Oscars 2018: 5 Awards The Academy Got Right (And 8 They Got Wrong)

by James Hunt

1. Best Director - Guillermo del Toro, The Shape Of Water

The Shape Of Water
Fox Searchlight

Who Should've Won: Christopher Nolan

Guillermo del Toro does some wonderful direction on The Shape of Water, and he realises a vision that is purely his. It's the deserving Best Picture winner but, on this occasion, the Academy should've split the awards between Picture and Director.

Nolan's Dunkirk may not be the director's best movie, but it's definitely up there in terms of his oeuvre and represents pure filmmaking. He's a director who talks a lot about what cinema is and should be, and while the full merits of what he says are debatable, when you see Dunkirk you're seeing his belief in what *cinema* is. It's an incredibly crafted spectacle that explodes on the screen; the kind of fully immersive experience that makes your ears bleed, eyes burst, and heart pound.

What do you think the Oscars got right/wrong? Share your thoughts down in the comments.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.