1. Andrew Bovell - A Most Wanted Man
A Most Wanted Man is based on the novel by John Le Carré, the famed espionage author who penned such Cold War classics as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Le Carré's real name is actually David John Moore Cornwell and he was an actual British spy during the 1950's and early 1960's until the infamous Cold War traitor, Kim Philby, blew his cover (partially the basis for Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy), forcing Le Carré to go into the novel writing business full time. Le Carré's history with the Oscars actually goes back a way, starting with a few nominations for the film adaptation of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and continuing with more nominations for adaptations such as The Constant Gardner. In his novel A Most Wanted Man, Le Carré explored the trials and tribulations of an illegal Islamic immigrant to Germany, who happens to get entangled with that nation's intelligence agency's battles in the War on Terror. The film stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the central figure of German intelligence pulling all the strings behind the scenes, but also includes a solid supporting cast with the likes of Robin Wright, Willem Dafoe, Daniel Brühl, and Rachel McAdams. The film's sleek first trailer has been released, and if you haven't seen it yet, I urge you to check it out, if for nothing else then to see Phillip Seymour Hoffman speak with a German accent. The film's script is written by Australian Andrew Bovell, who doesn't have a lot that pops out of his filmography, but this may prove incidental as the real reason I have included this film on the list is Le Carré. The last adaptation of Le Carré, Tomas Alfredson's Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, managed to get screenwriters Peter Straughan and the late Bridget O'Connor Oscar nominations. The twisting-turning nature of such an espionage novel as A Most Wanted Man strikes me as the type of sufficiently "writer-y" screenplay that writers may stick up for even if Bovel's name doesn't carry much weight or if the members of other branches of the Academy decide to totally ignore the film. The real wild card for the film and it's Oscar chances may be director Anton Corbijn. Corbijn got his start as a still photographer for rock bands, eventually graduating to directing music videos, such as Nirvana's music video for "Heart Shaped Box". As a feature film director, Corbijn has done two movies, the first one, Control, appropriately being a music biopic focused on Joy Division's lead singer Ian Curtis, and the second one being the George Clooney-starring spy thriller, The American. While I personally was quite enamored with singular stylistic focus of The American, many others weren't, and if A Most Wanted Man is as oratorically reserved as The American, then you definitely can kiss its chances at a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination goodbye. Hopefully though, the writers above all other members of the Academy, will keep an open mind.
Well, that wraps up my coverage of 2014's Best Adapted Screenplay race, but if you think I left a movie or two on the cutting room floor that should have been included, let me know in the comments section below.