sasha your last sentence speaks volumes of truth – any year that has a new Scorsese picture in contention is a good year for Oscar. Can’t say I agree on Payne though, as great as NEBRASKA looks I don’t see him sneaking in. McQueen, Greengrass and Cuaron are the only locks as of right now. The queue for the last two spots is a long one, but Payne’s somewhere in the back of the line.
PS: Been away from AD for some time, but loving the new look. Now that Oscar season is approaching, I’ll be stopping by more often 🙂
There are two scenes in 12 Years a Slave that I will discuss in order to show the brilliance of Steve McQueen in this film. I could pick more, but I think with these two it’s pretty easy to describe why they are brilliant.
One scene the group of loaned slaves returns from the judge’s sugar plantation and Epps is there to greet them wearing only a night smock. He’s got a creepy vibe going as if he’s trying to mentally torture the slaves because he knows that they were treated better away from him. But then a young black girl, around 10 to 12 appears and she’s kind of being playful with Epps and he her. And what’s with the night smock he’s wearing? It leaves the viewer with so many questions, is he already sexually abusing her? Is he lording that over the returning slaves as well? At this point we’ve scene several shots of slave children playing in the yard, not yet fully aware of their lot in life. But this girl is older, she can be used to do work around the house? How is she still so playful? You’re left with so many questions that never get answered. And the horror dawns on you as you don’t know and you imagine horrors unseen. It’s a densely packed scene, and one that adds layers to Epps’ character and the Epps/Platt relationship.
The second I want to highlight is the scene where Patsey returns from getting soap and gets punished for leaving the camp. People unaware of what’s going to happen in the scene may not realize that this complicated scene was done in one take, with the camera darting around so feverishly to capture and obscure the action. I can’t recall seeing such a great single take scene since Cuaron’s Children of Men (and that’s definitely one of the best in cinematic history.) But it’s not just the tracking and lack of edits, it’s that he uses the camera in such a way that it makes you feel like you are there, part of the action, he reveals aspects of the scene slowly over time. And saves the real impact until the scene is over half done, when we see the welts being formed, well, that’s something that has never been seen before (let’s be thankful it’s CGI.) McQueen is rightly praised for his static shots, but here he shows he’s a master with camera motion as well.
These two scenes show different strengths of McQueen’s, from his ability to elicit great performances, to his ability to create great characters, and his technical proficiency. He shows how not only that the life of a slave was not only physically brutal, but mentally and emotionally as well. I could take apart nearly any scene in the film and show how great he is here, and that’s why the film will win Best Picture and Best Director.
And throw in what benny tarleton has said (I would call it politically correct, though) but there will be a nagging need to vote for this film simply because of it’s subject matter, it’s obvious important placement in film history, and because of the desire to correct past wrongs.
But even more important is the emotional abyss this film throws you into. On my drive home from the film, I couldn’t concentrate on driving, I felt myself swerving as I got lost in the memories of the film (I was half-convinced I would be pulled over for driving drunk). And the feeling stayed with me for hours into the night as I lied there silently weeping. No film as ever evoked so much emotion from me.
And I can’t imagine I am alone.
Sasha, I know you really enjoyed it, but I’d be stunned if LABOR DAY was as much of an Oscar contender as you seem to think it’ll be. Anything can happen (the zombie like resurgence of EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE convinced me of that) but the word of mouth just doesn’t seem to be there.
Jerry,
I checked this morning again and neither Chelsea or Southpoint were listed. It’s pretty irregular they wait until late the day before. I had already given up so thanks for the heads up dude! And no, the theater I was referring to is the Rialto in Raleigh.
^And if that’s the crappy theater you’re referring to, it’s also opening at Southpoint tomorrow the 31st
Bryce,
“12 Years” is opening at the Chelsea Theater in Chapel Hill–not a terrible theater–on Friday as well.
“For 12 Years, I have to admit I didn’t feel this way. I felt that I’d just watched a really well-made movie with some very stirring elements (principally Lupita Nyong’o’s performance), but it also felt kind of … academic? It was enormously competent and there was nothing wrong with it. But it felt professional, almost procedural, and never transcendent. And it never felt like it HAD to be a movie – it could’ve been a very elegant novel.”
Two things: first, I wouldn’t call a movie this visceral and that delivers this strong of an emotional impact as merely “academic.” I guess I’m not sure what you’re referring to when you say “academic”? The artful design? That some of the scenes are filmed with a stark and somewhat detached directorial eye?(Which to me is one of the great things about the movie–the subject matter is so brutal and harrowing that a certain degree of aesthetic distance seems like a smart choice).
