But I think Mel was the Best Director.
I hated the ending of La La, and Whiplash...ugh. Not sure why the love-fest.
I saw zero standing ovations or applause at La La, but plenty in every theater with Hacksaw Ridge.
I know others will be happy you won, not me. But I still give congratulations.
"Guys like you don't die on toilets." Mel Gibson-Riggs, Lethal Weapon
Hacksaw ridge admittedly panders to american culture. In no other country but America will people stand up and give an ovation for a movie at an average theatre (Unless you're at Cannes, lol). Asides from that, have you seen any of the other nominees? Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, and Arrival were all much better directed than Hacksasw Ridge. Not to say it isn't horrible (or even good), but the direction itself of that film is competent, nothing more.
shareHacksaw Ridge was a character film that forgot about its character for like a third of the movie.
It's okay but not great. There are better war films and better films in that category.
If anything, this is the kind of comment that will only inspire unnecessary criticism against Mel and Hacksaw Ridge while it's possible to enjoy his film and La La Land, like I did. So, if you're a fan of Mel's work, why are you putting your opinion in such a way that you'll be likely to hear nasty things about Mel?
Mel's directing is top-notch, but it mostly shows during the battle sequences, let's say the third act of the film. In the case of La La Land, the directing is stylish and showy from beginning to end, it can sound like a criticism, sometimes it is, but this is a specific case where the directing and the storytelling are in total symbiosis, like in Goodfellas.
And that Chazelle is really one hell of a director, he's like a jazzman, he knows how to be energetic and he knows how to play it smooth. Many moments, I found myself thinking "Chazelle is really begging for that Oscar" but seriously, for such a spectacular movie that manages to be original and sometimes heartbreaking even by telling a story we've a seen thousand times, he deserves it.
Darth Vader is scary and I The Godfather