best current director

chewy

just an idea for a thread, can't think of anyone who jumps out

lodgepole

I would say that Darren Aronofsky and Wes Anderson are two directors working today who have yet to produce a poor film. Okay so they've only made 2 and 3 respectively, but they've been of a very high quality. Both have several interesting projects on the horizon too.

chewy

i was going to say Aronofsky but discounted him for not having done enough films yet

whats he done...?

pi
requim for a dream (which imdb says was also called Delusion Over Addiction)
insomia
Protozoa (1993)
Supermarket Sweep (1991) apparently seen them?


about to do

Watchmen (2005) (announced)
Flicker (2004) (announced)
Lone Wolf and Cub (2004) (announced)
Fountain, The (2005) (pre-production)

---

ohh how about chris nolan

Exec, The (2006) (announced)
Batman Begins (2005) (filming)


Cinema16 (2003) (V)
Insomnia (2002)
Memento (2000)

Following (1998)
Doodlebug (1997)

---

wes anderson

Life Aquatic, The (2004) (completed)


Royal Tenenbaums, The (2001)


Rushmore (1998)
Bottle Rocket (1996)
Bottle Rocket (1994)

but i don't like those films much meself, too quirky for quirkies sake

ixoy

LOL I was also gonna say Aronofsky, but also thought he hasn't done enough. Ya must be feeling sorry for him chewy - you credited him with "Insomnia" as well as Christopher Nolan (who is in the same "not done enough yet" boat). So I'm gonna stake my money on David Fincher then instead:

Alien3 - Lovely, dark visuals and some haunting shots are amazing considering the way the project was run
Se7en - Best rain-drenched, dark serial killer movie of all time. Interesting plot, superb atmosphere, strong performances.
The Game - Again great atmosphere, good plot.
Fight Club - One of my fave movies of all time. So many interesting things done here.
Panic Room - His weakest IMHO. A bit too OTT with the fancy camera zooms, but I'll let it go knowing this was a studio movie that he did in order to be able to do better stuff.

He also did some great music videos for Madonna, Aerosmith, and the Rolling Stones. I just wish he'd hurry up and get onboard his next project. Lots of rumours swirling about what he might do, but nothing concrete announced.

bringitdown

Is it possible to have a definitive best director?

Anyway ignoring that, the favourites have already been mentioned: Fincher, Nolan, Arnofsky

I'd almost add Ridley Scott although some of his projects are questionable (Hannibal, GI Jane) some are without doubt near perfection (Blade Runner, Alien) I wish he did some more sci-fi (imagine Scott at the helm of Minority Report)

I'm also a fan of Richard Linklater and am curious as to how he will handle 'A Scanner Darkly' another Phillip K. Dick novel.

lodgepole

I can't believe I forgot to mention Linklater.

Another who's made even fewer than Aronofsky is Mark Romanek. He's done a **** load of music videos though as well as his one feature, One Hour Photo. He has a film coming up in 2005 though, A Cold Case.

Chad ghostal

ill have to say the cohen brothers or micheal mann. .or takeshi kitano
all have just done supoib films..

would say fincher but ill have to wait for more films before he makes it.. but seven has some of the best dank iv seen.. .

so many to choose from..

surprised noones mentioned takeshi miike ..
*waits for asian cinephiles to come to table*

bringitdown

Yup Mann and the Coen Bros are tops!
In terms of ones to watch are: Joe Carnahan (NARC - superb flick), Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko), Micheal Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Spike Jonze, and fup if i ain't waiting with baited breath for Chris Cunningham to take the helm of ANY film!

John

bringitdown wrote:

and fup if i ain't waiting with baited breath for Chris Cunningham to take the helm of ANY film!

I can just imagine a two hour movie filled with robots, distorted visuals, little Aphex Twin people and absolutely no plot.

davej

It has to be David Lynch for me. I think he's a visionary and will be appreciated as a genius long after others are forgotten..

His best films

Mullholland Drive
Lost Highway
Twin peaks (the tv series, film wasn't the best)
Wild at Heart
Blue Velvet
Dune
Elephant Man
Eraserhead

davej

lodgepole

davej wrote:

It has to be David Lynch for me. I think he's a visionary and will be appreciated as a genius long after others are forgotten..

How do you rate The Straight Story? It's my personal favorite of Lynch's and one of my favorite films full stop.

Chad ghostal

oops forgot david lynch, classic, serious contender. (if not winner)
love lost highway.. so creepy and unnerving

ixoy

Lodgepole wrote:

How do you rate The Straight Story? It's my personal favorite of Lynch's and one of my favorite films full stop.