Secondly, I completely don’t get sentences like “I don’t get why it HAD to be a movie–it could’ve been a very elegant novel.” Huh? Using that logic, why did A Streetcar Named Desire HAVE to be a movie–it could’ve just stayed a powerful Pulitzer Prize-winning play. And that damn Gone With the Wind–too long for a movie, should have stayed a bestselling epic novel. Or those talky Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight movies–why dd they have to be movies? Maybe they should have been plays instead?
I’m just thankful 12 Years a Slave IS a movie. I couldn’t give a damn whether it HAS to be or not.
“All I’m saying is that while critics are going wild for the film the public — meaning those folks I personally know who have seen it — are muted in their praise and appreciation. And I say that as a voting SAG member. ”
Interesting, because the people I personally know who have seen it are pretty vocal in their praise for it. Can we agree that neither of us knows enough people personally to be able to read anything into these responses?
You might not think any sane person could pass over Payne (I like him too), but there is no way that he’s one of the three most likely nominees. None.
But even more improbable: JC Chandor nominated over so many bigger BP contenders? No way.
I say McQueen, Cuaron, Greengrass, Scorsese, and O. Russell.
Payne, Jonze, and the Coens as possible spoilers (though only one of them and only if their movies pick up popular support).
Unlikely Hood —
Thanks for the response — and thanks for the link.
I never said I didn’t love “12 Years” or that I thought it was less than great filmmaking. All I’m saying is that while critics are going wild for the film the public — meaning those folks I personally know who have seen it — are muted in their praise and appreciation. And I say that as a voting SAG member.
Let’s see how it plays out. There is heartbreak every year when nominations and winners are announced. I think this race is far from over.
But I would be happy to be wrong.
Best Director nominations:
Abdellatif Kechiche – Blue is The Warmest Color
Ryan Coogler – Fruitvale Station
Steve McQueen – 12 Years a Slave
Spike Jonze – Her
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen – Inside Llewyn Davis
So a few things…
1. Alexander Payne is nowhere near a lock RIGHT NOW. If the film hits big then yea sure.
2. I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that either Steve McQueen or Alfonso Cuaron will be snubbed for Best Director. The Academy has shown it has an aversion to black directors and sci-fi films. I could be completely wrong but for now I’m extremely skeptical.
3. Stephen Frears for Philomena I have my eye on you…it seems every year there’s a director nominated that has everyone saying WTF? where did that come from?! I think he will be that director.
Whatevs…right now it is entirely to early to tell…we’ll see in a few weeks when a consensus starts forming.
Right I’m just farting in the wind…
Sorry Josh, yes I should have included Out of the Furnace too.
Out of the Furnace — December 6
Here are the rest to be released, assuming the release dates hold. I went with the release dates according to Box Office Mojo.
Dallas Buyers Club – November 1, 2013
The Book Thief – November 8, 2013
Nebraska – November 15, 2013
Philomena – November 22, 2013
Oldboy – November 27, 2013
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – November 29, 2013
Inside Llewyn Davis – December 6, 2013
American Hustle – December 13, 2013
Saving Mr. Banks – December 13, 2013
Her – December 18, 2013
August: Osage County – December 25, 2013
Labor Day – December 25, 2013
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty – December 25, 2013
The Wolf of Wall Street – December 25, 2013
Lone Survivor – December 27, 2013
I am pretty much in agreement with Chris’ predictions a couple above me. Although I would swap out Jonze for the Coen’s at the moment.
I find it exciting that at this moment there are 15 movies that are still extremely in the race to get a best picture nominee. Sure there are other long shots but to ME, these are the 16 movies that have a better than average shot.
To me there are three locks:
12 Years a Slave
Gravity
Captain Phillips
Next are the movies unseen but that I ultimately think will get a best picture nom:
American Hustle
Wolf of Wall Street
Saving Mr. Banks
That’s six already. Assuming (which is never good!) there are ten nominees this year, that leaves these remaining movies fighting for four spots. In no particular order:
Inside Llewyn Davis
Her
Dallas Buyer’s Club
All Is Lost
The Butler
Blue Jasmine
Nebraska
August: Osage County
Philomena
Fruitvale Station
Out of the Furnace (wild card prediction)
How in the hell do you narrow it down to four out of those movies?! The Butler isn’t gonna make it in my opinion. Sadly, I don’t think Fruitvale or Dallas Buyer’s Club will either.
Of the others still left, I think Inside Llewyn Davis and Nebraska are the safest bets.
That leaves two assumed spots for Her, All is Lost, Blue Jasmine, August: Osage County, Philomena, and a wild card like Out of the Furnace. Throw darts at a board.
I love that so many movies are still apparently in the race. Obviously AH, WOWS, and Banks could suck (I am not sold on Banks whatsoever) but I think they’ll get in.
I apologize, I forgot to mention Saving Mr Banks on my Picture list. Its definitely in there, and if its only 9 nominees, as it has been the last 2 years, its gonna replace either Her or Blue Jasmine in the 9 I listed above.
