2013 Oscar Predictions: Best Director

139 Comments

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• monkeypox6 | April 15, 2013 7:46 PMReply

  How I think it should have been:
  
  1. Ben Affleck, "Argo"*(Runner-up)
  2. Tom Hooper, "Les Miserables"
  3. Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"
  4. Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
  5. Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"*(WINNER)

• Drekee | February 23, 2013 8:41 PMReply

  Ang Lee should get it. He did a great job with Life of Pi.

• THETRUECINEMA | February 20, 2013 1:24 AMReply

  I am confident ANG LEE will be the BEST DIRECTOR. I am hoping LIFE OF PI will be the BEST PICTURE as well. @laurelhero

• THETRUECINEMA | February 20, 2013 1:21 AMReply

  I am confident ANG LEE will be the BEST DIRECTOR. I am hoping LIFE OF PI will be the BEST PICTURE. @laurelhero

• Paulywood | February 18, 2013 4:08 PMReply

  Will win: Spielberg
  Could win: Russell
  Should win: AFFLECK!!!!!!! (for any jokers out there, I do know who is and who is not nominated)

• jm | February 18, 2013 12:01 PMReply

  I agree, it would be amazing to see Zeitlin win - he's got my vote

• Film Fan | February 17, 2013 6:28 PMReply

  It is very sad to see Afleck and Bigelow not score nominations because they are so deserving (and I am sure if they had been nominated one of them, probably Afleck, would have won). However it does give higher chances to directors that would have been left out. It was very nice to Haneke make and even nicer to see Zeitlin. Benh was a big surprise but it was great to see the academy award someone for such an original and lesser known piece of work. It would be amazing to see Zeitlin win for Beasts & at the same time show a different newer side of the academy. But sadly that won't happen. But whoever does end up winning here deserves it fully, because all of them created great films. It will probably end up coming down between Speilberg & Lee, but I could easily see Haneke coming into the mix as well.

• Ryan Lindauer | February 16, 2013 11:38 PMReply

  i disagree on the "should win" (bigelow) but agree on the rest. well done

• degol | February 14, 2013 3:18 PMReply

  Life of Pi deserves most of the awards. Most of the movies nominated were nothing special in my opinion. Zero Dark Whatever, Lincoln,Les Mis.
  All seem like typical oscar bait movies. Not to mention nearly all the people involved in those movies are campaiging for their awards. How pathetic. I don't see anyone from Pi doing non-stop rounds like those other garbage movies. I am looking at Speilberg, Hatheway,Chastain,Lawrence.

• HONOR THE TRUE WINNER | February 6, 2013 9:10 PMReply

  You gotta watch LIFE OF PI at least once [and then THINK about it even more], and you would realize that this film has to be the BEST PICTURE. It has all the great ingredients to win this accolade [hope The Academy get it right this time].
  
  Art, Technology, Storytelling, All perfectly and beautifully blended together. It has such Great depth that makes you want to watch it over and over and over and over again, in a long, long, long, long time to come.
  
  It's like listening to John Lennon. It's like slowly peeling an onion to find out what's in the core, whilst tears slowly trickle down.
  
  Anyway, it doesn't really matter to me whether it wins any Oscars. @laurelhero

• PJ | February 6, 2013 7:58 PMReply

  How does Speilberg have a"slight edge?" No one has given him an award for directing Lincoln.

• Cinema | February 17, 2013 6:20 PM

  Because Afleck is taking all those awards, but since Afleck isn't nominated here Speilberg's chances have grealty gone up here. If Afleck was put into this race there is no question he would win.

• HONOR THE TRUE WINNER | February 5, 2013 1:46 AMReply

  IF race/ethnicity of its nominees is one of the influencing factors in determining the Winners, then sadly The Academy will lose its meaning and its place/role as the ultimate representation of GLOBAL films recognition. @laurelhero

• Honor The True Winner | February 5, 2013 1:14 AMReply

  IF race/ethnicity of its nominees is one of the influencing factors in determining the Winners, then sadly The Academy will lose its meaning and its place/role as the ultimate representation of GLOBAL films recognition.

