Can ‘1917’ build on its momentum from the Golden Globes?

As this World War I film heads into wide release just before the Oscar nominations, it could hardly have hoped for a better liftoff from the Globes, which gave “1917” awards for best director and best drama. Momentum is key when it comes to a best-picture race this wide-open, and since this Oscar season is unusually short — the ceremony is in less than a month — “1917” may be peaking at the exact right time.

Then again, it’s been ages since a movie released so late in the year went on to win best picture, and “1917” was one of the very last films to start screening for voters. It also demands a big-screen viewing, and academy members who are under water with DVD screeners may not have gotten around to that yet. If “1917” can pull off around 10 Oscar nominations, including a key nod for its screenplay, we’ll know that the film’s risky release gambit is working.

Is the best-director lineup likely to be all-male?

It was a great year for female directors, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at the best-director lineup for the major awards this season. The Golden Globes, BAFTA and Directors Guild of America each picked five men in that category: Tarantino, Scorsese, Bong, Mendes and the “Joker” director Todd Phillips were recognized by the first two groups, while the D.G.A. swapped “Jojo Rabbit” director Taika Waititi for Phillips.

That fifth slot will be heavily contested, since the other four directors appear to be immovable. Still, it’s important to note that the directing branch of the academy loves to throw curveballs, so don’t completely count out Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) or Lulu Wang (“The Farewell”). Other worthy female filmmakers like Celine Sciamma (“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”) and Lorene Scafaria (“Hustlers”) have movies that are likely too far out of the best-picture race to help their long-shot bids.