Directors Guild Announces 2011 Nominations

The Directors Guild of America unveiled their nominations this week for their annual ceremony, and the five selections (as much as the omissions) underscored just how competitive this year will be for filmmakers vying for an Oscar.

Only six times since its inception in 1949 has the DGA’s“Outstanding Directorial Achievements in Motion Pictures” award not matched the Academy Award for“Best Director.”

Christopher Nolan (Inception), Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan), David Fincher (The Social Network), David O. Russell (The Fighter), and Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) received nods for the top prize.

But this leaves worthy directors standing on the outside, like Joel and Ethan Coen who won the award three years ago forNo Country for Old Menand are witnessing a new financial peak in their careers with the $100+ million success ofTrue Grit. It also unfortunately meansThe Kids Are All Right’s Lisa Cholodenko is on the other side of the bubble looking in just one year after Kathryn Bigelow’s groundbreaking win as the first female honoree.

Snubs aside, the five listed men present their own conundrum: any of them could win. Each displayed a near masterful command of the medium, leaning on their respective strengths of storytelling, visuals, and ability to draw great performances, but no one stands out as the clear frontrunner in this crop of immense talent.

Could it be Fincher, whose zeitgeist-capturing drama is the probable pick for“Best Picture?” Or Aronofsky for his genre-twisting mind bender?  Or Nolan for his own thinking man’s thriller? Then you have Hooper and Russell who directed some of the best performances 2010 had to offer, like Colin Firth and Christian Bale’s memorable turns, among others.

Who do you think it should be?

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