• Andes | February 4, 2013 12:11 PMReply

  Ang Lee. Why not another for him? His movie was well done unlike Lincoln which was nothing special. Typical Oscar bait movie and it was like watching an HBO special. Infact it should have gone straight to HBO on TV,where it belongs. That was the quality of it.

• Truth | February 8, 2013 1:36 AM

  Are you kidding? Lincoln was a fantastic film that was beyond well done, and the directing was fantastic. Just because a historical film doesn't interest you don't throw it under the bus.

• Sam | February 3, 2013 1:00 PMReply

  The Academy Awards will vote for Steven because he's been in the business for a long time, he understand the political system and most of the voters are probably his friends. "NO WAY", absolutely NO WAY the Academy Awards will give it to Ang Lee, an Asian cannot win twice. Ben Zeithlin and Michael Haneke can pull a HUGE SURPRISE. David should just try again next year.

• Bruce | February 3, 2013 3:10 AMReply

  The chances are :
  Steven Spielberg the highest (He surely the best director ever, unless the Academy is tired of him but they won't)
  Ang Lee take the second place (I don't know if the Academy has any Asian member to vote for him, but you know what he seems to be James Cameron with Avatar because like Cameron, he's done the impossible)
  The third place is either Michael Haneke or David O. Russell. In my opinion the Benh Zeitlin guy didn't have a single chance to beat the great Steven Spielberg or even just Ang Lee but if the Academy is crazy enough to have him win, it will be weird

• JD | February 2, 2013 11:11 AMReply

  Ang Lee won't win it. If anybody is going to pull a surprise win, it will be David O. Russell.

• Truth | February 8, 2013 1:37 AM

  No that would be Benh Zeitlin.

• Oscar Specialist | January 31, 2013 5:44 PMReply

  Since Kathryn Bigelow was not nominated under this category the clear front-runner is the great Steven Spielberg

• Tanner | January 29, 2013 6:00 PMReply

  Well I was very disappointed in the directing category this year! The academy missed some huge contenders...Ben Afleck (Argo), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) and Quentin Tarintino (Django Unchained). They all deserve to be recognized. Ben Afleck has hit the peek of his career and Argo will take Best Picture on Oscar night (He deserves it). Tom Hooper's creativity in Les Miserables was defiantly over looked, bringing the classic play to life with a modern take was breathtaking (Anne's take on "I Dreamed A Dream...she's going to take home Best Supporting Actress). Kathryn Bigelow who took Best Director in 2010 for The Hurt Locker deserved to be nominated for her historic and intense film, Zero Dark Thirty. She has truly broken the "glass ceiling" for women in the industry and she should have been reconized for that yet again. And Quentin Tarintino, who just makes a bada** action film with heart and AMAZING dialogue (which he has in all of his films, brilliant writer) he will take Best Original Screenplay on Oscar night for Django Unchained. Considering the contenders in the category for Best Achievement in Directing Steven Spielberg will probably take the Oscar home because he created a historic movie based on one of the most loved presidents of the United States. He will win because of the history he modernized and brought to life and because well he's Steven Speilberg one of the greatest filmmakers ever in Hollywood. But of all the contenders I think David O. Russell should win Best Director, Silver Linings Playbook was simply a masterpiece and a movie everyone can relate too. Unconventional family, people who don't know where they belong and haven't found a place in life yet. Well all I have to say is that Silver Linings Playbook has found a place and that place is being nominated on Oscar night and should be recognized for being an unforgettable and brilliant film.

• Alezzavier | January 26, 2013 2:27 PMReply

  Mr. Steven Spielberg. Is going to win, you know why , its all about politics ...

• liptone | January 21, 2013 5:08 PMReply

  Life of Pi was brilliant. Ang Lee will win Best Director and Best Picture.

• Sheldon Gaskell | January 26, 2013 8:18 PM

  I agree, Ang Lee was most successful in his directing in Life of Pi and most deserving of the Oscar

• AMIT | January 20, 2013 1:22 AMReply

  I will go for Ang Lee as the Best director

• Mano | January 15, 2013 7:30 PMReply

  In our opinion, the best Director award will go to Steven Spielberg for making the film Lincoln, 2013.

