Every year, we have a series of conversations about which awards are better indicators/prognosticators of the Oscars. Year after year, the Golden Globes become more and more relevant, honestly, which is why it feels like the Oscar campaign team behind A Star Is Born is freaking out this week. But that being said, an even better indicator for the Oscars will always be the various guild awards – the Screenwriters Guild, the Producers Guild, SAG-AFTRA and of course the Directors Guild of America. Thankfully for A Star Is Born, the Directors Guild still loves Bradley Cooper. They just don’t love Barry Jenkins. Or women. The nominations:
Feature Film
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Peter Farrelly, Green Book
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Adam McKay, ViceFirst-Time Feature Film
Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade
Bradley Cooper, A Star is Born
Carlos López Estrada, Blindspotting
Matthew Heineman, A Private War
Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother YouDocumentary
Morgan Neville, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
RaMell Ross, Hale County This Morning, This Evening
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Free Solo
Tim Wardle, Three Identical Strangers
Betsy West and Julie Cohen, RBG
Notable snubs for this year’s DGAs: no female directors. Last year, at least the DGAs gave a nomination to Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird. There’s also no Barry Jenkins for If Beale Street Could Talk, and no Yorgos Lanthimos for The Favorite. That being said, I’m glad it’s not a total whitewash – Spike Lee deserves the nomination for BlacKkKlansman, which is arguably his best film in a decade. The one that sticks out for me is Peter Farrelly for Green Book. I’m going to keep banging this drum – at best, you could make the argument that Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen did good work with what they were given, which was a problematic, disaster-zone script and blah, nothingburger direction.
As for the “first film” nominations…true story, I couldn’t even get through Sorry to Bother You. I watched it for about 30 minutes before turning it off. I get that some people thought it was brilliant, but from what I saw, it just seemed like hipster nonsense. I saw Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, which is the Mr. Rogers documentary, and I loved that. I kind of feel like that peaked too early too, much like A Star Is Born, and now there’s momentum for Three Identical Strangers or RBG.
Note by Celebitchy: I loved Sorry to Bother You and found it so entertaining, funny and deep. It’s bizarre and can be hard to get into so I understand why Kaiser didn’t like it. It’s a clever film with a message that doesn’t hit you over the head or make you feel like you’re missing anything if you take it at face value. I would watch it again and am glad it’s getting recognition. (Thanks for letting me hijack your post Kaiser!)
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Come on Cuaron…
I loved A Star is Born. Bradley made me a believer in his talent. I was stunted at how good he was.
His acting was amazing. He sang well, played guitar, Bradley is the real deal.
I hope he gets Oscar Nominations.
I am with Kaiser on this one, Sorry To Bother You did not hold my attention. My daughter liked it though.
I saw it in theatres. I disagree that the message doesn’t hit you over the head – it’s a very, very obvious message. I thought it was all over the place, honestly. At the end of the day, didn’t much care for it.
Bradley Cooper’s face is so strange, maybe too much fillers and botox
I was trying tori guard out why he looked different. Some kind of fillers in his cheeks or something….
Right?? I feel like every time I come across a picture of him he doesn’t look like whatever I remembered him looking like. It’s SO WEIRD.
He’s starting to look like a combination of Warren Beatty and Michael Douglas, both of whom aged much better than him. It’s really weird, it’s not as if needed the work done.
He’s morphing into Jason Batemen.
To me, he is looking like Barry Manilow. Yikes.
I just came here to second the Barry Manilow comparison
OMG yes. I was really struggling to come up with this. Horrible to say but how does one lose looks so quickly?
Right? Is he ruining his face with surgery or is he just aging?
And it’s not helping the whole serial killer eyes thing he has going on.
@ Natalie It’s not ageing. I like Bradley Cooper, I really do, but whatever the hell he’s doing to his face is NOT the work of nature. Look at The Hangover- that was only filmed about 9 years ago. To look at pictures of him recently, you honestly might a hard time telling it’s the same person, his face is SO changed. And the weirdest part is, I can’t even figure out WHAT exactly is different? I just know it is. His whole profile is different too.
It’s crazy! He’s only 44 and feels the need to have work done. Not that anyone should, but it’s particularly surprising to me that he’d feel the need (or someone has advised him he has the need). God Hollywood truly is a toxic cesspool!
Oh, I’m glad I’m not the only one who immediately thought this.
My actually thought pattern was: “Why does Bradley Cooper look a bit like Barry Manilow? I never noticed that before………..oh, yikes!”
Once someone mentioned the Barry Manilow likeness the other day I can’t I see it. He also had on a tux and was doing a weird pose that didn’t help. I like him as an actor and he wasn’t looking haggard or aging. He also isn’t competing with Channing Tatum for the same roles so a few fine lines won’t hurt his career.
He and Gaga both got new faces and it makes me sad.
