Oscar Talk: Best Director
Best Director -
Barry Jenkins - Moonlight
Kenneth Lonergan - Manchester by the Sea
Damien Chazelle - La La Land
Denis Villeneuve - Arrival
Mel Gibson - Hacksaw Ridge
(pictured from left to right)
Like so many other categories at the Oscars this year, La La Land is poised to send Damien Chazelle home with the gold. It could be speculated, however, that Barry Jenkins could gain some love from the Academy in the end in order to “spread the love.” There is also no doubt that Moonlight was one of the most visually and structurally remarkable films of 2016, giving it a nudge in the right direction. If the race was even remotely less tight, Kenneth Lonergan might stand a chance, but unfortunately the aforementioned are slightly more of a spectacle than Manchester by the Sea. Mel Gibson is having quite the comeback from his blacklisting a few years back, and once again, if Hacksaw Ridge came out in a different year we could be easily looking at it as a major contender. Denis Villeneuve is probably the best and most consistent director on the list, but he will have plenty of time to shine with future flicks.
Who will win: Damien Chazelle
Who should win: Denis Villeneuve
Images by Indiewire, The Washington Post, Alchetron, Headstuff and The New York Daily News.