• John | January 15, 2013 3:58 PMReply

  The Academy is tire of Kathryn Bigelow trying hard to compete amongst men. More than 90% of the Academy Awards voters are males. Which means "Male Dominance" tend to be the theme of the Academy. Then there is Ben Affleck who thinks that he can just wake up one morning and decides he wants to direct a film and get nominated for it. Great Director study the art and execution of films for years so as to make near perfect pictures even Kevin Costner did so. Ben is still an "AMATUER IN TRAINING." Cant you people get that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Ignatius Albert | January 15, 2013 12:37 PMReply

  Now if we hold a poll on the biggest snubs in Oscars' 85-year history, 2012's Kathryn Bigelow & Ben Affleck would rank up there; they didn't even get nominated! How outrageous is that, especially when both were largely seen as locks by most observers. Quentin Tarantino also has a very strong case with his work in Django Unchained.
  What a hugely shocking field of nominees. No one, really no one, could have predicted the 5 directing nominees. Spielberg and Lee were considered near-locks, while David O. Russell was considered a strong contender. But Haneke was a surprise, and Benh Zeitlin simply came out of nowhere to snatch a nomination.
  At this moment, I don't see anyone stopping Spielberg from winning, especially when Golden Globe winner Affleck will not be his competitor in the Oscars race.

• onelove | January 13, 2013 6:19 PMReply

  Wouldn't it be great for Benh Zeitlin to win for best Director... I love surprises at the Academy Awards and I some how belief this guy can take home the big win for achievement in direction.

• Juha Hovilainen | January 11, 2013 7:49 AMReply

  I must be the only one who is tired even seeing Mr.Spielber`s name on the list and seems he will win. What a pity...Kathryn Bigelow should have won this....
  Michael Haneke`s victory would be great, but that won`t happen. Pity tough...

• SOMEONE | January 10, 2013 4:41 PMReply

  Jackson*

• someone | January 10, 2013 4:40 PMReply

  PETER JAKSON WTF WHERE IS HE????

• Eh | January 10, 2013 6:11 PM

  The movie was not great as LOTR but it was good. It should have been nomiated for more then visual effects
  Its more deserving then Zero Dark Thrity.
  But nobody is gonna remember 90% these movies on this list in the years to come execpty for maybe Life of Pi.
  LOTR was memorable.

• BOO | January 10, 2013 6:01 PM

  Did you really think he would be nominated for something mediocre and mixedly received like The Hobbit?

• A Tuuua | January 10, 2013 11:44 AMReply

  Who is familiary with academy history that's no suprise to Michael Haneke get nod, since Fellini, various foreign directors get a nod, like Teshigahara, Gravas, Bergman, Kurusowa, Kieslowski and most recently Lee and Schnabel(that's American). I would love to see Lee win this year, such a wonderful movie, films like that are the reason I love the movies:)

• JOSH | January 10, 2013 8:57 AMReply

  You were wrong about Zeltin ha

• BOO | January 10, 2013 6:02 PM

  Nobody could have predicted the directing nominees this year. No one.

• Martin | January 10, 2013 7:08 AMReply

  Check out my final predictions for this categorie at http://www.mondoglam.com/2013/01/camino-al-oscar-2013-predicciones_9.html

• Shelshock | January 9, 2013 1:57 AMReply

  My top choices for best director include Bigelow, Affleck, and Ang Lee. The best choice for win would be Lee through his effective direction of music in combination with image, action, and story. Spielberg's genius in directing has been on the decline since his work with "Schindler's List" and "Saving Private Ryan." In fine dining, a top chef would look at "Lincoln" and know immediately that it lacks something to enhance the all-around flavor of the dish. Spielberg's direction lacked uniformity and was rather weak at points, especially in the final scenes of the film. The film lagged and was rushed along in the wrong places. The ending was anticlimactic and failed to provide DDL the foundation to truly bring the film to a closing. Instead of ending in a whirlwind, "Lincoln" ended like a deflating balloon. Hooper and Tarantino should also get nods.

