OVP: Best Director (2016)
The Nominees Were...
Denis Villeneuve, Arrival
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge
Damien Chazelle, La La Land
Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight
My Thoughts: We are not going to do a full week devoted to directors like we did with Best Actress last week, but we are going to do something equally momentous-by Friday, we will have finished 2016, a project that we laid out as long ago as July of 2019 (still, sadly not the longest series we've done for an OVP ballot). If you are curious about past contests, either from 2016 races or for past Best Director matchups, I have very kindly linked all of them below! But now, let's get into these guys, and we're going to start with Kenneth Lonergan.
Lonergan is, weirdly enough, the most-nominated person of these five directors (this is Villeneuve's only nomination, the other three nominees have been cited three times each), though it's his first time for directing. Manchester we've talked about a lot over this series, but the direction isn't really where you initially head with the picture-it's more a writing or an acting triumph. That said, the way that he lays out some of the scenes, and how he keeps certain scenes that would be "big" with a less subtle director back so he can have a bigger payoff later, shows how meticulous he is with his directing. Manchester brings the stories of these people to life, making them feel flesh-and-blood but also sadly relatable, as if we project our own personal tragedies on them. Lonergan's steady hand behind the camera might not cause this, but it certainly allows it to blossom.
Moonlight could also fall under the guise of an acting or writing triumph rather than one for its director, but it doesn't, and I don't think it even got those sorts of arguments during 2016 because of Jenkins' mesmerizing ability to keep the movie flowing. Moonlight doesn't allow you to just sit back and wait for what happens next-it instead jolts you ahead, as life does, even when you're not ready for it. Jenkins makes his elegant, introverted drama have the speed of a roller coaster, and it's a winning, risky combination that I'm glad the Academy paid tribute toward.
Jenkins chief competitor on Oscar night was young Damien Chazelle. La La Land could never be confused as a writer's or actor's film-this is Chazelle's vision through-and-through. It's just unfortunately messy. Chazelle frequently borrows from movies like The Band Wagon and An American in Paris, but it feels more like copying than homage, as if he's presenting this as his own ideas he's giving so little spin on the originals. Scenes in La La Land are choppy and unnecessary (the entire subplot with John Legend is weirdly off-beat for the movie), and it genuinely feels like an ode to musicals made by a guy who doesn't like musicals. I've come around on Chazelle's talents with First Man, but here he whiffs badly-arguably the worst aspect of La La Land might be its misguided direction.
Denis Villeneuve is another director who I have had both hits and misses with, but Arrival is by-far my favorite of his films, and the one that I think he directs with the most confidence in what he's doing. Villeneuve creates a gorgeous vision with Arrival-it has distinct flavors and moods that lend itself well to an auteur styling, even if it's in the trappings of a big budget SciFi adventure. I love the way that he sells the big scenes, like Louise's first communication with the aliens, and the scenes toward the end where we realize the truth of the plot. Villeneuve creates a sophisticated, sharp movie that leans into his best instincts.
And then we have Mel Gibson. It's hard to talk about Gibson now considering his public persona has shifted from sexy family man to heavily-drinking anti-semite. If this was a ranking of who I think is the better person or who I would want to have dinner with, Gibson would be an easy call for last. But if we're going based on simply the film in front of us, Gibson is a director who understands story & how to bring a blockbuster to life. Yes, the first twenty minutes are a snooze, but his action sequences are memorable and well-executed, as is how Desmond can live his pacifist truth, but it won't shield him from the tragedies of war. There are a lot of problems with Hacksaw overall, but it's hard to fault Gibson in the director's chair so much as other decisions with the story.
Lonergan is, weirdly enough, the most-nominated person of these five directors (this is Villeneuve's only nomination, the other three nominees have been cited three times each), though it's his first time for directing. Manchester we've talked about a lot over this series, but the direction isn't really where you initially head with the picture-it's more a writing or an acting triumph. That said, the way that he lays out some of the scenes, and how he keeps certain scenes that would be "big" with a less subtle director back so he can have a bigger payoff later, shows how meticulous he is with his directing. Manchester brings the stories of these people to life, making them feel flesh-and-blood but also sadly relatable, as if we project our own personal tragedies on them. Lonergan's steady hand behind the camera might not cause this, but it certainly allows it to blossom.
