OVP: Best Director (2017)
The Nominees Were...
Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Jordan Peele, Get Out
Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird
Paul Thomas Anderson, Phantom Thread
Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water
My Thoughts: One of the stranger things about the 5+ wide fields for Best Picture compared to the previous years is trying to understand which titles would've been the "odd man in" in this field. All five of this year's nominees for Best Director were cited for Best Picture (it has became uncommonly rare for a film to get into Best Director and not score a Picture nod, though Foxcatcher and Another Round indicate that it isn't impossible), but considering the strength of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which was snubbed in this category, one has to assume that one of these directors would've been our "odd person in."
It's possible that it would've been Paul Thomas Anderson, whose surprise strength on Oscar nominations morning was definitely unexpected. PTA has had an unusual history with the Oscars (missing for The Master while clearly being a favorite in other years), but this one is well-directed at least. The story has more hiccups for me than the direction, guiding us effortlessly through the cloistered, almost other-plane world of the House of Woodcock, and he makes sure to keep the best bits of Day-Lewis, Krieps, & Manville onscreen, bristling & prickly amidst all of the silk & lace. I do think it runs a bit long, and there are moments where the direction feels hackneyed (the thriller twists in the final third), but this is fine work from a master of his craft.
The other "odd man out" contender in my eyes is Christopher Nolan as Dunkirk missing in VFX convinced me that it was never a serious contender for the Best Picture crown. Nolan's direction, though, is some of the best of his career. Bringing a life force to largely anonymous men, he makes war feel so up-close as to almost immerse the audience. This is a tricky feat, not just because much of the storytelling is based on us getting invested in the characters onscreen, but also because it's challenging to create point-of-view style entertainment without it feeling off-putting or like you're stuck in a video game. That Dunkirk feels so real, but doesn't sacrifice its cinematic qualities is a testament to Nolan's capable hand as a director.
Jordan Peele's debut work in Get Out also shows a steady hand, albeit one where the script is more impressive than the direction. Some of the pacing & iconography (especially when they go to the Sunken Place) is mimicked for a reason-it's instantly captivating, like when you're watching a movie knowing it will be celebrated for decades. But Peele's other elements occasionally feel a bit prosaic, as if he's gilding the lily by repeatedly pointing out the allegories of his tale, speaking almost throughout in metaphor. He abandons some of this in Us, and the better for it (less is more with elevated horror)...but still, a good movie & a director of promise.
Greta Gerwig joins him as a breakout star here in the director's chair. Telling a richly personal story, Gerwig gets the tone of the film exactly right. The way that she seems to frame everything from Lady Bird's point-of-view, but gives the audience insight into other side characters who are evolving alongside her is marvelous, and I loved the way that she utilizes long or medium shots when other directors would've indulged in a closeup (I'm thinking specifically of the scene where Lucas Hedges comes out of the closet) as it gives us more time to watch everything from the side. Gerwig's sophomore effort wasn't my favorite (I prefer Lady Bird to Little Women), but man what an entrance onto the cinematic scene.
Our final nomination is Guillermo del Toro, certainly not on his debut feature but definitely someone who was having a graduation moment with the Oscars. Del Toro's work in The Shape of Water is a testament to cinema in its best moments, showing us what it'd be like if Douglas Sirk has made Creature from the Black Lagoon (that's a compliment). I still think he can't make the film work when he gets beyond the central romance, and even the shifts in lighting & camera angles don't make it feel like an essential part of the movie, but once again, I think this is worthy, and one of my favorite elements of this picture.
Other Precursor Contenders: We're finally in a situation where the Globes match the Oscars in terms of number of nominees, though here they aren't the same assortment. Guillermo took Best Director, but only Nolan stayed from Oscars lineup as we have Steven Spielberg (The Post), Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards), & Ridley Scott (All the Money in the World) in a more dramatic lineup of contenders. BAFTA also went with Guillermo, with an almost completely different lineup than Oscar too just keeping Nolan alongside McDonagh, Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name), & Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), while DGA went with Guillermo and largely stayed close to Oscar's choices, with only Anderson from AMPAS list missing in favor of McDonagh (our clear sixth place).
Directors I Would Have Nominated: I'll have my My Ballot out tomorrow, so I won't spoil the contenders quite yet. Suffice it to say, this is a good list...that I plan on largely upending.
Oscar's Choice: This was the Guillermo Oscars-a time when AMPAS decided to truly invite a visionary director to the stage even when they easily could've skipped him (I have to wonder if second place was Nolan, and what his career might've meant winning for something so nontraditional compared to the rest of his SciFi-focused filmography).
Oscar's Choice: This was the Guillermo Oscars-a time when AMPAS decided to truly invite a visionary director to the stage even when they easily could've skipped him (I have to wonder if second place was Nolan, and what his career might've meant winning for something so nontraditional compared to the rest of his SciFi-focused filmography).
My Choice: I'm not a rabid fanboy, but I also am a fan, and Dunkirk is some of the best work I've seen from Nolan, who gets my trophy. Behind him I'm going to go with Gerwig, who does a lot with a traditional suburban setting (I'm proud of Oscar for nominating a movie that to some degree is as outside its wheelhouse as Shape of Water). Anderson, del Toro, & Peele follow.
Those were my thoughts-how about yours? Do you want to stay over in the beautiful nightmares of Guillermo del Toro or the heightened realism of Christopher Nolan? Do you think Gerwig or Peele will get back into the Best Director field first? And how is it that Martin McDonagh missed after sweeping the precursors? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Also in 2017: Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Original Screenplay, Foreign Language Film, Animated Feature Film, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Score, Original Song, Production Design, Cinematography, Costume Design, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup & Hairstyling, Previously in 2017
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