Categories One-by-One: Director

For the films of 2018
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HarryGoldfarb
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Re: Categories One-by-One: Director

Post by HarryGoldfarb »

Since the 60's, DGA have missed the Oscar winning director roughly once per decade, the exception being the 2000's having made two eventual non winning choices:
- Anthony Harvey, The Lion in Winter
- Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather
- Steven Spielberg, The Color Purple
- Ron Howard, Apollo 13
- Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
- Rob Marshall, Chicago
- Ben Affleck, Argo

With Affleck, we could say that this decade's missmatch has already occured, so Cuarón must be the obvious choice (not counting his overperformance with all the precursors); but then again, we could be in another weird decade when DGA doesn't pick the eventual Oscar winner more than once...
"If you place an object in a museum, does that make this object a piece of art?" - The Square (2017)
Mister Tee
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Re: Categories One-by-One: Director

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Franz Ferdinand wrote:
Mister Tee wrote:So, why the .1% doubt? Simply put: the last time a foreign-language film was in this position to win an Oscar, the voters instead passed on a (nominated) DGA choice for the first time in 28 years. That scar still aches a bit. So, yes, of course I'm betting on Cuaron, and very much expecting him. But not relaxing till the deed is done.
Tee, which situation is this? Crouching Tiger?
Yes.
Franz Ferdinand
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Re: Categories One-by-One: Director

Post by Franz Ferdinand »

Mister Tee wrote:So, why the .1% doubt? Simply put: the last time a foreign-language film was in this position to win an Oscar, the voters instead passed on a (nominated) DGA choice for the first time in 28 years. That scar still aches a bit. So, yes, of course I'm betting on Cuaron, and very much expecting him. But not relaxing till the deed is done.
Tee, which situation is this? Crouching Tiger?
Mister Tee
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Categories One-by-One: Director

Post by Mister Tee »

This is more a 99.9% than 99% category.

The nominees:

Alfonso Cuaron (ROMA)
Yorgos Lanthimos (THE FAVOURITE)
Spike Lee (BLACKKKLANSMAN)
Adam McKay (VICE)
Pawel Pawlikowsi (COLD WAR)

Not much to say here. Cuaron has done a massive sweep of precursors, both critical and industry. He's a David Fincher who WASN'T upset at DGA. I remain majorly dubious as unusual a film as Roma can go all the way to best picture, but I think Cuaron's work is seen as so visionary that even those who have trouble with the film are willing to concede this category.

Especially since the competition isn't potent. Pawlikowski has the same "foreign" downside as Cuaron, without the widespread hoopla. McKay might have been able to score here with The Big Short, but Vice is widely seen as several steps down. Lanthimos wasn't nominated at DGA, and no director since the foundation of DGA has won the Oscar in that circumstance. The one flickering flame of opposition comes from Spike Lee, for whom a win would be a stunning career salute. But, judging by remarks he made at the Hollywood Reporter directors' confab, even he is in awe of Cuaron's work this season.

So, why the .1% doubt? Simply put: the last time a foreign-language film was in this position to win an Oscar, the voters instead passed on a (nominated) DGA choice for the first time in 28 years. That scar still aches a bit. So, yes, of course I'm betting on Cuaron, and very much expecting him. But not relaxing till the deed is done.
Last edited by Mister Tee on Tue Feb 19, 2019 6:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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