• Ignatius Albert | January 8, 2013 8:55 PMReply

  The 3 locks for nomination are Spielberg, Bigelow & Affleck; and rightly so as their 3 movies are arguably the best of this year's Oscars. Tom Hooper might just miss out as his directing has not received much praise for "Les Mis".
  The 2 slots left up for grabs, in my opinion, shall go to any two of Ang Lee, Quentin Tarantino & Michael Haneke. As for Paul Thomas Anderson & David O Russell, not really for me.
  My 5 nominess would be: Spielberg - Bigelow - Affleck - Lee - Tarantino with Haneke very close behind and threatening to snatch a slot, especially considering his Palme d'Or for 'Amour'

• Zac | January 6, 2013 6:16 PMReply

  "Life of Pi" is the Oscar worthy effort this year. For nominations, I would say:
  Lee, Affleck, Spielberg are locked. Other possibilities: Tarantino, Zeitlin, Hooper, Bigelow, Mendes, Nolan.

• James K | January 6, 2013 3:44 PMReply

  Top 10 (I know it's only 5, but the other 5 are possible spoilers) for Best Director.
  01. Katheryn Bigalow, 02. Steven Spielberg, 03. Ben Affleck, 04. Quentin Tarantino, 05. Ang Lee 06. Tom Hooper, 07. Michael Hanek, 08. David O. Russell, 09. Paul Thomas Anderson, 10. Sam Mendes.
  
  I think it's Bigalow's year again, but I would not be shocked if either Spielberg or Affleck win it this year. If any possible spoilers not in my top 10, I'd say depending on how they like Looper, may be Rian Johnson.

• EDY WILLIAMS | January 5, 2013 6:35 PMReply

  Too much VIOLENCE!!
  
  "Life of Pi" , has it's fantastic book as well, Ang Lee Hit PERFECTION with his choices, your heart he captured to see the face all WET of a BENGAL TIGER holding on the side of a lifeboat for dear life, how those 2 managed 227 days at sea is alot to learn for us.
  Thank You Ang Lee

• Jack | January 5, 2013 5:20 PMReply

  Affleck, Spielberg, Bigelow, Hooper, and PTA.

• Captain Ron Was Brilliant! | January 5, 2013 3:47 PMReply

  Please...everyone...please take your heads out of Tarantino's ass. He IS a great director, don't get me wrong. But he is capable of making bad movies, and Django was just that: BAD. An empty, soulless exercise in self-indulgence. The film had no point, no subtext, nothing at all to say except that "Slavery was bad, but look how cool I can make it all look." I simply can't believe I'm the minority in this opinion. It started out so well too...just sad... Now, please, everyone go and tell me how stupid I am.

• Marwan Imad | January 22, 2013 6:51 PM

  Well Said... The movie is nothing but great actors knowing how to act, but when it comes to the whole point of Django, it was terrible. I got to say that "Life Of Pi" stole my breath. I kept thinking about it for days, it even made some other good movies look dull. Life of Pi is the new SlumDog Millionare, it has to win everything!

• Movie Critic Dave | January 5, 2013 11:52 AMReply

  2012 was a remarkable year for film and this crowded Best Director category only validates it. I too think Bigelow, Affleck and Spielberg are "sure-things". Of the rest, I'd go in this order Ang Lee (although I felt that Life of Pi was a little overrated), Tom Hooper (it was a daring attempt even if it lacked the necessary punch). O.Russell's film is too much of a comedy and Tarantino's is a little edgey for the Academy, even though I have Silver Linings Playbook and Django Unchained in my top ten of the year (over Les Mis and Life of Pi). www.moviecriticdave.blogspot.com/

• spassky | January 5, 2013 11:28 AMReply

  My guess is that Russell is gonna take a nom over Quentin.

• David | January 3, 2013 3:43 PMReply

  It's funny how the fanboys on here keep pushing for TDKR and the Hobbit. Well guess what, there were other movies made last year, so perhaps you should watch those before judging (although most of these movies will probably go over their heads).
  
  As for Best Director, my favorite would probably be Ang Lee. I don't know why Spielberg would get it...I loved Lincoln, but I don't feel any part of that movie was due to groundbreaking directing choices....it was simply good dialogue with a great performance by DDL.
  