I'll answer this one here It's a lovely movie. In fact it's one of the most heartfelt movies I've seen, something I'll assume you agree with? The lead performance is astonishing (although quite saddening if you read the reason for it). But I'm not sure how it is a Lynch movie - it has little of his trademark touches of darkness or odd pacing/structure. It has small town America in it, but it's not twisted as usual. There's some gorgeous contemplative shots, but from a directing P.O.V. I think I prefer Mulholland Drive (featuring quite possibly the best cover of a song ever sung in a movie).

Raoul Duke

Instead of naming those already named here's another - Chan-Wook Park. He's directed only a few as well but has 2 standout films. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy.

As for Miike, I'm a big fan but, for me, he hasn't made a masterpiece yet. Something to ring through the ages.


Also, glad that nobody's mentioned Peter Jackson yet

lodgepole

Raoul Duke wrote:

Also, glad that nobody's mentioned Peter Jackson yet

Why? Just wondering...

I've been a massive fan of his since I saw Braindead years ago. I saw Heavenly Creatures as a result of seeing the film Fun and loved it. And The Frighteners is one of the most enjoyable big budget horror movies i've seen. He seems to have lost a lot of credibility with his Lord of the Rings trilogy, which seems odd to me... I'm delighted that a director who showed promise in his early pictures is being given such large sums of money. It beats giving that money to Paul Anderson or Michael Bay.

michaelanthony

Lasse Hallstrom

lodgepole

Lars Von Trier as well, though a lot of people really hate him.

Cactus Col

Lodgepole wrote:

Why? Just wondering...

I've been a massive fan of his since I saw Braindead years ago. I saw Heavenly Creatures as a result of seeing the film Fun and loved it. And The Frighteners is one of the most enjoyable big budget horror movies i've seen. He seems to have lost a lot of credibility with his Lord of the Rings trilogy, which seems odd to me... I'm delighted that a director who showed promise in his early pictures is being given such large sums of money. It beats giving that money to Paul Anderson or Michael Bay.

I think the problem isn't that he's lost credibility, it's more that he's become too commercial. I say that because there does seem to be a certain amount of film snobbishness going on with people suggesting Aronofsky, or Nolan, or Lars Van Trier (good directors ... great directors even, but very away from the mainstream), and generally ignoring any mainstream directors (I know ... Mann and Scott have being mentioned a couple of times, but not Jackson, Scorsese, etc) ...

I've a feeling that if this thread was started a few years ago then Bryan Singer would've been top of the list, but because of his success with Xmen ... is now too mainstream for most (be interesting to see how people regard Nolan after Batman Begins)


I can only assume that the reason Spielberg wasn't mentioned is because he is too mainstream, sure he's had a couple of mis-steps, but he usually follows them by a great film (or two).

Who can argue against the director that has given us Jaws, E.T., Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, The Colour Purple, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, etc etc etc

Raoul Duke

Lodgepole wrote:

Why? Just wondering...

Well frankly the "Trilogy" bored me. I've no problem with praising a director for big commercial mainstream movies if they're done well. It was a remarkable feat of Jackson's to end up with 3 films that were as good as they were but in my mind they are far from being masterpieces. You have to have more than special effects. I have high hopes for King Kong though.

As this thread is for best current director I can't see how Ridley Scott qualifies. Maybe if this was asked 20 years ago.

Kind of the same for me with Speilberg. My favourite films of his are his old ones and they shouldn't be counted in this thread.

As I'm dissing previously mentioned directors Ican't let the mention of Lasse Hallstrom pass. I've seen a fair few of his films even one of his Swedish ones and the man is only getting worse. Shipping News was terrible.

mycroft

Lars Von Trier

Possibly the most overrated egotistical ars*hole in the world (though Vincent Gallo is a very very close second)

Never trust any director who creates a manifesto.

He managed to destroy Emily Watsons amazing performance in Breaking the Waves with the tackiest hacked on happy ending that makes me tremble with rage every time I think about it.

Dogville and Dancer in the Dark prove he's just a talentless hack falling about desperately using up all the good karma auteur status he has with Hollywood as stars gradually realise "oooh he makes weird films and is odd and foreign, therefore he must be a genius" is utter bollo*ks

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Gilliam, consistently making good films for 25 years. Peter Weir who has never made a not watchable film. Ken Loach, Mike Leigh.

Who can argue against the director that has given us Jaws, E.T., Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, The Colour Purple, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, etc etc etc

Em 1941, The Terminal, Jurassic park 3, the redo of ET (why get rid of the cops guns?) Hook, Minority Report, AI, Empire of the Sun, anyone?

He's a mawkish sentlement director with childish view of the world.

ixoy

mycroft wrote:

He managed to destroy Emily Watsons amazing performance in Breaking the Waves with the tackiest hacked on happy ending that makes me tremble with rage every time I think about it.

Tacky ending? Doesn't ring any bells with me

Cactus Col

Sure, he can't do comedy very well (1941), and hook wasn't a mistake, A.I. was underated, and the only problem with Minority Report, or Empire of the Sun was that they were very good, but not classics. Even the lost world was better than it should have been (directed Jurassic Park 2, not 3).

