The directing is ameteurish compared to the other nominated directors. The story is interesting but not excessively. The characters are all paper thin and one dimensional. Their motivations and actions are not justified. E.g. the main murder is almost comically undeserved, serving only the useless final plot twist. Americans must not have seen any Korean movies before because this tone is very common. There was nothing exceptional about this film but it probably surprised American audiences with many aspects unfamiliar to them. That is the only reason I can imagine this won the academy award.

And best director? Really? No. Definitely not. Any director that can't justify major main character actions with his or her storytelling still needs some work,not an academy award.