  Life of Pi wasn't a great movie, but sequences and shots were beautiful.

• Li | January 5, 2013 7:20 PM

  TDKR is overrated, its not Oscar material. The Hobbit stands a better chance at the Oscars in comparassopn to Batman tho. Did you forget the early 2000s when LOTR movies were out?

• 4 | January 2, 2013 8:36 PMReply

  Joss Whedon not getting consideration for The Avengers is ridiculous.

• 6 | January 14, 2013 2:26 AM

  In what world is that ridiculous?

• 5 | January 5, 2013 4:11 PM

  ugh, get over it

• Anthony | January 1, 2013 1:51 PMReply

  And Jacques Audiard...

• BOO | December 29, 2012 11:17 AMReply

  I actually really doubt Amour will get a director nom but it would be cool if it did.

• BOO | January 3, 2013 1:08 AM

  I'm thinking Hooper or Tarantino. Maybe even PTA, which also would be really cool.

• rt4500 | December 28, 2012 2:55 PMReply

  Ben? Ang? Really indiewire? Skyfall?!
  This is Indiewire, not TMZ. I used to think this was a cerebral place to go for information. Based on quality, not a popularity contest. Leave that to the lame hollywood voters. Have some conviction for the true artists.

• joe | January 5, 2013 4:13 PM

  You're an idiot, you know that. It's oscar predictions, go to their top 10 if you want to see films they thought were the best. These choices are the likeliest to be nominated, not their own choices.

• Alexi | January 2, 2013 7:31 PM

  Doesn't the title say Oscar Predictions? As in, what will the "lame Hollywood voters" vote for?

• James | December 30, 2012 3:51 PM

  Have you even seen Life of Pi?

• Zane | December 28, 2012 2:47 PMReply

  Argo, Lincoln, and Zero Dark Thirty have the best advantage at best picture and best director.

• Sylar | December 28, 2012 9:53 AMReply

  Argo sucks ! I dont like oscar get involve with politic, Lincoln and django were wonderful,But the oscar goes to Argo for political stuff! martin scorssese didnt make a movie thats no good ! He is my favourite

• Zane | December 28, 2012 2:51 PM

  Argo was Awesome and so was Lincoln, what but head doesn't like those movies?

• Film fan | December 27, 2012 2:40 PMReply

  The directing in Django was utterly brilliant. One of the best directed films I have seen in quite a long time.

• Jd | December 26, 2012 6:41 AMReply

  I do not think that NOlan will win an Oscar, much less a nomination. The dark knight rises was good but it was not as amazing as the dark knight and since that movie was shamefully overlooked, I believe it willbe another dry knight for NOlan. This year there are many stong contenders but my money is certainly on Ben and Steven and ANg.

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• Hamid | December 21, 2012 3:00 PMReply

  Oscar is politicaly...argo not really.aflek is political.anti is iran..but ang lee_spilberg_hanke is good man..is good director..ang lee by life of pi want make good film..

• Stuart O'Connor | December 18, 2012 4:39 PMReply

  SERIOUSLY????.......do you guys watch movies......David Ayers.......End of Watch.....camera shots and direction never before seen....puts you in the movie.........not just a spectator......come on

• spassky | January 5, 2013 11:25 AM

  Yeah, if you were to make an argument for Ayers, it would be for his handling of the performances. Good movie though...

• BOO | December 29, 2012 11:19 AM

  Its definitely not the first movie to do that. It's not revolutionary.

• Juha Hovilainen | December 17, 2012 9:29 AMReply

  Kathryn Bigelow all the way please. I must be the only person who is tired and bored Mr.Spielberg. His best work will always be "Schindler`s List". Ben Afflick...Is it just me or was the movie just average....Nothing special or extra-ordinary.
  Rather would like to see a nomination for Sam Mendes "Skyfall", but that won`t happen.

