30 Oscar losers that should have been Oscar winners
By Emily Scott
Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) losing to Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) – Best Director (2011)
The Winner
Tom Hooper for The King’s Speech, the period biopic about the man who would become King George VI. Colin Firth plays the king, who struggles with a speech impediment that makes him question his fitness for the monarchy. Tom Hooper would go on to make Les Misérables and The Danish Girl.
The Loser
Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan, a psychological drama about a ballerina trying to achieve perfection. Natalie Portman stars, Mila Kunis co-stars. Darren Aronofsky also directed both The Wrestler and The Fighter (which I always confuse). He reteamed with Portman this year for Jackie.
Why It Was Wrong
Oh, Aronofsky. Always a bridesmaid. Seriously, this guy turns out consistently great work and never seems to win for it. And Black Swan is arguably his best work to date. Tom Hooper is great too, don’t get me wrong. His directing style is perfect for a story like The King’s Speech. But if we are comparing these two movies? Aronofsky is the hands-down winner.
The King’s Speech is relatively straightforward as a story. While Hooper worked well with it, the charge was not exactly difficult. On the other hand, Aronofsky was asked to find a way to represent obsession with perfection, magical elements, and questionable sanity. This presents a greater challenge to a director, as well as greater opportunities.
Additionally, because the story is about ballet, he had to find a way to capture the movement and magic of that art form on a screen. Not a simple task, but Aronofsky found a way to do it. The King’s Speech is great, and Hooper’s directing in it is great. But Aronofsky definitely had a harder job. And, in my opinion, he ultimately made the better movie. So I have to rule on his side on this one.