Moonlight could also fall under the guise of an acting or writing triumph rather than one for its director, but it doesn't, and I don't think it even got those sorts of arguments during 2016 because of Jenkins' mesmerizing ability to keep the movie flowing. Moonlight doesn't allow you to just sit back and wait for what happens next-it instead jolts you ahead, as life does, even when you're not ready for it. Jenkins makes his elegant, introverted drama have the speed of a roller coaster, and it's a winning, risky combination that I'm glad the Academy paid tribute toward.
Jenkins chief competitor on Oscar night was young Damien Chazelle. La La Land could never be confused as a writer's or actor's film-this is Chazelle's vision through-and-through. It's just unfortunately messy. Chazelle frequently borrows from movies like The Band Wagon and An American in Paris, but it feels more like copying than homage, as if he's presenting this as his own ideas he's giving so little spin on the originals. Scenes in La La Land are choppy and unnecessary (the entire subplot with John Legend is weirdly off-beat for the movie), and it genuinely feels like an ode to musicals made by a guy who doesn't like musicals. I've come around on Chazelle's talents with First Man, but here he whiffs badly-arguably the worst aspect of La La Land might be its misguided direction.
Denis Villeneuve is another director who I have had both hits and misses with, but Arrival is by-far my favorite of his films, and the one that I think he directs with the most confidence in what he's doing. Villeneuve creates a gorgeous vision with Arrival-it has distinct flavors and moods that lend itself well to an auteur styling, even if it's in the trappings of a big budget SciFi adventure. I love the way that he sells the big scenes, like Louise's first communication with the aliens, and the scenes toward the end where we realize the truth of the plot. Villeneuve creates a sophisticated, sharp movie that leans into his best instincts.
And then we have Mel Gibson. It's hard to talk about Gibson now considering his public persona has shifted from sexy family man to heavily-drinking anti-semite. If this was a ranking of who I think is the better person or who I would want to have dinner with, Gibson would be an easy call for last. But if we're going based on simply the film in front of us, Gibson is a director who understands story & how to bring a blockbuster to life. Yes, the first twenty minutes are a snooze, but his action sequences are memorable and well-executed, as is how Desmond can live his pacifist truth, but it won't shield him from the tragedies of war. There are a lot of problems with Hacksaw overall, but it's hard to fault Gibson in the director's chair so much as other decisions with the story.
Other Precursor Contenders: We get five nominees a piece from the precursors, a rare situation where all of the fields we look at match Oscar in their contender count. The Globes gave their trophy to Chazelle, and bumped out Villeneuve in favor of Tom Ford for Nocturnal Animals (gotta love those celebrity directors!). The DGA also went with Chazelle, but instead of Gibson they went with Garth Davis for Lion (who was my prediction for sixth place, for the record, even if Ford got higher profile nominations). And finally at BAFTA, we saw both Gibson & Barry Jenkins sit out in favor of Ford and Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake).
Directors I Would Have Nominated: I would have given a nomination for sure to Pablo Larrain, who has been so good so often lately, and had his best work so far in Jackie. I also would lean heavily into two of my favorite directors working right now, Martin Scorsese (Silence) and Richard Linklater (Everybody Wants Some!). Scorsese makes what might be his best film this century (give or take The Irishman) with Silence, and keeps a three-hour movie intoxicating, while Linklater gives you a bunch of hot baseball players & suddenly has you reconsidering your youth and its fleeting nature.
Oscar's Choice: While Best Picture was a nail-biter, I have to assume that Chazelle got this in a walk over Jenkins.
Oscar's Choice: While Best Picture was a nail-biter, I have to assume that Chazelle got this in a walk over Jenkins.
My Choice: Jenkins deserves the win here-he has not just a good movie, but one that is hard to craft & has a directorial vision. Follow that with Villeneuve, Lonergan, Gibson, & Chazelle.
Those were my thoughts-how about yours? I feel like more people have moved over with me on Team Jenkins than were on Chazelle's at the time, but anyone want to make the case for La La Land? Am I crazy for not putting Gibson last here (based solely on the film's direction, not the man behind it)? And who would Davis have bumped if he had made the cut? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Also in 2016: Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Foreign Language Film, Animated Feature Film, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Production Design, Cinematography, Costume, Film Editing, Visual Effects, Makeup & Hairstyling, Previously in 2016
No comments:
Post a Comment