• Jack | December 15, 2012 3:08 PMReply

  The very long shots except Affleck & Lee far more credible as superior directing efforts. Skyfall & Dark Knight Rises are major directing achievements. Lincoln way overrated direction. This is directing not ensemble acting, not social commentary of cinema, directing. The Master should fall to bottom of list of long shots along with Moonrise Kingdom and Amour. Jackson the real sleeper.

• ralch | December 13, 2012 11:37 AMReply

  I, too, believe Haneke will be nominated, but think Paul Thomas Anderson will take Ang Lee's spot.

• Cinema | December 16, 2012 2:00 PM

  If anything PTA will take Haneke's spot. It is pretty locked in at this point that Lee will be nominated.

• cooper | December 11, 2012 11:08 PMReply

  Seeing that I have seen all of these movies I can judge whether they can be here or not. Speilberg, while his best movie in years doesnt deserve 1 spot he might get in there but I dont see him winning for Lincoin. Bigelow, deserves to be nominated it is better then the Hurt Locker but I dont see her wining b/c she only won this two years ago. Affleck, deserves a spot for Argo, got snubed for the Town and I think Argo is better then the Town. Lee, I dont see him getting nominated because he has already won and Life of Pie is not nearly as good as his previous work. Haneke, he should get nominated but I dont see it happening becuase its from a different countrie and is in a different language and while a movie like that can be nominated I dont see Amour being a movie good enough to be from different countrie and getting nominated. Hooper, first off this movie is not good enough to be nominated for anything but Hooper just won it a year ago so I dont see him nominated. Russel, this movie is to sappy and uniteresting and he was just nominated a year ago. Anderson, this is his best movie to date he definity deserves to be nominated and win. Tarantino, deserves it to not his best Pulp Fiction and Bastards are better but it still better then 95% of the movies this year. Zeitlin, good movie but I think it is to independent to get nominated. Mendes, good James Bond movie not good enough for Bond to go to the oscars. Anderson, deserves to win but the acadamy has yet to see the true art that is in Andersons work he should have got a best director award many years ago. Nolan, deserves a best director award just not for this movie he should have got it for the Dark Knight or maybe Inception. Zemeckis, average movie and a average director people still are on his Forrest Gump kick. Jackson, good movie not as good as LOTR and I think the acadamy thinks they have given Jackson his due with how they awarded LOTR

• Ross | December 10, 2012 4:37 PMReply

  you have both Nolan and Jackson as 'very long shots'? are you actually being fucking serious?

• BOO | December 13, 2012 1:37 PM

  Just wait until Oscar noms come out. They won't be on there.

• Lila | December 12, 2012 5:13 AM

  Definitely Nolan, because it is a "superhero movie." It surely deserves to win, but you know what happened with The Dark Knight.

• Stephen Earnest | December 9, 2012 10:52 PMReply

  Steve Spielberg simply does not deserve the Oscar. "Lincoln" is not even close to one of his best films and the fact that it is being so talked about as a serious awards contender is just mind-blowing. Aside from Daniel Day-Lewis' performance, it's a generic biopic that promises much and accomplishes little. The photography is muddled and the supporting performances (minus James Spader, who I quite liked) are nothing special. Directors like Ben Affleck and Paul Thomas Anderson deserve more recognition for their feats than Spielberg for they have both created something that is unlike the rest. We've all seen "Lincoln" a thousand times before. Hell, if it up were up to me, I'd make sure that directors like William Friedkin and Rian Johnson got the credit they deserved. It just seems like the Academy is giving it to Spielberg because he's Spielberg.

• Lezlie | December 8, 2012 2:42 PMReply

  I don't believe Michael Haneke will get nominated, and Amour is not likely to get a best picture nom, although a Foreign Language slot is assured for it (and it can probably win it). The first four seem to be very likely, with Tarantino, Russell and Hooper duking it out for the last spot.

• Meebus | December 13, 2012 1:38 PM

  Exactly

• Zane | December 6, 2012 9:32 PMReply

  Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Argo, The Dark Knight Rises, and maybe Moonrise Kingdom, The Master, Silver Linings Playbook.
  Newly updated No Les Miserables, Hobbit, Django Unchained, and no Amour.
  Amour is foreign language, the rest don't have high enough ratings.