Barry Manilow was my first thought too. And yes, can’t unsee.
Omg Barry Manilow.
I used to do side work for a plastic surgeon. By my very unprofessional armchair analysis, I’d say B. Coop is a victim of too much Botox on the forehead, and maybe the upper cheeks. It’s also possible he has too much filler in his cheeks, too–it all looks waxy smooth.
My ultimate take on his look: on any given day, 90% of the people cosmetic doctors work with are women. But what makes a woman appear youthful–full cheeks, smooth skin–is also what is considered feminine. So people like B. Coop go to the doc asking to look more youthful, and the doc does the same work he does on women. B Coop ends up with an almost androgynous look, because the doc is giving him treatments that make women look young, not men.
If I were a dude looking for facial work, I would make sure to go to a doc who knows how to achieve a youthful but MASCULINE look.
Yes he looks like a middle-aged woman, I can’t work out his face. I think he had a nice natural face and would age better going for the more natural/rugged look.
oh man he looks bizarre. he and gaga must have split vials at the same doctor. they both look insane.
family size vials. fillers and botox.
Perhaps he had just gotten his botox and fillers in the first pic and therefore looks a bit no-mime softie in that pic?
Gaga always looks like it hurts her to form any facial expression.
Yes!! I can’t put my finger on what looks different, but his face is just not right. He looks bizarre in these pictures.
his face started to sag pretty bad from the couple of rounds of weight gain and loss. American sniper and Silver linings……..he gained weight for both of those and then lost it quickly. I think he went to the fillers after that instead of waiting out the skin bounce back after weight loss.
To me is the opposite of whatever sexy is.
He really is starting to look…different. I’m not one who usually thinks everyone has had work done, but he has definitely done something. He was cute back in Alias and when he first started getting movie work, but now I find him kind of odd looking.
Right? Who drained all the hot out of him?
An eye lift? Can’t put my finger on it either. But no bueno Bradley.
I’ve never found B Cooper attractive but there’s definitely something off about his face now. After seeing the pics here and before I read the comments it hit me: young Barry Manilow. Glad to see I’m not too out to lunch.
That’s what I came in to say. What the heck is going on with his face?
Wow. He’s starting to look like Liberace.
That’s exactly right! Uncanny.
Holy sh*t, you’re right! If the headline hadn’t mentioned his name I wouldn’t have guessed that was him in the header photo. WTH has he done?!
I see Barry Manilow. Except I like Barry!
Oops. I just posted the same thing above…………..should have scrolled through before posting, sorry!
Me too! I thought of Barry Manilow lol
LOL I was just about to write the same thing. Can’t unsee Barry now … Of all the 100 people we could’ve seen!!
Yes! That’s what it is, Liberace! It really REALLY ages him, and also makes him look genderless in a weird way.
So true! It’s that weird genderlessness and the uncanny valley level of smoothed over – a bit like those morphs where they blend photographs of people together to get the alleged typical face of a specific country.
Hot one minute, looks like a serial killer in the next minute.
Like the Seinfeld episode where the date is only attractive in a particular diner booth!
I swear, I can never remember what Bradley Cooper looks like (I have seen him in several movies and on celeb blogs) and then when I come across a picture of him I’m always surprised that it’s Bradley Cooper because every single time he looks like …. I don’t know, like he should look different? Does this make sense? Anyone else experience this? I’m not doing a good job explaining this.
Wtf happened to his face? The last time he looked vaguely himself was, I think, during the GOTG press junkets.
A beard does wonders for him. He should never shave.
OMG. So THAT’S what it is. That’s why Bradley Cooper never looks like Bradley Cooper when I randomly see a picture of him — I had forgotten about the beard. He literally looks like a different person.
YES. He needs to bring the beard back (and I’m not talking about Irina).
I agree, I think he looks really good with a beard. It really suits some men.
What are you talkin about, the beard is right next to him!
I think he’s a shoe in for best first film. Cuarón will probably (and should!!) take Best Director.
I think Cuarón will take the Oscar too, but Bradley may pull best actor as a concillation prize. Malek still might, but the backlash to the fact of this being Bryan Singer adjacent is growing. Supporting Bohemian Rhapsody supports an alleged sex abuser of underage boys, not great optics for the Academy. And watch out for Bale! He may be the one who walks away with it all, he is one of the elite who gets nominated without campaigning.
Bradley’s acting was stunning in ASisBorn.
I think his competion is the Vice Actor who has previously won a Oscar.
Yikes! That top picture really puts his plastic surgery front and center and not in a good way. He looks like he’s wearing a slowly melting mask that has been stretched too tight over his regular skin.
When is he going play the role he was meant for? Barry Manilow.
LOL! I’m enjoying what appears to be Sam Elliot’s moustache behind him!
I’d like to enjoy Sam Elliot. Any day, any way.
