Best Director
Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
A mixture of veteran and newbies to the whole Oscar race: Oscar-winning Howard will almost certainly gain a spot for his compelling work with talking heads on Frost/Nixon, while former Best Screenplay nominee Nolan may just get his shot for his foreboding but exciting The Dark Knight. Boyle and Fincher should see their first nods for delicately handling dark material, but Aronofsky is our only wild card for his unflinching look at the end of a pro-wrestler’s life.
Also for your consideration: Gus Van Sant’s appealing view of Harvey Milk in Milk could easily knock off one of those guys, as could Mike Leigh for his positivity in Happy-Go-Lucky; Sam Mendes for his relentless view on stifled suburban life in Revolutionary Road; and even possibly Andrew Stanton for his entirely delightful WALL-E.
Check our past Oscar Watches:
Best Picture
Best Actors
Best Actresses