Does anyone know which Friday Nebraska will be released:
November 15 or November 22.
Box Office Mojo has the 15th and IMDb has the 22.
Of the ones already released (January – October), here are the ones I think stand the best chance of getting nominated for Best Picture:
12 Years a Slave – October 18, 2013
All Is Lost – October 18, 2013
Before Midnight – May 24, 2013
Blue Jasmine – July 26, 2013
The Butler – August 16, 2013
Captain Phillips – October 11, 2013
Fruitvale Station – July 12, 2013
Gravity – October 4, 2013
Prisoners – September 20, 2013
Rush – September 20, 2013
Picture
Gravity
12YAS
Wolf
Hustle
Nebraska
Llewyn
Phillips
Her
Jasmine
Director
McQueen
Cuaron
Scorsese
Russell
Jonze
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
I quote from it: “When the film ended I just sat in my seat. I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t want to go anywhere. This isn’t a post-screening lobby film. You don’t quite mill about after. What could anybody possibly say? In part, that sense of speechlessness is a response to the film’s muted artistry. In part, it’s a response to the movie’s transparency.”
That’s EXACTLY how I felt after All is Lost (and I do think Chandor is a dark horse for director, and will probably nail a screenplay not – as I’ve said before, I think it’s this year’s Capote, a movie with such a strong lead performance that people realize the film around the star is also amazing work). For 12 Years, I have to admit I didn’t feel this way. I felt that I’d just watched a really well-made movie with some very stirring elements (principally Lupita Nyong’o’s performance), but it also felt kind of … academic? It was enormously competent and there was nothing wrong with it. But it felt professional, almost procedural, and never transcendent. And it never felt like it HAD to be a movie – it could’ve been a very elegant novel. I wouldn’t be annoyed if it won picture, but there should be some kind of spark in a ‘great film’, and honestly 12 Years did not have that spark.
I’m going to speculate that Payne won’t get nominated for Nebraska. And it won’t have anything to do with the quality or him. Nebraska seems like the film that’ll be unfortunately overlooked this year.
Greengrass is shaky, and Sandra Bul doesn’t have a lock. – both of these copyright ME
filmfan: “I don’t think “12 Years a Slave” is a lock for Picture, Director or Best Actot. The response here in NYC among those I know who have seen it is muted at best.”
filmfan should read this rave: http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9870721/the-cultural-crater-12-years-slave
I quote from it: “When the film ended I just sat in my seat. I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t want to go anywhere. This isn’t a post-screening lobby film. You don’t quite mill about after. What could anybody possibly say? In part, that sense of speechlessness is a response to the film’s muted artistry. In part, it’s a response to the movie’s transparency.”
Just because 12 Years a Slave isn’t a stand-up-and-cheer doesn’t mean it can’t win. Neither were The Hurt Locker or No Country For Old Men.
If Cuaron and Bullock are locks for Gravity then Butterfield and Totsi should be locks for Enders Game.
Al,
No I think you have to apply and then get invited, sounds arbitrary so I wouldn’t be up for that. I was hoping to be able to attend Austin Film Festival for the first time. I’ve never been to one. They line-up for this year included 12 YEARS A SLAVE, but my schedule didn’t work out that way unfortunately.
——————
AMPAS, please consider Jeff Nichols’ directing achievement in MUD
After Bigelow’s and Affleck’s misses last year, I’m trying not to use the word “lock”. They were sure-bets. You never know.
I don’t know … this seems like a lesser Scorsese effort headlined by another Leonardo di Caprio pretending to be a method actor performance. It’s a movie that won’t really say much but will, at best, be fun and competent, like Moneyball. It won’t break through, and I’m surprised it’s getting a Christmas release, far too late to change the field.
@Josh My vibes have spoken. 😛
Why is Cuaron a lock? There shouldn’t be locks at this point. It’s too early. There have been no precursors. He can be left off just like anyone else. Perhaps everyone will assume their friends voted for one of these “locks” and they’ll vote for the people they really like. It’s still October for cripes’ sake.
Extremely interested in knowing why you have Daniels making the cut but not Cuaron, Antoinette. I can’t fathom how that could ever happen.
Here is my prediction for Best Director:
David O. Russell – winner
Woody Allen
Steve McQueen
Martin Scorsese
Lee Daniels
Hopefully, tonight, when I get home from work I can make an extended case why Steve McQueen won’t lose. Can’t lose, even.
After seeing several of the movies mentioned I am still shocked at the idea that Alfonso Cuaron is listed as a basic shoo in for BD. Although Gravity was a visual masterpiece, there is nothing (including Sandra Bullock) that stands out as a “lock”. There is no real story to it, there is no sound effects when things are crashing and basically it was just Cast Away in space.
