OSCAR SEASON - Directing

Next up, the directors. And that's all I have to say about that. Except that I'm going to go 10 deep rather than 5 - for no good reason.

Best Directing

10) Paul Greengrass - UNITED 93
I think the movie was more propoganda than art, but there's no denying it's very, very well made propoganda.

9) Clint Eastwood - LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
Dirty Harry has become the everyman artist. Good for him, and for us.

8) Stephen Frears - THE QUEEN
How can you not applaud the director for a movie this engaging?

7) Bill Condon - DREAMGIRLS
This was the best story in a musical in a long, long time.

6) Alphonso Cuaron - CHILDREN OF MEN
Some of this film had the best direction choices of the year. Other parts didn't, of course, since I don't have him at #1.

5) Robert Altman - A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION
It's an Altman movie, in Altman style. I think this film will eventually be noted as among his best work. No, it didn't have the immediate impact of MASH or GOSFORD PARK, but it's nearly as good.

4) Pedro Almodovar - VOLVER
It's strange how many great spanish language directors there are right now. Almodovar is the godfather of Spanish cinema. He's Spain's answer to Fellini, Bergman or Kurosawa.

3) Guillermo del Toro - PAN'S LABYRINTH
Yep, #3. And this is from the guy who did HELLBOY. Who knew?

2) Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu - BABEL
The Mexican triumvirate of Cuaron, del Toro, and Innaritu are taking over Hollywood. Let me be the first to welcome our new overlords. Because they're really talented.

1) Martin Scorsese - THE DEPARTED
This will be the year Scorsese wins best director at the Oscars (I hope). And THE DEPARTED is probably only his 4th or 5th best movie. The movies the academy considered better directed than TAXI DRIVER, RAGING BULL, GOODFELLAS, and THE AGE OF INNOCENCE? John Avildson for ROCKY (Scorsese wasn't even nominated), Robert Redford for ORDINARY PEOPLE, Keven Costner for DANCES WITH WOLVES, and Steven Spielberg for SCHINDLER'S LIST (Scorsese wasn't even nominated). One or two of those I think are very defendable choices, but ORDINARY PEOPLE? Come on. Oh yeah, and Scorsese also lost to Barry Levinson for RAIN MAN over his LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST.