Martin Scorsese The Departed wo of Martin Scorsese's films (Gangs of New York and The Aviator) released earlier this decade, were nominated for best direction, but the buck stopped there. Perhaps his fickle peers will take note of his Golden Globe win and finally reward the legendary filmmaker with an Oscar for The Departed. A mob/cop thriller that is more hustle than history, The Departed entertains by perfectly capturing the narrative that throws advantage back and forth between its characters. Scorsese fans will always find debate over which of his films deserves an Oscar, but The Departed could be it.
	Clint Eastwood Letters From Iwo Jima After a Best Director nomination for Mystic River and a Best Director win for Million Dollar Baby, Clint Eastwood took last year off. But at 76, the star is back with Letters from Iwo Jima. The film, which studies the Japanese point of view of the famous World War II battle, finds its profound message by humanizing America's enemy of the day. Eastwood perfectly captures the claustrophobic caves and tunnels where the Japanese set-up base on the barren island, making the American Navy and Air attacks seem all the more ominous. But the Academy may decide in this Scorsese/Eastwood rematch, that it is Marty's turn.
	Stephen Frears The Queen While British director Stephen Frears' films (Mrs. Henderson Presents, The Grifters and Dangerous Liaisons) have shared a collection of awards and nominations at the Oscars, Frears now finds himself in the Best Director category for the second time in 17 years with The Queen. His examination of the British monarchy's response to the death of Princess Diana in 1997 looked to be tricky business from the start. Luckily, the public knows little of what goes on behind royal doors, giving the director some interpretive wiggle-room. However, it is a movie and Frears should be judged by his storytelling, and not the story itself.
	Alejandro González Iñárritu Babel Alejandro González Iñárritu is no stranger to Oscar. His earlier features, crafted with the same zest for the human experience as Babel, include Best Foreign film nominee Amores perros and 2003's 21 Grams. All three of these films use interwoven subplots that explore themes such as family and cultural disconnect. Iñárritu is joined this time by his "Three Amigos" cohorts, Mexican directors Guillermo del Toro (Best Foreign Language Film nominee Pan's Labyrinth) and Alfonso Cuarón (Best Adapted Screenplay nominee Children of Men), making this Mexico's year at the Oscars.
	Paul Greengrass United 93 Last year was the first year that the big studios felt comfortable releasing films depicting the events of 9/11. The first out the gate was Paul Greengrass' perfect display of chaos in United 93. His frantic account of the fourth hijacked plane that crashed in the fields of Pennsylvania killing all on board, provides perspective into the flight, the military response and the state of confusion felt in air-control towers during that day. United 93 is not an easy film to watch, but Greengrass, who also wrote the film, handles the topic with delicacy. - Mark Wigmore