Best Director: Fumbling Towards Five

Last year, Kathryn Bigelow and her masterpiece, The Hurt Locker, won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, both sound categories, and editing. It lost only Actor, Cinematography and Score. Bigelow became the first woman to make Academy history with the win. 82 years of Oscar and no woman had ever even gotten close. Bigelow, though, made a movie that wasn’t a “woman’s movie.” It was one all of those macho AMPAS voters could really get behind, while also helping to change the face of Academy history.

This year, it is worth noting, that there are some great directors in play – and most of them are not only men, but they are white men. Why should it matter, you will say. Why should anyone care what color or sex the director is – if the film is good enough they should be recognized for that. You would be partly right. But affirmative action dictates that we start to move things in the opposite direction in order to open more doors, allow a more diverse selection of talent to feel confident enough to emerge. I have always believed in it as a way to change the status quo.

But in the Oscar race, things move slowly. They still do move. Last year saw not only the first female director to win, but also the first African American screenwriter to win. That shows Academy members ARE thinking, at least a little bit, about moving themselves forward. They should be commended for that, I think. I know that this will spark debate — but hey, nothing wrong with that.

No one is saying that they should be recognized simply BECAUSE they are female, or belong to a minority group. The work must stand on its own. The Hurt Locker most certainly did. This, whether the general public noticed it or not, whether they cared or not. The Oscars, as it turned out, the critics, as it turned out were not in the business of dumbing down to the Dancing with the Stars generation; they were in the business of finding what they thought was the best and hoping, soon enough, others would discover it.

This year, things are, in some ways, back to business as usual. In other ways, they are different. For instance, Big Hollywood is responsible for releasing creatively daring films like Shutter Island, Inception, True Grit, The Social Network, The Town and The Fighter – none of these are safe choices. They are all risky endeavors that put a lot of faith in the director. It just so happens that this year, they are all white males.

There are plenty of female directors in the mix. There is Sofia Coppola, who wrote and directed the Venice winner, Somewhere. There is Lisa Cholodenko, who co-wrote and directed The Kids Are All Right, which seems a surefire Best Picture nominee. And then there is Debra Granik, who co-wrote and directed what might turn out to be among the most acclaimed and awarded films of the year, Winter’s Bone.

The best director race right now seems to be amounting to these astonishing few:

David Fincher for The Social Network – the film is well liked not just by the public but by the critics. It is Fincher’s best film, with a kind of magic happening between writer/director/actor/composer you just don’t see very often. That kind of magic lasts decades. Fincher has been turning in reliably great work for years, and only got close to Oscar once, with Benjamin Button. It was no match for the emotionally stirring Slumdog Millionaire. But this year, Fincher will head into the race as one of the strongest contenders to win because he directed what is quite possibly the best film of 2010. Pity any film that has to go up against this one. It is vibrant, funny, timely, and moves at a pace only someone like Aaron Sorkin (or possibly David Mamet) could have turned out. It moves like a drum solo, to re-use a phrase, and it makes every other film standing next to it seem almost sluggish by comparison.

Christopher Nolan, Inception – brought his vision of the inner reaches of the subconscious with the artistically daring Inception. Epic, strange, haunting, suspenseful; there is nothing else out there like Inception. Moreover, it realizes Nolan’s early promise. The film requires, like so many this year, that you abandon what you know about the dreaming and reality. But it never breaks the rules within the confines of its own design. That all of this sprang from Nolan’s mind is all the more impressive. As Inception takes us deeper into Cobb’s mind, we are treated to one of the gorgeous, haunting female characters of the year – Marion Cotillard in one of her best performances. Here, she’s the femme fatale, the villain. Inception is so mournful and sad, in fact, that at some point you forget about the plot twists and turns and find yourself caught up in this sad love story. It is such a great way to talk about love and letting go, a familiar theme by now in many of the year’s best films.

Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan – Black Swan doesn’t speak softly, it roars. Like The Social Network, with its Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross score, and Hans Zimmer with Inception, Clint Mansell’s score is key to dipping into the murky, unpredictable waters of Nina’s mind. Nina, plays with complexity and ferocity by Natalie Portman makes Black Swan the kind of film that embeds itself in your psyche, seeps into your senses and refuses to leave. What a success for Aronofsky, who steps into some very big shoes as he takes this on, following in the tradition of the other masters of the grotesque, David Lynch, David Cronenberg and Ken Russell.

Danny Boyle, 127 Hours – one of the most breathtaking scenes of the year is when Aron Ralston (James Franco) takes a freefall down a fissure and plunges into the freshest water you’ve ever seen. The pace of the beginning of the film, the slowed, vision-soaked moments in the middle, and the last bit make this one of those films you experience rather than watch. We Boyle fans know that this director thinks and sees differently from everyone else. We know his speed. We appreciate his optimism and big picture understanding of the fundamentals of life. Anchored by a moving, assured performance by Franco, 127 Hours is one of the many emotional extremes of the year.

Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech – rather unfairly thrust into the high stakes world of Oscar campaigning all for having directed a film that audiences love, featuring two career-best performances by Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Hooper, with The Damned United under his belt, and the highly praised John Adams series for HBO, has hit the jackpot with the Weinsteins behind him. His career will never be the same. Hooper does not seek to make a grand statement with his film, but sought instead, to tell a great story.

Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone – I suspect, and have long said, that if Granik were, say, a 20-something year-old male she would be getting a lot more attention as an up and coming directorial star. As it is, she has to work twice as hard, given that women in general aren’t usually the stuff that directorial gods are made of. But Winter’s Bone not only got some of the best reviews of the year, it’s being remembered here at year’s end in a significant way. If there is a director to crack the top five, Granik is it, gender be damned.¬† What drives people back to Winter’s Bone is the heroic and likable qualities of its luminous star, Jennifer Lawrence. There aren’t a lot of happy endings this year, kind of a trend of late. But Winter’s Bone offers up one of the few. It’s hard not to be warmed by this story of a plucky little girl just trying to do what’s right. Granik’s visual style is memorable, too – her ability to set a mood and reveal a certain authenticity stand out in a year of so much illusion.

Joel and Ethan Coen, True Grit – One can never overlook the gifts of these two, no matter where they’ve decided to devote their attention. This year it’s in Fort Smith and it’s a traditional western. Probably because some people are expecting this yarn to be as dark as No Country for Old Men, which, in a way, was the darkest the Coens have ever gotten. One or two semi-funny lines and that’s it. But True Grit isn’t that. It is infused with much the same kind of twisted humor that can be found in some of their other absurdist tales, like The Big Lebowski, O Brother, and even Fargo and Raising Arizona. True Grit is, unlike any other film they’ve made, though, surprisingly moving. By the end of it, true sincerity of feeling shines through. But it is enjoyable in its capturing of the details too – as always.

Mike Leigh, Another Year – It’s easy to take the many talents and insights of Mike Leigh for granted. After all, he turns them out for the sheer love of turning them out. This year, Another Year has Lesley Manville giving one of the best performances by an actress of the year. So, naturally, much of the focus has been on her. But what a film this is. How ultimately sad it becomes to watch this character fall completely apart. Leigh’s sensitivity to our varying flaws is what makes him such a good storyteller. He is, of course, always an Oscar threat.

Lisa Cholodenko, The Kids Are All Right – the other female director with a great chance to make the Big Five. Cholodenko is uncompromising in how she chose to tell this story of a family headed up by two lesbians. Raising kids, keeping their relationship alive, fidelity – it’s all there. It is also told with wit and style. Cholodenko delivers a less visual film than Granik, which is why Granik probably has a slightly better chance, but Cholodenko’s characters feel real enough to reach out and touch. It’s an exceptional piece of filmmaking.

David O’Russell, The Fighter – Oscar often turns to directors who break from a pattern they’ve already set for themselves. And the more conventional O’Russell might end up being what audiences want. We have to wait and see how the film does, however. From the buzz so far, it is one to look out for. It needs great reviews and strong box office.

