Mendes Overtakes Tarantino/Joon-ho

One of my big ‘out-there’ predictions for most of this awards season was that the Academy would not give Best Director to predictor favourites Sam Mendes or Bong Joon-ho, but to one Mr. Quentin Tarantino. I know no one else has been predicting this but allow me to explain my thinking.

Tarantino has by far the best narrative of any of the nominees. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is his penultimate film (allegedly) and he’s never won Best Director before (despite his OUATIH nomination being his third in the category). If the rumours are true and he goes with something less Academy-friendly for his final film, like Star Trek or Kill Bill: Vol. 3, then this could be his last chance to win the award. Mendes and Joon-ho just don’t have narratives this strong (and the narrative is extremely important). Sam Mendes has already won Best Director, for American Beauty at the 2000 ceremony. Bong Joon-ho is picking up his first nomination for Parasite, so he’s hardly overdue, and he’s got plenty of gas left in the tank to pick up another one.

Hence why I thought Tarantino was the secret front runner. However, as the night of February 9th draws closer, I must concede defeat. Of the awards shows that tend to give an indication of the Oscar front runners, Tarantino has not won a single award for his directing (which tends to be overshadowed by his screenwriting but deserves praise in it’s own right). Meanwhile, Mendes has won the Golden Globe, the Critic’s Choice and the final nail in my Tarantino prediction’s coffin, the Director’s Guild of America award.

Mendes is now the front runner for Best Director. I’m not devastated by this – he must be a great director to coordinate all the moving parts present in 1917 – but it would have been nice to see Tarantino get it, or Bong Joon-ho. Ah well, can’t win ’em all.