I went to see Life of Pi for the second time yesterday and, damn, I don't get the praise towards it.

Yes, visually beautiful, but it is also frankly a bore in the middle (mostly due to the leading actor just not being able to captivate the audiences). And, hell, Ang Lee needs a better editor at last. He has yet to made a SINGLE film that wasn't overlong and didn't drag at some point. Even Brokeback Mountain, which I enjoyed a lot and which was superior to Life if Pi, had severe pacing issues. *sigh*

And don't get me started on Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon...

I find it enchanting and fascinating from start to finish. The second act is pure cinema. A triumph of visual storytelling.

I enjoyed Life of Pi, but I agree that it's overrated. It is a visual treat but the last third of it drags it down quite a bit.

I wonder if there will be Haneke/Spielberg tension at the Oscar luncheon. Haneke has described Schindler's List as stupid.

That's embarrassing.

I have seen a couple of interview with Haneke and he usually comes across as arrogant, overly pretentious and overall rather unpleasant.

I don't get how you managed to mistype BM like this.

He went to the Magnus Typing School.

Magna cum laude.

Did you read mine above, bitch?

This category is getting pretty interesting. It seems that people aren't generally not feeling Lincoln is a special directorial achievement for Spielberg, but without Affleck and Bigelow, is being the default choice good enough to win? I'm still thinking Ang Lee, if he could win BAFTA, has a shot here.

Haneke in a monster upset.

Yeah, I could see that happen too, with Amour taking its own Best Picture category in Best Foreign language and original screenplay.

I agree.

It is Spielberg vs. Haneke. I certainly don't see Ang Lee. The Academy has never favored him much and a director winning twice without ever winning BP? I don't know...

David O. Russell simply can't win. I just can't believe that. For Zeitlin, the nomination is the reward.

But Haneke could surprise. I still don't think he will, but this is the possible upset of the night.

Honestly, I think Lee has a much better chance than Haneke.

Still without Affleck or Bigelow, this one is all Spielberg.

http://www.worldofkj.com/article.php?i=737

Eleven now.

So does the list only include those who have never been nominated for any Oscar of any kind? Because I would place some of those directors from the list at the bottom over most of the directors from the 12 11

Yes.

Roeg (he's still alive?! lol), Carpenter and Sally Potter will never get one, I presume.

The rest could happen (though in Winterbottom's and Loach's cases I also doubt it strongly).

It might sound crazy, but if Argo really wins BP, then I believe Best Director might go to Haneke...

Makes sense. There seems to be little love behind Lincoln outside of Daniel Day Lewis

and Tommy Lee Jones, but I still think Spielberg wins/

I wouldn't call Tommy Lee's one significant win, love, but it is certainly a good indicator that he will win.

The category is crazy and, IMO, feels underwhelming because it seems like everyone knows that if Affleck had been nominated, he'd be winning this with ease.

He has won the Golden Globe, the DGA, the BFCA and the BAFTA awards. I don't believe there is a single director with this track recod in one year that still did not win BD at the Oscars, let alone did not even get nominated!!

People were talking about BP being the consolation prize for Argo. I see it differently now. It feels like BD will actually be the consolation prize to whatever movie that will lose to Argo.