Ben Affleck, The Town – it’s sort of strange that Affleck doesn’t have more buzz for director. In many ways, this should be his year. But he isn’t a showy guy and he’s mostly kept a low profile and so far he hasn’t stepped up and taken credit for the great success that The Town. It’s the one film people “on the street” keep talking about, along with The Social Network. The Town is immensely entertaining, really well written and full of suspense. But really what drives it, I think, more than anything else — besides the relationships between the characters — is this idea that we live in a time when it’s almost preferable to see people working outside of “the system.” Most of the best films this year really are about that. With this, Affleck takes a great step forward as a formidable American director. Well, someone had to say it.

Martin Scorsese, Shutter Island – Any year that Scorsese, the Coens and Roman Polanski have films in the Oscar race is a rarity indeed. Because they might not have the necessary buzz does not mean we don’t pay attention to their contributions this year. Choosing the five best directors of the year is usually just about the now, the popularity of the films and whether or not it’s the right time for this film. It has very little to do, I think, with the film itself. Years from now, I fully expect Shutter Island to be among those upon which we look back in wonder. Like Inception, it features a strange, Jimmy Stewart-esque performance by Leonardo DiCaprio, but Scorsese’s version of a horror film is unlike anything he’s ever done. He got a bit close with Cape Fear (underrated) but with Shutter Island, it is so elegantly done.

Roman Polanski, Ghost Writer – having recently watched Chinatown, and one of my annual favorites, Frantic, I have Polanski on the brain. Unfortunately, Polanski is going to have to keep paying for a crime he committed but did not do adequate jail time for — instead, he fled this country. Maybe his crime continues to be a dealbreaker for many people, who then must conclude, finally, that yes, your art is not separate from your behavior. If you break the law, commit a violent crime, you will be held accountable, to the point that you can no longer be appreciated solely for the work you do. At any rate, The Ghost Writer is one of the year’s best films, history will bear this out. It isn’t a perfect film but it’s one of Polanski’s best among his recent work. And I am saying that yes, despite the death threats I’ve received, I do appreciate and separate Polanski’s past from who he is today and the kind of art he makes.

Clint Eastwood – Hereafter – 80 years old and still making movies. Hereafter is the kind of movie that takes some time to fully appreciate. To do so, one must let go of the movie they wish Clint had made and see the movie he did make. Always a confident storyteller, Eastwood manages to tell three compelling stories at once. Matt Damon gives a marvelously understated performance as a man with an ability to see into the parts of people that remember a loved one – whether you choose to see this as psychic ability or not. Hereafter isn’t exactly catching a wave of buzz but it is one from this year that is worth remembering.

Derek Cianfrance – Blue Valentine has been so caught up in the hubbub around the NC-17 rating, the supposed sex between the co-stars that people have likely forgotten the hard work writer/director Derek Cianfrance put into the film. It’s a win/win for him because it certainly put him on the map, but to take that many years and to write such a deeply moving story about love gone wrong Cianfrance “went there,” which isn’t easy to do. He doesn’t back off of the more painful parts of the story – he just lets us have it. And we’re grown up enough to take it. Just barely.

John Cameron Mitchell – Rabbit Hole. Cameron Mitchell took a major leap this year with Rabbit Hole, which, if all goes well, could be headed for the Best Picture ten. The film’s attention surrounds Nicole Kidman as a potential Best Actress contender, Aaron Eckhart, as a potential Best Actor contender, and Dianne Wiest in supporting. But with this film, Cameron Mitchell has proven he can direct with the big kids.

And then there are the many directors who won’t even get a mention in the Oscar race because it is simply too crowded – Somewhere’s Sofia Coppola, Toy Story 3’s Lee Unkrich, Peter Weir for The Way Back, Oliver Stone for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Doug Liman for Fair Game, the late George Hickenlooper for Casino Jack – it’s just been a hell of a year for film.