In my opinion, the two directors that should be locks are Paul Greengrass and Woody Allen. I have yet to see 12 Years a Slave but I am willing to bet from everything I heard that McQueen should be there as well. As I stated several times on the site, the two best movies I have seen all year has been Blue Jasmine and Captain Phillips. Granted, I am more story and actor driven and I found myself leaving the theater with both of these films feeling like I had just seen two of the best movies I ever seen. When you have performances like Blanchett and Hanks gives, a lot of credit needs to go to the director for not only helping those actors get into those characters but for not losing the performances on the editing floor. I was never overwhelmed at any point with Bullock in Gravity like some of the other people on this site was. It is for that reason that I would like to see Allen and Greengrass get pushed for 2 of the nominations.
Also, I would like to point out that I think it’s way to early to be throwing Scorsese into the mix when no one apparently has seen a copy of the finished film. The story I heard was that Wolf was pushed back because Marty isn’t done editing the film yet. How can we even put him in the talks of BD when no one has seen it!! Plus, keep in mind that Shutter Island was pushed back to a February release when it came out. It would not shock me to see this happen again with this film tossing it out of the awards completely
seriously, these are amazing choices. some deserving directors will be left out, as always, but not because a somewhat mediocre choice bumps a worthy one.
what will we do if the Academy stumbles into making all-deserving awards this year.
really, picking among these guys (well, that sucks) is almost entirely a matter of personal taste.
There should be a “like” and an “edit” button….and I liked the nested replies….I knew who was replying to whom.
Has a black director ever won either Best Picture or Best Director?
^^ Nope. This year marks the first time that one, McQueen, has a real chance of winning.
All this speculating about who may win Best Director is merely a case of ”pissing into the wind ”
It’s over , LOOOONG OVER !….even if Steve MccQueen , hypothetically ,was not the best director of the year, he would still win , as that’s how the subconscious power of ”Political Correctness ” works
Rewarding 12 Yrs a BP Oscar and not BD would be like recognising the 1960’s Civil rights Movement , but then ignoring Dr Martin luther King ….the two were like inseparable siamese twins , as are 12 Yrs and Steve MccQueen , ESPECIALLY when no black man has ever won a directing Oscar …those Academy voters are not going to miss an opportunity to make Oscar history , and furthermore , they simply would not dare ignore him and leave themselves vulnerable to bogus accusations of racism
I happen to believe that MccQueen well deserves the Oscar on his own merits , but Leftist P C will leave it beyond any doubt
Bryce, have you ever had the pleasure of attending the Austin Butt-Numb-a-Thon Film Festival?
I have yet to have the pleasure of attenting the Twin Cities Film Festival, but this year I almost bought tickets for it, to attend a screening of August: Osage County. I would have had to skip a Halloween party that I had already RSVP’d for. The funny thing is, I only stayed at the party for an hour, and still went to see a movie. That’s when I went and saw All Is Lost. Go figure! 🙂
Bryce,
Even as I type this, this is gonna sound stupid. I thought you might have been from Los Angeles because of the depth of knowledge you have in the film industry and films. When someone knows as much about movies as you do, I guess I ignorantly assume they might be from the Hollywood area. But that is of course, ridiculously stupid of me to think that. Anyone who has access to the internet can know almost everything about anything.
@Bryce
Sounds like a perfect place for you! Cheers 😉
Al,
I’m from North Carolina. I live between Austin, TX, Raleigh, NC and to a lesser extend Charlotte, NC –I am to spend the next week here in the triangle area. I try to avoid Chapel Hill under most circumstances. I’m still -naively- hoping the shows are just not scheduled yet, but I doubt it. It’s already Tue(Wed) and only that bullshit theater is showing 12 YEARS. I’m gonna have to suck it up ’cause I’m not waiting another week. Why did you think I was from L.A.? lol
Bryce,
I don’t mean to pry if that is none of my business. It’s just that you seem like you’d live in the Los Angeles area.
I live in the Minneapolis area myself. There are plenty of theaters around my area, but not all of them show limited / art-house type films. You’d have to go to either the Uptown area or Edina. Sometimes the Mall of America, but that’s rare.
Bryce,
are you just visiting Raleigh, or is that where you live?
I’m surprised that there wouldn’t be more theaters in the Chapel Hill-Durham-Raleigh metro area showing 12 Years a Slave.
Reporting from Raleigh, NC
As of now only one(1) very crappy, beer/wine-allowing art house theater with horrible smell, dirty seats, dark bathrooms, and crowd of regulars that make me want to vomit seems like the only option for me to see 12 YEARS A SLAVE next Friday. Who are the assholes making these decisions?? Who’s gonna fix this?!?!?!
