Road to the Oscars: Director

          Michael Haneke -- Amour was as close to perfect as a film gets. Anyone who directs such a film deserves to be among those nominated for the Oscar for Directing. His actors gave superb performances under his direction, and the shots were set up cleanly.

   

Benh Zeitlin -- It is quite amazing that Benh made his first feature into a masterpiece. Now, it was amateurish, and the ultra-low budget of $1.8 million shows, but he did what all filmmakers strive to do: he made a movie that tells a good story and connects with the audience. This is what makes him a valid contender.

          Ang Lee -- As a first-time director of a 3D film, Lee had a whole lot of responsibilities. To be able to tackle this enormous task and satisfy fans of the book, Lee shows great talent which deserves to be rewarded.


          Steven Spielberg -- Personally, I don't think Spielberg deserves this nomination spot over Ben Affleck, Quentin Tarantino, or Kathryn Bigelow. So since he is the one who made it, of course I have to blame it on his name. Many film critics tend to bow down to him, and with good reason, but not in this case. I don't think Lincoln could have been that difficult for Spielberg to direct, which is why I wish Ben, Quentin, or Bigelow would have been nominated for directing in foreign land (Argo and Zero Dark Thirty) and such risque subject matter.

          David O. Russell -- I like David a lot, but like Spielberg, I don't think Silver Linings Playbook was a difficult film to make at all and so I don't think he deserves this nomination over the other active directors this year. Amour wasn't ridiculously challenging either, but I don't consider Silver Linings Playbook a near-perfect film the way I do Amour.

          I would be satisfied with any of the first three directors (Michael, Ben, or Ang) winning the Oscar for Directing this year, considering that my picks aren't even nominated.