This is an unabashed look at each nominee in the big eight Oscar categories. We will look at all the nominees and the various categories. No prisoners are taken, so take heed and gird your loins.
Nominees:
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Steven Daldry, The Reader
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant, Milk
Overall Feelings:
Yawn…Best Director is the one chance for the Oscars to go out on a limb. Most of the time, four of the five nominees are from the Best Picture line-up, but a fifth gets to come from a film that usually isn’t an Oscary film. If you look back at the past 27 years, every year has had at least one unique Best Director, save for 2005. Films like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, City of God, Black Hawk Down and Mulholland Drive had their directors nominated. And it’s not like 2005, when there really weren’t all that many choices for the Academy to make over the five Best Picture directors. This year does not fall into that category. Andrew Stanton, Christopher Nolan, Darren Aronofsky, Jonathan Demme or Woody Allen. And that is just off the top of my head. I see the need to nominated Boyle and Fincher with the accolades their film already received, but the monotony of this category makes me want to skip over that part of the ceremony.
My Personal Choice:
There really isn’t any nominee that I am passionate about, save for Gus Van Sant. I did include Fincher and him on my personal ballot, but Fincher just barely squeaked in. Van Sant didn’t have a very daunting task as far as controlling chaos or giving some passion to a passionless story, but he took some risks with the presentation, plus he did convey some spectacular performances from his entire cast. Fincher did a good job, but he just kind of let everything develop on its own without taking some leaps. Daldry did a fine job, as did Boyle. But, I find it hard to want to give Boyle accolades for directing his fourth best film. And Howard, well…don’t get me started. See below.
Who Should Have Been Nominated:
Both The Wrestler and The Dark Knight have a tendency to sway from #1 to #2 in most categories. In this case, I have Christopher Nolan running away with this one. Both Aronofsky and Nolan are the most visible in their films, which really couldn’t be any different in genre, but the evident direction is suited for both films. Nolan had the incredible task of improving on a wonderful first Batman film, plus making a comic book film into a crime drama isn’t exactly an easy task. In addition, when was the last time you remembered so much about supporting players over the hero, who has the name in the title? You can credit Nolan for all this.
Who Should Not Have Been Nominated:
Well, let me think about this. Van Sant deftly handled a passionate fanbase and ensemble. Daldry took the risk of graphically showing a controversial relationship and turning relatively bland courtroom proceedings into an intense situation. Boyle and Fincher handled everything with the utmost care, so that leaves Ron Howard. I keep reading about how much Frost/Nixon was desired by many directors, including Martin Scorsese, George Clooney, Sam Mendes and Mike Nichols. The thought of any of those other guys actually making this movie makes me really mad. Howard took no chances, let everything happen without dictating the action and it showed with the only two performances that resonated were ones that the actors had perfected night after night on Broadway. Howard might be the most overrated director in the past 20 years. His only great film was Apollo 13, and he’ll continue to make this same type of fluff that people over 60 love. My God, this is incredibly frustrating.
Who Should Win:
Gus Van Sant is just about the only one who truly deserves it, so I’ll go with him.
Who Will Win:
In a runaway, Danny Boyle. I don’t like the fact that Slumdog Millionaire will dominate the Oscar headlines come Monday morning, but that’s what’s going to happen.
A Best Director Poem:
Ron Howard is an okay director,
As long as he doesn’t stretch,
Maybe he gets a biopic on Mother Teresa,
And turn her into a wretch.
Van Sant’s film about Harvey Milk,
Is getting a lot of acclaim,
He’s getting more famous by the day,
And maybe that was his aim.
Daldry just got his third nomination,
For only his third film,
Boy ballerinas, lesbos and Nazis
Man, does Oscar like him.
Fincher had so much dark and gloom,
Aliens, killers and fights,
Se7en, Fight Club and Panic Room,
I wish this one didn’t bite.
Boyle did a movie on the sun,
And some guys on smack,
Then he filmed some Indian slums,
An Oscar, he will not lack.
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