The next stop in my tour of guild awards is the Directors Guild of America, to be presented February 7th, 2015. Here is their list of nominees.

(It is worth noting that, as of this writing, I have not seen one of the nominees;  I don’t think that one missing picture precludes me from casting a fictional ballot.)

Best Director – Feature Film: Wes Anderson for The Grand Budapest Hotel

Mr. Anderson well-documented visual meticulousness  (for better of for worse, his work can be identified in a few seconds; clearly, he has a voice and he sticks to it) is put to great service here. However, what truly elevates this film is the combination with the broad (and delicious) comedic performance by Ralph Fiennes. Anderson finds the right tone and displays a lovely, detailed visual creation in every scene.

(A shout-out to Richard Linklater for maintaining a consistent tone during all the production time of Boyhood and to Alejandro G. Iñárritu for the complex dance and great acting in his formally challenging Birdman. Their work was also sublime.)