Oscar Blitz 2024 – Best Director (VIDEO)

This year’s race for Best Director is pretty much already over. Christopher Nolan has swept Awards Season so far, picking up the prize at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, and Directors Guild. It’s a done deal at this point, unless something massive happens in the next two weeks, like he eats a baby or gives a nuanced political take. This will make for a somewhat anti-climactic final half hour of this year’s Academy Awards, as typically the final three categories are Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Picture, and as of right now one is all but guaranteed, one is a two-horse race (and yet it’s the most suspenseful of all the acting categories), and the third isn’t a lock, but the momentum is clearly in one film’s favor. Maybe this means they’ll actually speed things up a bit for the broadcast, as there’s very little drama to be had.

I’ve mentioned a few times already that I’m not generally in favor of foregone conclusions at the Oscars, especially in the so-called “major” categories, but as a fan of Nolan’s work, I’m pretty okay with it here. Whether or not Oppenheimer is his best film is up for debate, but just like when Martin Scorsese finally won for The Departed, this is a “Career Achievement” award that’s long overdue. Ever since Memento I’ve been fascinated by his ability to play with time as a storytelling device, and when coupled with some of the spectacular visuals he’s been able to think up – particularly for Inception and Tenet, his ability to bend reality to his will for the sake of compelling narrative is second to none.

He’s directed a dozen films so far in his career, and he’s yet to make a bad one. Even projects that didn’t work for me as well as I’d hoped – like Insomnia or The Dark Knight Rises – have their fans and their merits in heaping amounts. The fact that it’s taken this long for him to win, just like with Scorsese, is an absolute crime. It’s almost fitting that he’s nominated against the greatest filmmaker of all time, because if anyone can appreciate his journey, it’s Marty. The three others are relatively inexperienced by comparison, with only 16 feature films between them, and half of those are Yorgos Lanthimos. Everyone in this field has done some high quality work, but it can’t be denied that Nolan’s earned his moment in the spotlight, even if you’re not a fan of Oppenheimer itself.

So for once, I’m going to let the lack of suspense slide. If nothing else, Nolan gives hope to millions of non-traditional artists out there, proving you can have massive mainstream success despite thinking well outside the box on a lot of your work. Also, as someone who’s partially colorblind, the fact that he’s had this impeccable track record despite living with the same condition, my hat’s off to him and his incredible cinematic eye.

This year’s nominees for Best Director are… in the video below!

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It really does suck that Greta Gerwig and Celine Song didn’t get nominated. In the former case, Gerwig has been repeatedly snubbed despite being the best working director out there when it comes to character. In the latter, Song’s work is incredibly intimate and empathetic, especially for a first-timer, and it’s annoying that for the second straight year, we have a Best Picture nominee that’s only up for the screenplay outside of the big prize, meaning it has no chance. And given how much the Academy is angrily fawning over Anatomy of a Fall, she may not even get that consolation. What a travesty.

My Rankings:
Are in the video.

Who do you think should win? Vote now in the poll below!

Up next, the Blitz is off for the weekend, but with any luck, we’ll have another review post (either something new or more cleanup of the backlog), as well as the March edition of “This Film is Not Yet Watchable.” On Monday we’re back with the final installment of this year’s Short Film program. It’s Documentary Short!

Join the conversation in the comments below! Do you agree with “Career Achievement” Oscars? Has Christopher Nolan truly earned his presumed honor? Who would you have nominated in this category? Let me know! And remember, you can follow me on Twitter (fuck “X”) and YouTube for even more content!