One of these still unseen films is going to be a disappointment, if not an outright disaster. Sasha’s most hilarious moment on a podcast was telling Jeff Wells that David O. Russell moved “American Hustle” to next year, too.
I laughed out loud at that one.
Josh,
as far as I can tell from IMDb, Serena has no plans of being released in the United States. Now that’s probably wrong….
I have high hopes for Wolf too. The Best Picture Oscar trend you mentioned is true, but most of those stories are indeed accessible for wide audiences. In Hollywood they use the term quadrants. I think it’s fair to say films like Argo, The Artist, The King’s Speech, Slumdog Millionaire, as much as they had male protagonists, definitely reached beyond just men. I think the presence of the actresses in Hustle could be significant when in competition with a film that could offer a similar tone **in the same year**, if it comes down to choosing between the two.
I liked the first trailer better but this still looks great.
My prediction at this time for director are:
McQueen
Cuaron
Russell
Scorcese
Coens
I just am not feeling Payne or Greengrass like a lot of people seem to be. They are right there with Woody Allen and Jonze outside looking in. They are my wild cards right now.
And I still think Out of the Furnace could throw a wrench into this in some categories.
Off topic…but WTF happened to the movie Serena with Cooper and Lawrence??
With so many of her favorite directors involved, who will Sasha champion for the trophy? Good thing Fincher, Lee and Spielberg aren’t in the mix — her head might explode!
KT
You have high hopes for ‘Hustle, I get it, hopefully you won’t be disappointed BUT for the record the “When was the last time Scorsese had a lead female actor? hmmm…that’s huge for the Oscars” theory won’t fly. The last 8 Best Picture WINNERS went all the way without a female lead proving once again that the Oscar Race IS usually dominated by male-centric films.
Phantom, I tried to put some explanation in my earlier posts. Hustle has Bale, arguably the greatest actor of the 30-40 year old generation. Russell is due, and I think he has at least original screenplay sewn up. Narrative is huge for the Oscar race. Russell will have that. The next time I see Scorsese having a compelling narrative needed to win will be for Silence. Also, Hustle has two female actors–Adams and Lawrence. I don’t see anyone of that caliber in Wolf of Wall Street. What did Meryl Streep say once when asked why she’s never worked with Scorsese?? That he makes movies about men. When was the last time Scorsese had a lead female actor? hmmm…that’s huge for the Oscars, at least, for appealing across the membership. In the end, I’m hoping both will be great films and make this year very interesting.
2014 looks possible for David Fincher vs. Christopher Nolan:
Nolan – Interstellar
– A group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage.
Fincher – Gone Girl
– A woman mysteriously disappears on the day of her wedding anniversary. Based on the novel, “Gone Girl.”
Ooh! Can’t wait for both.
I’ve been reading everyone’s comments, but maybe my short-term memory sucks. IDK, how did this conversation turn into a Scorsese vs. O. Russell debate?
Is it because both movies haven’t been released yet? Is it because both are about stealing? Or is it because both are “Oscar-bait” films??
I can’t see comparing the two just yet. The only two directors I’ve been comparing lately, for my own benefit is David Fincher vs. Christopher Nolan. Those two have been competing for my favorite movies of the last few years, and so far:
Nolan in 2008 – The Dark Knight
Fincher in 2010 – The Social Network
Fincher in 2011 – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
My second favorite movies of 2008 and 2010 were the other director:
2nd in 2008 – The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2nd in 2010 – Inception
I’m looking forward to see if these two will face each other again in the next few years.
How to compare Russell’s and Scorsese’s “recent” movies? What are we talking about here? Silver Linings and The Fighter vs. Hugo and Shutter Island? Do we include The Departed? Among those, Hugo and Departed come out on top, over Silver Linings, which is also a pretty great movie (despite frequent scorn in this forum). The Fighter and Shutter Island fall to the wayside a bit, though I certainly think The Fighter is a better film of those two, and rightfully got more recognition. What has more potential, American Hustle or Wolf of Wall Street? Who the hell knows. American Hustle certainly looks like Russell lovingly doing a Scorsese (much like PTA had before), with Bale playing DeNiro. But my guess is American Hustle is more likely than Wolf of Wall Street to be more surprising, strange, and unlike other things we’ve seen, despite the fact that there’s some Scorsese-channeling going on. (Which movie will involve MORE re-hashing of Scorsese-isms: American Hustle or the Wolf of Wall Street?) I do think there are more elements to Russell’s filmic mind than we haven’t yet seen, and still plenty of potential to explore. There are elements of Flirting with Disaster and Three Kings that have been sitting latent. My guess says Russell more likely to make a BD nom than Scorsese this year.