Even Gilliam has faultered (Fear and Loathing)

in a career lasting 30 years how can somebody not faulter at least a little.

chewy

seeing i started this thread im going to discount scott,lynch and spielberg and any other directors which when you list their good films they are moslty made in the 80's my definition of current is the last ten years present and soon and that's why nolan, aronfosky are mentioned... brian singer... well whats he done apart from xmen the last couple of years the would put him up for best current director

but i think i'd agree with david fincher

mycroft

Tacky ending? Doesn't ring any bells with me

Ba da dum......

Actually I thought fear and loathing was a bloody good effort at attempting a nigh on unfilmable book, and the mid film monologue "You can go up to the Hills in San Fransisco and see where the high tide came up to" Was poignant and brilliant. I hate the Gary Busey bit though

in a career lasting 30 years how can somebody not faulter at least a little.

Okay he makes great bubble gum movies, and one briliantly epic film (shindlers) which is where he has something to say. But it's all twee, think how interesting the terminal would be if a director like Greengrass, had put a spin on it. Speilberg has taken a bizarre store about a man trapped in a airport terminal who goes insane, and turned it into a fecking Tom Hanks movie.

He's a one trick pony he does it very well, inspires childlike awe and excitement, but a great director can inspire a depth of emotions.

seeing i started this thread im going to discount scott,lynch and spielberg and any other directors which when you list their good films they are moslty made in the 80's my definition of current is the last ten years present and soon and that's why nolan, aronfosky are mentioned... brian singer... well whats he done apart from xmen the last couple of years the would put him up for best current director

Chewy reading your posts leaves me out of breath.

A Directors career isn't a sprint it's a marathon. Some directors can be producing good work well into their 70s (Heuston) although some can lose their sheen (Lean, Coppolla)

You can't take a body of work comprising of two films and say this one is the best. Finchers career goes way back (cameraman on the model scene in Return of Jedi),

Although to keep in the spirit of things Sophia Coppolla and Spike Jonse. Lost in Translation she pushed a great performance out of both her leads, and both films Virgin Sucides and LiT (although flawed) had a really lyrical dream like air to them. And nifty soundtracks.

mike65

Michael Bay! That is a joke....:D

No truly great directors have come to light in the last 10 years.

Mike.

Playboy

I can't believe Spike Lee has not ben mentioned yet ! ... also Robert Rodriguez .... you might not like his films but what a director, editor, musician etc. etc and he does it all on DV for cheap ... Mike Figgis is another brilliant current director and the only director atm along with Rodriguez who is really exploring the possibilities of DV.

lodgepole

Raoul Duke wrote:

As this thread is for best current director I can't see how Ridley Scott qualifies. Maybe if this was asked 20 years ago.

One of my favorite films of the last few years, Matchstick Men, was by Ridley Scott.

bringitdown

John2 wrote:

I can just imagine a two hour movie filled with robots, distorted visuals, little Aphex Twin people and absolutely no plot.

:rolleyes: Well he was slated to direct Neuromancer not sure what has come of this but damn I'd still love to see a feature by him robots and little people inclusive.

Oh and "here, here" on Matchstick Men!

Cactus Col

People say "inspires childlike awe and excitement" like it's a bad thing. Spielberg has proven that he can do more with Schindlers List, because he choices not to is not a reason to discount him as a great director.

Chewy, my (and I think most peoples) definition of Current would be anybody who is making films right now, wheter they have been making films for 50 years or 5 years.

Can I nominate Terrence Malick? who didn't make a movie for twenty years after Badlands, but then gave us the Thin Red Line in 98, and is currently working on a film now?

mycroft

People say "inspires childlike awe and excitement" like it's a bad thing. Spielberg has proven that he can do more with Schindlers List, because he choices not to is not a reason to discount him as a great director.

Once, and failed miserably with the colour purple, empire of the sun, AI, and Saving Private Ryan.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing, and I enjoy plonking down on the sofa at christmas with Raiders, but a truely great director should be able to hit more than one note.

projectmayhem

bringitdown wrote:

:rolleyes: Well he was slated to direct Neuromancer not sure what has come of this but damn I'd still love to see a feature by him robots and little people inclusive.

neuromancer has one problem... the kids will compare it to the matrix. even though the matrix took much of it's techno-stuff from neuromancer.

anyway, i'm really liking david fincher's stuff at the moment. though panic room was a load of arse, it was directed really well.

i also want to see what the wachowski brothers can do in the future. the matrix trilogy was excellent, and bound proved they can do it on a small scale too. though i'm worried about the rumours of a new feature called "the axis" which'll have an even bigger budget then the matrix films and will be far more advanced, technology wise...

fragile

Scorcese is still going strong

chewy

when someone first mentioned scott they gave Blade Runner, Alien as examples films made yonks ago, only with the mention of matchstick men did anyone mention current films he has directed

and as with lynch

Mullholland Drive
Lost Highway
Twin peaks (the tv series, film wasn't the best)
Wild at Heart
Blue Velvet
Dune
Elephant Man
Eraserhead

were any of them made in the last ten years... so currently he hasn't made any films this person feels are worth mentioning

although one person mentioned The Straight Story ...

and again with speilberg someone lists the films which they think make him a good director

Jaws, E.T., Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, The Colour Purple, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, etc etc etc

only half of which was made in the last 10 years

Karl Hungus

I'd definetly agree with suggestions of Terry Gilliam and Takeshi Kitano.