• Nick | December 6, 2012 6:46 AMReply

  Nolan will be snubbed as usual. He deserved it for Inception but was snubbed. I think Rian Johnson should get a nomination for Looper. Very well directed

• Tony | December 5, 2012 5:31 PMReply

  It will be Spielberg for "Lincoln"

• Ignatius J Reilly | December 5, 2012 12:26 PMReply

  I vote Affleck only because of the five here, 3 have one it previously (Spielberg twice), which leads me to believe they won't win again. Only because the films they are nominated for seem minor compared to their previous work. Except for Bigelow; not sure why she is even taken seriously. I don't care to see another film about our military conflicts in the Middle East. Anderson shouldn't be discounted. The Academy has been kind to him in the past.

• Ignatius J Reilly | December 13, 2012 12:20 PM

  My problem with her is that she made a good handful of shitty movies, and then teamed up with this journalist, began making war journalism films, and is suddenly the greatest director around. No. Not how art works. Read Tennessee Williams' notes to The Glass Menagerie and rethink your notion of "reality" in art.

• Lila | December 12, 2012 5:16 AM

  She shouldn't be taken seriously because *you* don't care to see another film about "military conflicts." Is it her fault you can't handle reality? No, she definitely deserves to be taken seriously.

• Bob | December 5, 2012 5:06 PM

  Though to be completely honest, I think Affleck deserves it. Not only for Argo, but because the guy came out of nowhere and blew the roof off with three straight movies in a row and the third being absolutely amazing, like phenomenal. He needs to be recognized.

• Bob | December 5, 2012 5:03 PM

  Yea its between Affleck, Spielberg, Bigelow, and Hooper imho. And the two frontrunners are Affleck and Bigelow imo. Zero Dark Thirty has been getting some rave reviews, and has already won 2 Awards from NYFC and something else. And Bigelow has won the award for both as well. And the only candidate I feel can spoil one of them is Spielberg because the Academy loves him and this is his best movie in years so they might freak out and give him the Award haha. And the reason for Hooper being one of the Top 4 frontrunners is because of the "singing live on set thing" and early rave reviews for the movie.

• Bob | December 3, 2012 6:15 PMReply

  Peter Jackson for The Hobbit not being anywhere on this list as a possible spoiler, or even a long shot its absolute insanity.

• Tomasha | December 9, 2012 4:22 PM

  The Hobbit reviews were good. Yes it wasn't as good as the LOTR movies but they still go great reviews.
  I am not sure if The Hobbit will get best pic or best director nom. But I won't be suprised if it did. It has a mucb better chance the TDKR and its overratedness imo.
  I think either Life of Pi will get it or Lincoln.

• BOO | December 5, 2012 7:43 PM

  The reviews aren't very good in comparison to LOTR. Won't be an oscar contender.

• Dave Traverso | December 3, 2012 10:32 AMReply

  I think there's currently only two stone-cold locks in this category, Affleck and Spielberg. Assuming ZD30 and Les Mis are as good as we anticipate, I see one odd man out in the collection of Bigelow, Hooper, Lee and Paul Thomas Anderson. The academy LOVES Anderson, which could lead to a snub for Lee. But until ZD30 and Les Mis get screened a little more, it's too early to tell. www.moviecriticdave.blogspot.com/

• monkeypox6 | December 1, 2012 12:47 AMReply

  my nominees list: (in alphabetical order by movie)
  
  1. Ben Affleck, "Argo"
  2. Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"
  3. Steven Spielberg, "Lincoln"
  4. Tom Hooper, "Les Miserables"
  5. Kathryn Bigelow, "Zero Dark Thirty"

• MICHAEL | November 30, 2012 6:14 PMReply

  Where the hell's Christopher Nolan?!

• BOO | December 5, 2012 7:44 PM

  Not on here

• Zane | November 29, 2012 6:08 PMReply

  Christopher Nolan should be nominated for The Dark Knight Rises. Ben Affleck for Agro, Steven Spielberg for Lincoln. Upcoming guesses Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty. These four at least

• Forrest | December 2, 2012 3:41 PM

  I'm guessing you haven't seen Life of Pi?