Twelve Days of Oscar, Day 6: Cinematography and Directing

For a lot of people, such as, you know, the people who maybe AREN'T obsessed with making a checklist of Academy Award nominees each year and being sure to watch them all (except when the song from Fifty Shades of What-the-hell-ever gets nominated because just no), there are categories that are variously called technical, minor, obscure, other... and then are the "big" ones. Setting aside the obsessive ones among us (ahem) for a moment, it does sadden me to divide things up that way, number one, because the creative, proficient, talented human being who did the work in a "lesser" category is just as valuable as the one who did the work in a "major" category, and number two because sometimes the winner in a "lesser" category delivers the coolest or most heartfelt speech of the night while the actors just rattle off a list of names which is SO ANNOYING but not quite as annoying as playing people off in the first place and have I mentioned that shut the fuck up please about how "long" and "boring" the annual ceremony is because no one is forcing you to watch please thanks?

My point (and yes, I do!) is that today we are looking at what is routinely considered a "major" category, Directing, along with Cinematography, which would never be considered lesser by anyone who likes film but is maybe a bit less paid attention to among the plebes.

Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049, Darkest Hour, Dunkirk, Mudbound, The Shape of Water

Directing:  Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan; Get Out - Jordan Peele; Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig; Phantom Thread - Paul Thomas Anderson; The Shape of Water - Guillermo del Toro

Well, we have two overlappers, Dunkirk and The Shape of Water. And as much as I have been reiterating everywhere and to anyone who will listen (and some who won't) that The Shape of Water is goddamn weird and so not my thing, I actually will have zero problem if Guillermo wins here for Directing, because I think he actually perfectly realized his (weird!) vision, with both finesse and technical competence and creativity. Even though it's just not necessarily for me.  That said, I would not award Cinematography to The Shape of Water. I think Directing is pretty much the only category I'd want it to win. As for Dunkirk, it could get Cinematography, which was definitely an achievement and a half, involving as it did big battle scenes, airplanes, cramped boat quarters, vast waterscapes, and just all kinds of skill.

But. There were other fantastic Cinematography nominees, specifically Blade Runner 2049 and Mudbound. I am pulling for Blade Runner 2049 in other technical categories but I think I'm totally behind Mudbound here. I thought that movie was just wonderful.Well done, and really visually engaging - there were some simply gorgeous shots of farm vistas and, well, mud... which looked a lot cooler than you might think!  The more I think about that film, the more I want it to win stuff.

Also, I would be letting you down as an Oscar trivia aficionado and feminist if I didn't mention here the fun fact that Mudbound cinematographer Rachel Morrison is the first woman ever nominated in this category and WHAT THE HECK TOOK SO LONG?!

Additionally, a new CNN story reports that she at first didn't even want to win because she wanted her competition, Roger Deakins, who is nominated for Blade Runner 2049, to win; this is his 14th nomination and he still has never won. Basically, I guess we can all be happy if either of those films wins for Cinematography, eh?

Darkest Hour is a weird nom here and I think it's a non-factor...I guess all the filming in underground spaces was skilled work and all, but...I don't think it will win.

Now, if Guillermo del Toro does not win for directing The Shape of Water, another distinct possibility is Get Out's Jordan Peele. There is a lot of love for this film and for the somewhat out-of-nowhere-ness of it, and for the fun-fact-ness of  Peele being the first African-American to be nominated at once for Best Picture (as a producer), Directing, and Screenplay. I don't personally think Get Out is the best film of the year, but I am not opposed to a Directing win here... I just think I'm a tiny bit more behind Guillermo's (weird!) visionary directing achievement. This category is very interesting because it also has Greta Gerwig, and we all know (don't we, though) how damn rare Directing nominations for women are, sheesh. I feel the same about her Lady Bird achievement as I do about Peele's, I think - it was great. I won't be mad and throw things if it wins, but I just don't think it was necessarily the best. While this category did have diversity this year, and thanks for that Hollywood amiright?!, there are still a couple of white guys - the aforementioned Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson. Here's what I think about PTA winning for Phantom Thread: no. Just no, please. That movie is also weird, but more annoying weird than bizarre-o visionary fable weird. I am well aware that there are people, including a person I live with, who vehemently disagree with me on this point. Don't care. I'm 100% not about Phantom Thread.

And so....
Cinematography: My pick is Mudbound.  I think it might go to her or to Blade Runner 2049...but, hard to call. It's not out of the question that The Shape of Water sweeps a ton of categories, so...
Directing: I'm good with Guillermo for The Shape of Water. I think it will be him or possibly Nolan or Peele.

My Previous Days of Oscar:
Day 5: Adapted Screenplay and Original Screenplay
Day 4: Supporting Actor and Lead Actress
Day 3: Production Design and Costume Design
Day 2: Editing and Original Score
Day 1: Sound Mixing and Sound Editing