Sam's Oscar Outlook: Best Director

Mar. 7—Many moons ago, in 1929, the first best director prize was handed out to Frank Borzage. He directed the best picture nominee "7th Heaven" that year. A few years later, he won the same award for directing "Bad Girl," another best picture nominee.

Frank might seem like a semi-random subject to kick things off, but what if I told you he had Luzerne County roots? His father was a coal miner in Hazleton before the Borzaga family moved west.

One generation separates the mines of Luzerne County from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The only one of this year's best director nominees who lived at the same time as Frank Borzage is Martin Scorsese, the legendary point man of "Killers of the Flower Moon." It's possible that the film person I have talked about the most in my writing days is Marty, both positively and negatively. His film is overlong, a little unfocused and not my cup of tea, but the man can still run with a theme. His explorations of white collar crime are iconic, and, in that regard, "Killers" is a worthy addition to the Scorsese extended universe.

The director whose work this year most reflects Scorsese's style, besides the man himself, is Justine Triet on "Anatomy of a Fall." I'm unfamiliar with her other films, but she appears to be very procedural and deliberate when it comes to unraveling a crime. Triet's nomination got lost in the outrage over Greta Gerwig's "snub" in this category, which is really too bad. There is room for more than one woman in the best director conversation (see: 2020). Let's not forget the voice that Triet shared in her film (and her script).

There are two directors nominated for international films this year. Besides Triet, Jonathan Glazer is nominated for directing "The Zone of Interest." In terms of ambition and voice, maybe the two most important elements I look for in a best director nominee, this is the best work of the year. Glazer took some massive creative swings to create the macabre world of "Zone."

Every visual and auditory decision stunned me.

On every level, Glazer nailed it.

Yorgos Lanthimos is a best director nominee again, this time for "Poor Things." Were the field not so strong this year, Lanthimos would be a major contender to win. His film is nominated across the board and the performances he got out of his cast of actors are incredible. Lanthimos assembled a team of storytelling geniuses, pulling some frequent collaborators while uplifting others from obscurity. Keeping everything coherent in an unhinged film like "Poor Things" is an accomplishment in and of itself.

Christopher Nolan is the talk of the town for directing "Oppenheimer," one of the biggest and best films of his illustrious career.

The Academy has denied Nolan in the past, sometimes in egregious fashion. They may struggle to do it again.

"Oppenheimer" is one of the biggest Oscar juggernauts released in my lifetime, and it brings out all of Nolan's most unique tendencies. I would argue he actually steps his game up for this one, elevating what is already immense talent to become something more.

This is an auteur at the height of his power.

After thoroughly discussing 22 Oscar categories, there's only one place to go from here. With 10 best picture nominees and only five best director nominees, half of the best options are left out of the latter lineup. Make no mistake: Crafting a best picture nominee makes you one of the best directors. Remember that tomorrow as we close our journey.