Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu won the Directors Guild of America Award last year for Birdman. He also won the Best Director Oscar last year. And now I’m worried that he’s going to repeat. Maybe I’m utterly alone here, but I absolutely loathed Birdman and I’m avoiding The Revenant like the torture-p0rn plague that it is. Inarritu is a technically brilliant director and there are so many shots and setups that I don’t even understand. But his films are beautiful nothingness – they’re severely plot-challenged and at the end of the day, why should I care? Why would any of us care?
Anyway, Inarritu won the DGA Award this weekend for The Revenant. The guild awards – whether it’s the SAGs, DGAs, WGAs – are some of the best indicators for who will win the Oscar. And so Inarritu made history by being the first director to win two DGA Awards in a consecutive years, and he might make history by being the third director to win two Oscars in row in the same category (John Ford was the first, winning in 1939 and 1940, then Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1949 & 1950). This is something that hasn’t happened in more than 65 years. So will it happen? That’s the thing… even though the DGA just upped Inarritu’s chances significantly, I do wonder if the Academy is just looking for a reason to give Best Director and Best Picture to any film other than The Revenant. It feels like The Big Short is coming up, as is Spotlight.
When Inarritu won, he apparently “fought back tears” and talked about his late father. He said, in part: “I never expected to win this award, truly. I’m… paralyzed. Tough men don’t cry, that’s what Ridley Scott said today.” He also spoke about what it’s been like for him to be embraced as a Mexican director, and how “this embrace is going to a whole country.” After his win, he even slammed Donald Trump for Trump’s plan to “build a wall”: “The power of this country is diversity. Building a wall betrays that.” You can read more about the winners and the DGAs here at Variety.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I hope he doesn’t win. I’m one of the few who thinks Linklater was robbed last year. Bird man was a terrible film. Haven’t seen The Revenant, but it wasn’t made for me.
I couldn’t even get through the first half an hour of Birdman. Total crap. So I won’t go see Leo vs the Bear either
Same. I found it to be a snoozefest, after all the hype
Me too. I checked it out because it’s supposed to be about the industry and I’m always curious about subcultures. I could not get through the first 10 minutes.
Linklater was ROBBED last year! Thieves!
I’m also of the opinion that Innaritu is all flash, no bang. Long tracking shots, gorgeous scenery, Important Drama – yeah, but I’ve never cared about any of his characters. I did go see the Revenant – because Domhnall – and my opinion didn’t change.
Unpopular opinion: Tom Hardy was the worst thing in the Revenant.
Domhnall was gorgeous though 😍
Thank you Tom Hardy was awful! So glad I found someone who agrees😜😜😜
Wow, they’ve spent so much money on this movie’s awards campaign. Every awards consultant known to man indeed.
Leo looks good and de bloated here.
This director is not my bag, and Leo’s given Innaritu his biggest US Box Office domestic gross with The Revenant (worldwide still counting) – who would have thunk – so he owes Leo love I guess.
The Revenant deffo has an audience as it has beat up the other faves in BO receipts, but I hope The Big Short wins best picture.
I was underwhelmed by both The Big Short and Spotlight. They were fine but nothing special, and none of the male performers were as good as Paul Dano in Love and Mercy. I agree that Boyhood was a better film than Birdman, but I enjoyed- if that’s the right word – The Revenant.
As someone who experienced abuse, “Spotlight” hit it on the head for me. It was hard to watch, hard to handle afterward, but I loved the film. It really tugged at the wound. To where I literally, wanted to leave my house and go burn down a church. Which is what I want to do to my abusers house every single day. That movie was so much for me. And I kept my abuse secret from 1987 until 2013
That was a horrible, vile experience for you Bonnie, and I respect your perspective. The Spotlight story needed to be told. I thought it could have been told better. But if it’s helping survivors in even the smallest way, that’s great.
I love Alejandro Innaritu. I’ve loved his films since his breakout hit AMORES PERROS and i’m so happy he is finally being recognised.
Revenant is so good. I just watched it yesterday. Great movie
I thought he was the best last year so I was very happy for him. George Miller was the best this year and i adore him so I am a bit sad but glad it did not go to some tepid film like Big Short or Spotlight.
Urgh “beautiful nothingness” sums up most of Inarritu’s films, and Chivo (who is a genius) is responsible for the beauty. Miller deserved this. Maybe he should whine more about how tough Fury Road was to make? Stop being so nice, George, and start complaining loudly! He’s still a chance at the Oscars, though, because Ridley Scott isn’t nominated (at the DGA Scott took ‘respected veteran’ votes from Miller).
