The Academy's director's branch is known for giving at least one spot
here to industry
outsiders, assuming you
feel folks
like Pedro Almodóvar and Paul Greengrass qualify as such, and though Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler) fits that criterion quite nicely, so does five - time Oscar nominee Mike Leigh, a surprise Best Director entrant a few years back for Vera Drake and whose Happy - Go - Lucky may be his best work to date.