KT
According to…what, the trailer(s) ? I’m not saying it won’t be an epic masterpiece, considering nobody has seen it yet, it still very well could be…just like it could be an epic failure. I just don’t get the huge vote of confidence this unseen film gets from a lot of people. That’s all.
Russell HAS been a more consistently great director recently than Scorsese
Um.
Just wait until American Hustle comes out. Russell’s winning an Oscar this time around. It’s all a matter of which one(s) and how many.
Normally I just don’t pay attention or care about the race of the filmmakers. I just care if the movies are good.
This comment is the perfect reason as to why there should be a “like” button on this site.
But seriously, I really agree with this. I also want more minority directors to factor more in the awards race-but only if their work actually warrants it.
But seriously, I really agree with this. I also want more minority directors to factor more in the awards race-but only if their work actually warrants it.
The problem is, many times their ‘work warrants it’ but it doesn’t fit into the typically white-centric world of bloggers and film critics.
Thanks Sasha for answering my question. 🙂
With the AMPAS having never awarded a black director either a Best Picture or Best Director trophy, that reminds me of the people who run the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA. They only FINALLY let women become members. Maybe it’s time the AMPAS got a clue. Although, I only want that to happen if it’s fair and a black director truly deserves to win either awards. It’s all about fairness and equality.
phantom,
Amazing stuff.
LOL is right
Actor in Supporting Role
1. Andrew Garfield – NEVER LET ME GO
2. Jeff Bridges – TRON: LEGACY
3. Andrew Garfield – THE SOCIAL NETWORK
4. Choi Min-sik – I SAW THE DEVIL
5. Guy Pearce – ANIMAL KINGDOM
Alt’s: Kieran Culkin – SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD; Vincent Cassel – BLACK SWAN (only in case there’s too much Garfield)
m1,
I appreciate it anyways
Forgive me, I should probably already know the answer, but,
Has a black director ever won either Best Picture or Best Director?
Normally I just don’t pay attention or care about the race of the filmmakers. I just care if the movies are good.
Has a black director ever won either Best Picture or Best Director?
The answer is a shameful and resounding NO. Two black directors have been nominated, John Singleton and Lee Daniels. Daniels is the only black director to have a BP nomination.
SHUTTER ISLAND over THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, 127 HOURS any day of the week.
NO. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. Did I mention, “no”?
The Kids Are All Right was top 5 of that year for me. I loved everything about it. From Bening and Ruffalo’s deservedly Oscar-nominated performances to that charming, funny, and refreshingly unpolitical script, that movie worked from start to finish. It serves as a great example of why arthouse cinema has been far superior to the mainstream in recent years.
127 Hours was a wonderful follow-up to Slumdog Millionaire and took everything that was great about that film and brought it back in unexpected ways. I truly felt like I was trapped in that boulder with him, and that’s largely due to Franco’s phenomenal work. I had no idea he had a performance like that in him. Simply fantastic. Both this and The Kids Are All Right made at least my top 20 that year.
On the other hand, Shutter Island was in my bottom 10 of that year. This is a weak film, from the garish production values to the clunky, predictable, cliche ridden script. I can’t say that reading the novel beforehand diminished my opinion of the movie, as I was never big on the book in the first place. The fact that Scorsese had to drag it out to 2 and a half hours made it even more insufferable and disappointing. I remember back in 2009 when there was an uproar when the film was pushed back to next year. After seeing it, I could easily tell why.
There are two weird things about Shutter Island. The first is that in spite of how much I dislike it, I find the performances in it to be excellent. I’ve loved DiCaprio in other movies but he was really amazing here. This was a difficult role to pull off and he nailed it. The second is that after Shutter Island, Scorsese made Hugo, which I think is a wonderful movie and one of the better things he’s done. Both Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz were fantastic and the movie really knows what it feels like to get inside a kid’s mind. Now that was a beautiful movie.
I never understood how he could get precursor-love for his arguably inferior work in The Social Network that year, but oh well, that’s the Oscar Race for you.
I haven’t seen Never Let Me Go, but Garfield’s work in The Social Network has really grown on me on repeat viewings. I used to think he was the weak link of the cast, now I really wish he had gotten a nomination that year. It also helped that his character in that film was easily the most clear-headed of everyone. It was a fantastic performance and I’m sure he’ll get nominated one day for another great performance.
I agree completely, m1. Russell HAS been a more consistently great director recently than Scorsese. And he has his own style, apart from Scorsese. Yes, even in Silver Linings Playbook. He WILL be the one to watch for Best Director. 2011 with The Artist wasn’t a very competitive year. Scorsese didn’t have a difficult time getting in for Hugo…this year, however, he may be left off the final ballot.
