David O’Russell
One of my favourite directors now, who was the man behind films like The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle. While he is known for being very short-tempered during filming, his tough-love approach clearly works as Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, and Jennifer Lawrence have all won Oscars for their work in his films. Moreover, Silver Linings Playbook was the first film in 20 years to be nominated in all four acting categories for the Oscars, and the first film since 2004’s Million Dollar Baby to receive nominations in the Big Five categories, with American Hustle also following suit. Russell’s direction for American Hustle was universally acclaimed but he unfortunately lost to Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity). Hopefully some time in the near future, Russell will get the credit from the Academy that he deserves.