Omg. Barry Manilow is dead on! It’s so odd what’s happened to have face over the past few years.
I say Bradley and Gaga are this year’s Leo Dicaprio. So thirsty, even i need a glass of water each time I read stories about them.
Amen to this.
Omg his face… he’s starting to look like a pulled older lady.
My husband and I watched “Sorry to Bother You” together. We both agreed that’s it’s one of those movies that is better if you smoke marijuana before watching. Since we are both sober, we couldn’t appreciate it. It’s weird. Very weird.
Man, he looks like Barry Manilow in the top picture.. wtf happened?! I thought he was hot in ASIB!! He looks better with facial better.
I don’t think it’s getting the nominations he needs to worry about. He’ll most likely get the nominations he needs to get. WINNING, on the other hand… I’m not sure. A Star is Born has run away with a lot of buzz, it’s certainly been TALKED about a lot in terms of awards, but when it’s come to actually winning it’s struggled.
He looks like a ventriloquist dummy of Barry Manilow in that white suit.
Glad to see Bo Burnham get a nom, think Eighth Grade had such a wonderfully honest feel and look: I really liked 3 Identical Strangers, but the story is the draw, don’t think there was anything too original about the direction.
My brother LOVED Eight Grade. I need to see it!
What the hell is up with Cooper’s face??…
He was sooo adorable in Silver Linings Playbook- and had better chemistry with Jennifer Lawrence than he does with GaGa, imho.
But, yikes…his….face!- Cooper has morphed into Barry Manilow!
I can’t tell if he has had work done to his face, or if he just looks so drastically different when he is clean shaven.
Barry Jenkins should have been nominated. Yikes.
Hey Cooper!- The Year without a Santa Claus called and they want the Freeze Misers face back!…
Message to Bradley Cooper: too much botox and too much fillers. IN the first pic: your mime is gone, dude!
I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who thinks Bradley has had some major plastic surgery, he needs to stop. I’m over these pushy Oscar campaigns, I saw ASIB, it was good, but it’s also a fourth remake and I was already tired of all the Oscar talk before it came out. Everyone talks about how Gaga is hungry for that Oscar but Bradley has had that thirst for years, I think he thinks he’s a modern day Clint Eastwood. I have my fingers crossed for Glenn Close or Olivia Coleman for the Best Actress win and Beale Street or Roma for best picture.
I just saw his movie made almost $400 million on a $36 million budget. Nominations and awards are nice, but considering the financial success (and him being a white male movie star) he’s going to have his pick of stuff to direct.
He looks like he’s been partaking of the Japanese potatoes that so affected Olivia Munn’s jawline as well.
Lmao!
Bradley Cooper has really grown on me. He seems very sincere and obviously hard working. Is it just me or is he starting to look like an aging lady? No matter. I thought A Star is Born was good. He may win First Time Director category but I’m afraid he won’t win in the main category. I do wish he’d stop the charade with the model. Glad she have him a child…one of the better contracted relationships. It is so wrong that the most liberal and creative of industries is the most closeted. Just sad. The fear of losing opportunity really affected many winners/nominees of the Globes this year. I can think of three right off the top that were there with fake girlfriends.
There is too much actual proof of him hitting on women (from the women themselves) and nothing that proves he’s into men. It just seems like someone would have gotten a photo of him making out with a guy or hitting on one by now.
Cooper should have only been nominated in the First Time Director’s category. ASIB was good but not great and this is the 4the remake. Barry Jenkins and a female director should have been nominated. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this the first DGA nomination for Spike Lee? In what universe should Cooper win over Spike Lee or Alfonse Cuaron?
Top pic of poor Bradley:
Roman Polanski plus Barry Manilow plus Liberace stirred not shaken.
I truly didn’t recognize him…who slow down with whatever you’re injecting Bradley.
Bradley does seem to have the support of other major directors like Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg. That’s not too bad.
He looks like Ms. Doubtfire…
Cooper looked way hotter as a grungy rocker in ASIB than IRL. I get asshole vibes from him. Not a fan. Having said that, I do admire his acting in ASIB, he threw himself into that role, but I didn’t see anything hugely remarkable about his direction or Gaga’s acting.
I’m kinda laughing at people bemoaning Bradley Cooper’s loss of hotness. I never found him hot because I could never get his character from Alias out of my mind when I saw him on screen. I still find it a little bizarre that bland boring Will Tippin became a big movie star. lol Having said that, he really *does* look different know. I think it has something to do with the area around his mouth? It’s very tight looking. Weird.
Sorry To Bother You was one of my faves this year. So happy for Boots and also Bo Burnham for Eighth Grade. ♥️ Can You Ever Forgive Me? was another fave, and I can’t believe (I can) that Marielle Heller is not being included at all. And don’t get me STARTED on Barry Jenkins.