Tuesday
Dec312019
Updates!
Tuesday, December 31, 2019 at 12:20PM 
We know you've waited a long time for them. As a New Year's Eve gift the charts for PICTURE, DIRECTOR, and INTERNATIONAL FILM have all been updated. Plus the REVIEWS index, too. More to come obviously as these updates were badly needed given all the precursor nominations we've seen.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Be safe tonight
Reader Comments (12)
Does everything think Tarantino is locked for director? I can't be alone having doubts, can I?
Happy new years, Nathaniel and TFE! Thanks for another great year.
It might be wishful thinking, but Parasite feels like it has the kind of cause célèbre status that helped turn The Artist from an impossible longshot into a frontrunner in its year.
Looking forward to the updates! Have a Happy New Year!
The annual indiewire survey of directors' favorite films is anecdotal, but it's interesting in looking at possible Best Director nominations. A whole lot of them loved Marriage Story, which makes me think Baumbach is a lot safer than most are presuming. Also, few mentioned 1917, which made me think Mendes is not as safe as most are presuming.
I haven't seen 1917, but so far it looks like a cliche to me, and not just because older white men keep telling me how excited they are to see it. Maybe it's good -- I don't know -- but I wonder if it will be as audacious or unique as other movies whose directors don't have a shot as an Oscar nomination.
@ Arkaan: You are not alone. Some wishful thinking included, but my top six contenders right now are Bong, Gerwig, Almodóvar, Mendes, Scorsese and Baumbach.
jules— Also interesting about those lists is how many of them chose Uncut Gems. I’m starting to wonder if it might surprise in a few categories on nomination morning. Sandler was left out by SAG and the Globes, yet I feel like he still might be a possibility.
At the moment, my Best Director predictions are Bong, Scorsese, Tarantino, Gerwig, Baumbach. Yes, I’m predicting Mendes gets left out. I just don’t sense that there’s enough passion for 1917 for it to be in the top 5. Plus the directors’ branch has shown an increasing preference for less conventional choices recently.
All I'll say is I think you're waaaaaay underestimating JOJO RABBIT and Taika Waititi right now.
Arkaan: I've actually always been most doubtful of Mendes, honestly. Remember: He couldn't make it in 2002. And THAT field was pretty much crap outside of Almodovar. Why would he make it in a more genuinely competitive year, then?
Happy new year everybody
best director categoury sometimes has one or two nice surprises hope this year it’s going to be gerwig and Almodóvar
Jack: The only advantage JoJo Rabbit has for a director nod is that SAG Cast nomination, though. It didn't get the Globe nod for Direction, it hasn't gotten a SINGLE critics group win for direction, and it hasn't exactly lit the box office on fire. If it pulled even half of what Grand Budapest Hotel did? Sure, 11th would sound absurd. But, no, that sounds dead on right now.
Edwin - Agreed. I feel that the Safdies are the safest bet at #5 right now.
I also wonder if this will be a year like 2012, where voters prioritize their passion picks in this category, and we’ll get nominations for Sciamma, Phillips, Gerwig or Almodovar while one or more of the expected three miss.