11 Directors Who Won Oscars For Completely The Wrong Movie
3. Alfonso Cuaron
Won For... Gravity
Should Have Won For... Children Of Men
Gravity is a good film and Alfonso Cuaron's work on it was happily well celebrated with his Best Director win, but it wasn't his finest work. It wasn't even his third finest.
The director could have won for Y Tu Mama Tambien. If the Academy had any sort of affection for populist franchises, he wouldn't have been unfairly rewarded for his exceptional transformation of the Harry Potter franchise for The Prisoner Of Azkaban. But he definitely SHOULD have won for Children Of Men.
Stunningly, the film wasn't even nominated in 2007 when it was overlooked in favour of No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Michael Clayton, Juno and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. It was more deserving than three of those at least.
But the argument here is in its superiority over Gravity, which is unquestionable. Watch those extended single-shot sequences or listen to Cuaron's use of sound and music and his skill in crafting atmosphere and tension is unquestionable. It's a masterpiece of directing sorely overlooked.