by Nathaniel R
Sam Mendes was an acclaimed theater director when American Beauty hit the scene in 1999 asking audiences to "look closer" in its promotional material. They did. The film went on to become a sleeper hit and then a very big one and eventually win the Oscar for Best Picture and Best Director among others. Mendes is likely to repeat that trick at this year's Oscars 20 years later even though his film career in the interim hasn't been noteworthy enough to scream "2 time director winner!" But then Hilary Swank has two Oscars and Renee Zellweger is likely to join her while Close, Bening, Pfeiffer, Weaver, Garland, Stanwyck, Dunne, and many other genius actresses from Hollywood history have none so this is the way it goes sometimes...
Sadly, the DGA victory for Mendes, and thus his one shot cinematic trick 1917, is likely to spell the end of the tension around what might win a formerly very hard to predict race for the top Oscar. It would take a herculean stroke of luck (or campaign effort) for Parasite or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to now pull a Moonlight and manage a surprise win at the Oscars, even though they're both superior films to 1917. Like 1917 they're intense feats of directorial precision but they're not quite as "look at me!" showy about that and are thus easier to dismiss if people don't 'look closer'.
Though we like 1917 just fine, it's not half as likely to be remembered in 50 years time since the other films presumed to have an actual shot at Best Picture are such individualistic triumphs from famed auteurs rather than another gorgeously executed example of a genre (the war film) that regular wins praise and awards but doesn't cling to the collective imagination. In short: there will definitely be another beautifully executed war drama winning prizes in another 10 years (if not much sooner) but there won't be another Parasite or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood ever again.
But let's not get too defeatist about it.
Taiki Waititi lost but always gives good photo-op
Ava DuVernay and Bong Joon Ho both lost but they're in very good company!
Mendes is a good director and 1917 is a neat trick and our favourite thing about the Directors Guild Awards is that the program actually celebrates all the nominees since they get plaques, podium time, and photo ops.
Plus Mendes wasn't the only winner of the DGA. Here's the complete list and we're happy to see Nicole Kassell and Alma Har'el in the list:
Sam Mendes with his leading men
Alma Har'el with Catherine Hardwicke
Director, Theatrical Motion Picture - Sam Mendes, 1917
First Time Feature Director - Alma Har'el, Honey Boy
Director, Dramatic Series - Nicole Kassell, Watchmen "It's Summer and We're Running out of Ice"
Stephen Williams and Nicole Kassell were both nominated for directing episodes of Watchmen. Kassell triumphed.
Director, Comedy Series - Bill Hader, Barry "ronny/lily"
Director, TV Miniseries - Johan Renck, Chernobyl
Director, VarietyTalk/News Special - James Burrows and Andy Fisher All in the Family The Jeffersons: Live in Front of A Studio Audience
Director, Documentary - Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert, American Factory