9. No Best Director For Mike Leigh (Mr Turner)
Obviously the Best Director category is a particularly hard-fought one, where inclusion is arguably more prestigious than the Best Film recognition, but there must surely have been room for Mike Leigh. The British directing legend deserved it on the strength of the film's direction, even if it wasn't as "important" or weighty as some of the competitors, but it's not just that. In recognising the Cinematography work of Dick Pope, without acknowledging Leigh as director, the Academy have effectively suggested that the director had no role in calling the shots, which is obscene. Snubbing Spall is somewhat more forgivable, given the strength of the acting category, but Leigh should have been in there (even if calling who he would replace is by no means an easy task). Perhaps it's time to expand the Best Directors category in line with the Best Films. Why It Went Wrong... Mr Turner was very much a performance movie, ruled entirely by Timothy Spall's leading turn, which is perhaps what distracted