Get ready to debate, roll your eyes and clap your hands all at once. The Directors Guild Nominations have rolled in and it’s a mix of worthy contenders, veterans sliding in and at least one totally head-scratching choice. Onwards!
Perhaps the most obvious nominee is Richard Linklater for "Boyhood," which continues to show up wherever statues are being handed out. Same goes for Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s equally acclaimed "Birdman." Meanwhile, credit Fox Searchlight for doing a helluva job with "The Grand Budapest Hotel," especially since the film’s creative braintrust doesn’t seem to be campaigning at all. And Warner Bros. has been pushing "American Sniper" a little harder, having side-stepped middling reviews and turned it into an awards season dark horse, with Clint Eastwood popping up here.
The most controversial choice? Morten Tyldum for "The Imitation Game." His having been nominated is baffling, considering that the likes of Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher and perhaps most egregiously Ava DuVernay have been left out. In fact, the shutouts for "Selma" at both the PGAs and DGAs makes for an ominous omen when the Oscar nominations roll in on Thursday.
Thoughts? Share ’em below.
Clint Eastwood, "American Sniper"
Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman"
Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Morten Tyldum, "The Imitation Game"