So I Watched All Of The Best Director Nominees With My Mom And Here's What We Thought

"I was bored after the first 15 minutes." –my mom

My mom and I are opinionated people who love movies (though she prefers "accurate" to "opinionated"), so it fits that we decided to watch all of the 2021 Best Director nominees and score them.

My mom, Nancy, very much has that classy suave x-factor.

I do not.

Here are our Best Director thoughts and scores.

Another Round, directed by Thomas Vinterberg

Zentropa Entertainments

Basic idea: A group of high school teachers decides to work with a consisent BAC of 0.05%.

Our scores for Best Director:

Zentropa Entertainments

Nancy: What terrific range to direct, from sober to drunk, morose to jazz ballet dancing, in groups to alone. This director had a lot to do, and did it well. Score: 7/10

Hope: The entire movie was well done, and the last scene was positively flawless, but other than that scene, the film didn’t stand out to me as being worthy of winning Best Director. Score: 7/10

Mank, directed by David Fincher

Netflix

Basic idea: In the 1930s, Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) writes the Citizen Kane screenplay.

Our scores for Best Director:

Netflix

Nancy: I think even a 1940s director would’ve done a better job. Score: 3/10

Hope: Look, it’s not my thing. Everything dripped of precious nonsense. Score: 3/10 (Looking back on this score, like, two weeks later, I see I was being kind.)

Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung

Plan B Entertainment

Basic idea: In the 1980s, a Korean American family moves to Arkansas in order to farm.

Our scores for Best Director:

Plan B Entertainment

Nancy: The directing is what made this movie unforgettable. Score: 9/10

Hope: Flawless, except there was one fade and I hate fades. Score: 9.5/10

Nomadland, directed by Chloé Zhao

Cor Cordium Productions

Basic idea: A woman (Frances McDormand) lives in her van and travels throughout the United States as a "nomad."

Our scores for Best Director:

Cor Cordium Productions

Nancy: What Zhao made was a pastoral. This is visually beautiful, and gorgeously assembled, but there is no through line or gripping story questions, and the plot was clunky, so I was bored after the first 15 minutes. I understand that many of these people were civilians and nonprofessional actors and that may have been a challenge to direct, so… Score: 7.5/10

Hope: Yes, definitely. While it isn't my style, the direction made this movie the best version of itself. Score: 9/10

Promising Young Woman, directed by Emerald Fennell

Focus Features

Basic idea: An ex-med student (Carey Mulligan) seeks revenge on her best friend's rapist and everyone who failed to hold him accountable.

Our scores for Best Director:

Focus Features

Nancy: I suppose she did what she could with a flawed screenplay. I love Fennell in The Crown. Score: 6/10

Hope: I could not love it more. The choice to have everything feel so traditionally feminine — the colors, the hair, the music, the clothing — put the overlooked power of femininity in each moment. This movie is my exact taste in vibe. Score: 10/10

So here are our rankings and winners for Best Director:

Nancy:

1. Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung: 9/10 **WINNER**
2. Nomadland, directed by Chloé Zhao: 7.5/10
3. Another Round, directed by Thomas Vinterberg: 7/10
4. Promising Young Woman, directed by Emerald Fennell: 6/10
5. Mank, directed by David Fincher: 3/10

Hope:

1. Promising Young Woman, directed by Emerald Fennell: 10/10 **WINNER**
2. Minari, directed by Lee Isaac Chung: 9.5/10
3. Nomadland, directed by Chloé Zhao: 9/10
4. Another Round, directed by Thomas Vinterberg: 7/10
5. Mank, directed by David Fincher: 3/10

The Oscars are this Sunday, April 25, at 8 p.m. on ABC!