The 5th annual Oscar pick-a-palooza: Are these the Best Directors?

Patty Jenkins

And here is yet another installment of my ongoing series of Oscar predictions/opinions alongside Too Fat 4 Skinny Jeans blogger Brian Wezowicz. You can check out our takes on this year's supporting races here and here, and Best Actress here and Best Actor, here.

Brian: Good Time! I totally agree with you on Robert Pattinson's much deserved nomination. He completely engulfed himself in that role and shed whatever Twilight baggage was still left on him.

We've got two more categories to go in this year's Pick-A-Palooza. Next up is best director. It's a shame that the academy didn't extend this category like it did best picture, because it sets itself up for some snubs (most notably Ben Affleck missing the cut for Argo as it went on to win Best Picture). 

However, I think this is a very strong category and one that I think is now up for grabs. For the longest time, I thought Guillermo del Toro was a runaway front runner for this category, but The Shape Of Water seems to be dogged by recent accusations of plagiarism. It's a shame, because I feel he is a truly visionary director that is deserved of larger industry recognition. He's in the same mold as Peter Jackson... a big budget director that doesn't lose his sense of emotion and character development. I'm truly torn on this one, as I don't see a locked in pick here.

Director:

Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan
Get Out, Jordan Peele
Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig
Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson
The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro

Will Win: Jordan Peele. I'm going out on a big limb here. I have no basis for this prediction, but I feel like the Academy will recognize his truly groundbreaking work on this film that felt like not just a great film, but an instant classic. I think he managed to perfectly blend genres and social commentary in my second favorite movie of 2017. Speaking of favorite movies of 2017...

Should Win: Christopher Nolan. Nolan has been one of my favorite directors since I saw Memento, and he's only managed to get better with time. Dunkirk, to me, is his crowning achievement. A big budget war film that maintains a sense of emotion and character throughout. Maybe it's the dark times we live in, but this one's message of hope and honor gave me hope that we might make it through.

Snub/Surprise: Plenty to choose from here, but I'm going to go with a director whose film was not nominated for best picture. Patty Jenkins for her work on Wonder Woman. It didn't break any new grounds in terms of storytelling, but man did it feel like a breath of fresh air. Another snub, for me, was Steven Spielberg for his phenomenal job directing The Post. I'm not sure you could make an argument for knocking any of the nominated director's out of the top 5, but Spielberg comes the closest.

Who takes your directing prize?

Adam: This year was a strong one for distinct directorial voices-- I was just talking to a friend about this the other night, that with rare exceptions of filmmakers like Wes Anderson, there are very few directors with an unmistakable visual style or auteur voice, or at least these days. One of the flaws of big blockbuster movies is that they tend to subvert the voice of the director (although based on early buzz Black Panther isn't going to make that mistake).

There were a lot of great established names and newcomers jockeying for just five spots, so there were inevitably going to be some disappointments here, but I was actually very happy with the final five, which feature a woman, African-American and Latino, which is refreshing since this category - with three exceptions -- has only awarded white men.

Sean Baker

I hadn't heard anything about any controversy surrounding Del Toro, in fact I figured he was the safest guy here.

Will win: Guillermo Del Toro. If Lady Bird overperforms I could see Greta Gerwig winning. There is a lot of emotional support behind her nomination, and there are compelling reasons to award a woman this year, and she is worthy. It's also an absurd travesty that no African-American filmmaker has ever won Best Director, so awarding Jordan Peele could right that wrong. But to me, Del Toro seems like a no brainer, non-controversial choice. He's likable, has built up a great reputation and he made a lovely movie that will be easy for the Oscars to embrace. Curiously, he'll continue a recent trend of Latino directors cleaning up at the Oscars.

Should win: Jordan Peele. I admire everyone nominated. Especially, Paul Thomas Anderson, who is one of my favorite directors and someone who deserves to win this award sooner rather than later, but there is not film I admired more this past year than Get Out, and more than anything that movie is the singular vision of its writer-director Jordan Peele. It's a remarkable achievement for someone's debut film, it was assured, it was fascinating, thought-provoking and funny. It really was a virtuoso piece of genre filmmaking and it deserves to be recognized here (and for screenplay).

Snub/Surprise: Certainly, Steven Spielberg could have made the cut for The Post, obviously he has plenty of hardware, so if he doesn't get invited to this party it's fine. I really wish Blade Runner 2049 has been more welcomed by the awards season crowd, and Denis Villeneuve is hugely responsible for pulling off that creative feat, he's another person I hope to see win Best Director someday. Patty Jenkins is someone who I think in a weaker year might have made the finally five for Wonder Woman, but I definitely admire what she did. Would have loved to see the Safdie Brothers get a nod for Good Time. But I guess my biggest disappointment is that Sean Baker has not been recognized for his incredible work on The Florida Project, a little masterpiece that has been undervalued all year.