My point about Shutter Island: Scorsese’s great, but not every film he makes is a great film, nor deserving of a Best Picture nomination. Same thing with Spielberg, except for him there are definitely clearer examples of bad films. I think Spielberg’s a more versatile director and has succeeded more broadly in different genres than Scorsese (historical/period films, sci-fi, thriller), though nothing Spielberg has done reaches the greatness and complexity of Taxi Driver, capturing character and a specific time period (then contemporary). Still of the two, since they’ve done so much, they don’t have as much to prove. I find the potential that some directors, like Bigelow and Russell, can reach over the next few years much more exciting.
All that being said, I still eagerly look forward to Scorsese’s Silence, even more so than Wolf of Wall Street. With Garfield of all people, as phantom mentioned. Not only can it push the director out of his comfort zone, but it can really be fresh and surprising and give Scorsese a narrative (what was it? 20 years of development??).
Russell HAS been a more consistently great director recently than Scorsese
Um.
m1
“Plus I’d argue that Russell as of late has been a much more consistently great director than Scorsese. I think the former’s last two movies are both fantastic, while Scorsese’s last two range from great (Hugo) to terrible (Shutter Island). ”
Then I’d argue that Russell as of late has been a much more consistently great Oscar campaigner than Scorsese. I think the former’s last two movies are both wildly overrated while Scorsese’s last two range from great (Hugo) to good (Shutter Island).
Subjective, I know.
DGA:
1. Russell
2. McQueen
3. Cuaron
4. Scorsese
5. Greengrass
OSCAR:
1. Russell
2. McQueen
3. Cuaron
4. Scorsese
5. Spike jonze
I think Coogler could be a dark horse surprise nominee
What’s your reasoning, Pope?
I know you weren’t really responding to me, but I still want to answer. It’s just a guess. Both are massive critical darlings that will have plenty of fans in the Academy, so I think the Academy will want to reward both. 12 Years a Slave could take director, actor, supporting actress, and adapted screenplay while Gravity could win picture, cinematography, editing, and something else. But anything’s possible.
That way, at least, it will show up American Hustle for what it is… a Marty wannabe.
I don’t understand this mentality at all. “Marty wannabes” can actually be really good movies (ex. Boogie Nights, L.A. Confidential, Pulp Fiction). Plus I’d argue that Russell as of late has been a much more consistently great director than Scorsese. I think the former’s last two movies are both fantastic, while Scorsese’s last two range from great (Hugo) to terrible (Shutter Island). We’ll see, won’t we?
Seems like Dern was flying too much under the radar if Paramount is gonna bus him like Harvey did with Dench by moving Wolf to Comedy/Musical. Watch out! Leo coming for dat Oscar!
And here I thought I was the only one wildly impressed with Andrew Garfield’s hauntingly heartbreaking performance in Never let me go. I’ve seen it at the London Film Festival, it was the gala screening for opening night. I never understood how he could get precursor-love for his arguably inferior work in The Social Network that year, but oh well, that’s the Oscar Race for you.
Tron Legacy?!? LOL I liked the music in the club with Michael Sheen.
KT,
I meant to quote something else from you. You catch my drift.
Scorsese’s due for a great film. Is Wall Street serious enough to contend with the competition this year? If it surprises people, there’s a chance.
SHUTTER ISLAND over THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, 127 HOURS any day of the week. And I like those films.
My Personal Top 10 for that year:
1. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay)
2. I AM LOVE (Actress, Foreign Language Film, Costume Design)
3. TRON: LEGACY (Original Score, Visual Effects, Sound Editing)
4. NEVER LET ME GO (Supporting Actor, Production Design)
5. I SAW THE DEVIL (Actor, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Mixing)
6. ANIMAL KINGDOM (Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress)
7. THE ILLUSIONIST (Animated Feature)
8. BLACK SWAN (Makeup)
9. SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD
10. THE GHOST WRITER
I realize many of my favorites would never show their ass anywhere near Best Pic Oscar, but both SHUTTER ISLAND and GHOST WRITER should have been part of that great nominee line-up.
From 10/29, I say:
1. Steve McQueen
2. Alfonso Cuaron
3. David O. Russell {sight unseen, of course}
(less certain):
4. Paul Greengrass
5. Martin Scorsese
6. Alexander Payne
7. J.C. Chandor
(dark horses):
8. Spike Jonze
9. Coen bros.
10. Stephen Frears
Best Picture will be Gravity…But Best Director will go to Steve McQueen.
What’s your reasoning, Pope?
I’m delighted to learn that Wolf will make an Academy release date. That way, at least, it will show up American Hustle for what it is… a Marty wannabe.
Best Picture will be Gravity. Plus a whole host of other categories. But Best Director will go to Steve McQueen.
My notes on Sasha’s great weekly column (P.S. Please fix the comment structure; it sucks now after the virus):
– Alexander Payne is NO lock for a director nomination. Right now, I see Steve McQueen, Alfonso Cuaron, and Paul Greengrass as locks. Kathryn Bigelow just led a DGA post-screening Q&A with McQueen and said the film was extraordinary.
