Monday, February 19, 2018

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The Unexpected: Director, 1982









Richard Attenborough for Gandhi

Attenborough has three hours to cover 55 years of complex politics in South Africa and India, all specifically contextualized around the life and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. The scale is staggering, and it's admirable that he pulls it off. But he is often overwhelmed by the man at the center, not to the point of not knowing what to do, but at the risk of complexity. His veneration makes for a fascinating, gorgeous, well-acted movie...with not enough bite. At least he knows his strengths!

Sidney Lumet in The Verdict

Frank's closing argument is an encapsulation of Lumet's talents, a single take that takes in the towering set and ensemble, gradually pushing in as Newman's character becomes more certain of his until his powerful summation in close-up. It's not just the one scene, though; Lumet brings this same attention to every single scene, every element of filmmaking executed to its fullest potential, without bludgeoning. This is the master at work.

Wolfgang Petersen for Das Boot

Highly personal, inescapably suffocating - and on a grand scale! Petersen mines suspense from a story of wartime ennui, herding his large ensemble for singing, dancing, boredom, despair, dread... It's a movie with a lot of feelings, with Petersen putting the excitement and horror of war on full display.

Sydney Pollack for Tootsie

An actor's director, so no surprise that every performance - including his own - is delicious, not a false note struck. Indeed, he's extremely trusting, and the manic comic energy in certain scenes can be credited to his comfort with letting them play with each other, as well as to an appreciation and understanding of comedy that extends to the editing room.

Steven Spielberg for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

I don't think anyone else could have gotten such authentic, emotional performances from those kids. Too, no one nails wonder like Spielberg, and scenes like E.T. showing them "home" or making his machine or even leaving are awe-inspiring. The scenes with sick E.T.? Harrowing, traumatic even. Superbly done.


Attenborough, to his aforementioned surprise, won. I obviously wouldn't vote his way, but nor would I have gone for Spielberg. No, friends, the box I'm ticking belongs to....


(As for the 2017 lineup:
Paul Thomas Anderson - *****
Greta Gerwig - *****
Guillermo del Toro - ****
Jordan Peele - ****
Christopher Nolan - ***)

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at Best Adapted Screenplay: Das Boot, MissingSophie's ChoiceThe Verdict and Victor/Victoria.

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