Clint Eastwood’s real-life Iraq war drama American Sniper has earned the director a nomination at the Directors Guild America awards. Critics have largely welcomed Eastwood’s film, though it had not previously been seen as an awards season heavyweight. Others have been more sceptical about its politics; the film stars Bradley Cooper as Chris Kyle, deemed the deadliest sniper in US military history.
Eastwood, 84, joins fellow nominees Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman) and Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game).
Though the inclusion of Anderson, Linklater and Iñárritu was anticipated, Tyldum and Eastwood are more surprising entries. Ava DuVernay was not included for Selma, nor David Fincher for Gone Girl.
Linklater (who won the Golden Globe for best director) and Iñárritu are the favourites going into the awards, which take place on 7 February.
So far this decade, the DGAs have tallied with the Oscars three times, in 2010 (Tom Hooper), 2011 (Michel Hazanavicius) and 2013 (Alfonso Cuaron). For the 2012 season, they named Ben Affleck best director for Argo; he wasn’t nominated in the category at the Oscars, though they did hand him best film for Argo.
This year’s Oscar nominees are announced on Thursday 15 January ahead of the February 22 ceremony.