I also thought Birdman was way overhyped. The Revenant sounds like a Monty Python movie about a guy who just won’t die. Plus, I’m not spending money on movies that feature little to no women in front/behind the camera.
It is your choice not to support those films, as others won’t pay to see a not diverse film.
I am a woman and I do not want to watch drama for personal reasons, and movies are expensive to watch where I live, anyway; but I do have to admit that there are amazing stories that have been told and are deserving even if they are told from a. Male perspective or a certain ethnicity, not my own.
Some movies and its story and imagery just stick to you, regardless of the gender of the person.
The actual story of frontiersman Hugo Glass’ struggle to survive is an amazing one…and a stunning look back at the fortitude that people HAD to have, generally to merely survive on a daily basis. To call the story “torture porn” is silly- it’s a story of human will.
You may not care for Dicaprio, and yes, some details of the story were changed…but it’s still far more than a Saw movie.
Torture porn refers to style, not story. Touching The Void is a similar story of survival but no one would say the film they made of it wallowed in pain.
If he and McCarthy split the vote, I can totally see Adam Mckay winning best director. He is not a fluke.
I liked his early movies amores Perros and bable.
His movies generally lacks strong female characters though. I think he’s a very male director. And weirdly also seems to more and more be making movies from a white male perspective. Maybe he should work in Mexico again. Might be more interesting to see what he comes up with there.
He has always made films from a male perspective, so if you complain about the ‘male perspective’ you might as well complain about his entire career.
He has never left Mexico vis a vis his films. Of 15 films he has directed, only 3 are purely about North America and from the ‘white’ perspective. Ditto films he has written/produced.
He speaks very proudly of his Mexican heritage and supports Mexican artists. That seems to have been ignored by the general rush to condemn him for his past 2 films.
There are many directors who do the same ie have a block of back to back ‘white’ films, and who are lauded and respected, and no one accuses them of contributing to the problem eg Ang Lee, Wayne Wang, Antoine Fuqua to name a few.
I want Chivo Lubezki to win cinematography more that Gonzalez Iñarritu. I still think Crimson Peak needed 2 or 3 noms for its artistic work in creating the house. The feels.
The Gonzalez Iñarritu Film that I’ve liked best is Amores Perros. Too much drama to me.
Bird man was an intriguing film, probably catered more to stage persons.
Oh, Hannah, don’t make me defend Alejandro, please. I understand directors from a certain country finally branching out and being able to tell other type of stories. In Mexico they grew up watching Mexican cinema, I kid you not, the 3 amigos have been there and done that. They have the right to tell other type of stories too, if they wish so. There are others who might be comfortable telling only stories from their ethnics/ cultural point of view, others like them, are open. They have not changed their names to appear less Mexican, like others have to, to get jobs.
Yes, Crimson Peak deserved nominations for production design and costume design. If it had made a lot of money like Cinderella I’m sure it would have been nominated for something.
I loathed Birdman. I wanted my time reimbursed! But I’ve got to give it to Alejandro for The Revenant. The cinematography is truly cinematic and sweeping and he uses that to further the story. It’s a big investment 2h36mins – and Tom Hardy irritated me throughout – that voice is just so Bane! But overall I’d give both Leo and Alejandro their Oscars. And without doubt, I think Spotlight should win for best picture. IMHO…
I liked Revenant and I was fascinated by many scenes. And so I am appalled that looks like Alejandro’s supposed technical brilliancy stems from stealing basically every second scene from Tarkovskij. I hope Academy does not support such “creativity”.
I get being inspired by other directors but he’s far too fond of copying other films – not just Tarkovsky in this one but Terrence Malick too.
Lubezki, Alejandro’s usual cinematographer, worked with Malick in Tree of Life.
I hated the birdman, only got through half an hour but the revenent is a masterpiece!!!! It is a very different movie and worth watching. There wasn’t a sound from the audience during the movie. Everybody was entranced! He deserves every award he gets.
I thought Birdman was crap, too, and I haven’t liked many of his recent films, although I do want to see The Revenant since I’m a ho for great cinematography. He does have some good films in him, though–Amores Perros is one of my favorites.
The Revenant takes a cliched theme and turns it into a beautiful masterpiece. It’s an evocation of man vs nature, not a plot-driven film.
This is just a test. Having keyboard issues and can’t comment on Facebook.