– Shutter Island is NOT a Best Picture-caliber film. It’s a fun movie, and Scorsese’s not taking himself seriously; it’s nothing special or worthy of knocking out one of the nominated film that year. ;p
– Scorsese’s due for a great film. Is Wall Street serious enough to contend with the competition this year? If it surprises people, there’s a chance.
– Right now, I think David O. Russell is the one to watch. Yes, even over Scorsese. Russell has the overdue narrative. If anything will topple the frontrunner, I’m betting its American Hustle, which really could be something special. Of the late 30-year-old actors, Christian Bale is the best actor of the generation. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Bale makes Best Actor and Leo is left off. Russell’s been on a roll, he has a stellar cast, and he has the goods to deliver something new and fresh.
– My hope: Both Scorsese and Russell bring their A-games and hit it out of the park. I just want more great films like last year, when director after director kept debuting to ecstatic reviews. The Oscars come secondary to quality, which is what I’m looking forward to.
– My second hope: No bullshit! Politics to a minimum, please! May the best directors be nominated for the Oscar…not like last year, which was egregious. Kathryn Bigelow missing the nomination is the single worst snub I’ve seen in recent history.
Seeing that trailer you see what Rodrigo Prieto is capable of under the direction of a master. Could be the most gorgeous, “filmic”, aesthetically pleasing use of the “Alexa” since DRIVE.
p.s. Other great examples are COSMOPOLIS and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER.
Watch out for Stephen Frears ! Harvey Weinstein’s recent track record in BD :
2008 – Stephen Daldry (surprise nominee (kind of))
2009 – Quentin Tarantino (pulled it off with good-not-great reviews)
2010 – Tom Hooper (WON for a European crowdpleaser)
2011 – Michel Hazanavicius (WON for a European crowdpleaser)
2012 – David O. Russell (surprise nominee (kind of))
Bottom line : If Weinstein could secure the crown to the likes of Hooper and Hazanavicius for European crowdpleasers, I think we should seriously consider the possibility that he could achieve similar success for the esteemed Frears, as well. Not the win but the nomination the very least . Early reviews are promising (82 on MC) and Philomena has sleeper hit written all over it … and it’s not like Weinstein couldn’t fight off damaging factors like lukewarm critical reception (The Reader and to a lesser extent Inglourious Basterds) or the ‘too light’ curse (The King’s Speech, The Artist, Silver Linings Playbook).
Zero Dark Thirty didn’t make $100 million.
where are the undeserving films? surely Academy and DGA members deserve mediocre choices. if your predictions come about voting will remind them of their own inadequacy.
out-cynic that!
Of those, only Shutter Island failed to get a Best Picture nomination, though it should have.
*vomits*
Anyway, I think most of the Oscar contenders will make plenty of money as many of them are expected to go wide anyway. The Directing category should be interesting. I don’t think Payne is a sure bet yet but if Nebraska really is great then I could see him getting in. Both Cuaron and McQueen have a lot going for them and I could easily see a Picture-Director split (Gravity for Picture, McQueen for director, or vice versa). My predictions so far are:
1. Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
2. David O. Russell, American Hustle
3. Alfonso Cuaron, Gravity
4. Spike Jonze, Her
5. Jean-Marc Vallee, Dallas Buyers Club (the surprise nominee)
Or maybe I’m just hoping he isn’t and that’s clouding my judgment. He really isn’t is he?
moviewatcher,
I’m thinking the same about Payne. I don’t think he’s even close to the Top 5.
I’m thinking the same about Payne. I don’t think he’s even close to the Top 5.
You can’t know unless you’ve seen Nebraska. Also, it hasn’t opened, hasn’t been widely reviewed, etc. I’m betting that when people see it it will be very much “in there.” It’s hard for me to believe it not being one of the strongest heading into the race but I agree, it’s awful quiet right now for the film. I don’t think that will mean much but I guess we wait and see.
This looks amazing!
I say Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor are very strong possibilities.
I don’t think “12 Years a Slave” is a lock for Picture, Director or Best Actot. The response here in NYC among those I know who have seen it is muted at best. Not at all the reaction I was expecting.
Sasha, Alexander Payne is not above Paul Greengrass, Woody Allen, Ryan Coogler or even JC Chandor this year in the directing category. You’re letting your own personal opinion of the movie cloud your judgement. You named 6 people (including Payne) in your predictions for DGA nominations, even though that body only nominates 5 directors.
The movie might get into BP (I’ve got it at #10) but I don’t see it in directing at all.
Glorious Trailer 2 !!!
http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thewolfofwallstreet/#videos-large