The Coen Brothers, who I certainly admit to being quite a fan of, haven't really done anything great recently. O Brother was good, but after that it went downhill, and I'm still not sure if they'll produce anything that's as good as Miller's Crossing ever again.

Lars Von Trier, I'm in two minds about. He's definetly a prick, and although I did enjoy Dancer In The Dark, I feel that watching one of his films now you really get the innevitable feeling that it's going to end badly in just as clichéd a way as any hollywood would have a happy ending. Although no matter how much pap he churns out, I don't think I can ever discredit him for The Kingdom, which was just downright amazing. Another film of his I'd really like to see is Europa, because it actually looks like it has a decent plot and could be very intruiging.

Takashi Miike, yeah I'd be a fan, but at the same time, he's done a lot of crap. For a director that fires out as many films as he does, he's bound to make some naff offerings, but I really think he should slow down and concentrate on something other than gore for a while. He's an amazingly competant director, he's proved as much before with excellent films like Rainy Dog, but I think he spews out a lot of films just for the sake of it, and that's something I can't really admire.

mycroft

The Coen Brothers, who I certainly admit to being quite a fan of, haven't really done anything great recently. O Brother was good, but after that it went downhill, and I'm still not sure if they'll produce anything that's as good as Miller's Crossing ever again.

Yeah watching Intolerable cruelty was like "It's good I just expect better from you", and I didn't even go see The ladykillers (which was shocking for me, I see everything the do) I'll give em one more film to prove me wrong but I think they're entering the adult diapers stage of talent senilty.

Fuhrio

I dont know a whole lo about directors, but i think Tarantino is amazing

Pulp Fiction
Resevoir Dogs
Jackie Brown
Kill Bill
Kill Bill 2

All great films in my opinion.

Playboy

Paul Thomas Anderson and Toss Solondz are also two of the best young directors around atm ... Happiness is one my all time favourite movies as is Punch Drunk Love.

Kold

Tarantino

Raoul Duke

mycroft wrote:

Actually I thought fear and loathing was a bloody good effort at attempting a nigh on unfilmable book, and the mid film monologue "You can go up to the Hills in San Fransisco and see where the high tide came up to" Was poignant and brilliant. I hate the Gary Busey bit though

A Directors career isn't a sprint it's a marathon. Some directors can be producing good work well into their 70s (Heuston) although some can lose their sheen (Lean, Coppolla)

Nobodies denying that a director can keep on producing great films till he/she drops dead but you can take it as read that the "best current director" means the best director on current form.

As for that quote from Fear and Loathing. You should watch the documentary "Breakfast with Hunter". It shows what Alex Cox had planned for that sequence and Hunter's reaction to being told it. Cox went to Hunter's house in Colorado for the weekend to go over the script. He told Hunter that he had some animation planned for that sequence and Hunter went mad. I doubt if Cox got to stay in the house for an hour before he was basically kicked out and off the movie. It was a classic Thompson moment.

lodgepole

chewy wrote:

and as with lynch

Mullholland Drive
Lost Highway

were any of them made in the last ten years...

Both of those films were made in the last ten years.



In defence of Spielberg, I think while he is making some duds, he's still making interesting films. Personally I enjoyed AI, and really enjoyed Minority Report. Catch Me If You Can would have made a lesser director a big name, but because it was Spielberg a lot of people ragged on it. I've yet to see The Terminal, I don't have high hopes.

mycroft

As for that quote from Fear and Loathing. You should watch the documentary "Breakfast with Hunter". It shows what Alex Cox had planned for that sequence and Hunter's reaction to being told it. Cox went to Hunter's house in Colorado for the weekend to go over the script. He told Hunter that he had some animation planned for that sequence and Hunter went mad. I doubt if Cox got to stay in the house for an hour before he was basically kicked out and off the movie. It was a classic Thompson moment.

Never heard of the documentary, and I'm a big fan of Thompson and Cox. I kinda thought of the matching of the two was one of those inspired pieces of madness, a married between heaven and hell, Burton and Taylor, that if they pulled it off it would be spectular, but it was not meant to be. Have you a link for the documentary?

Raoul Duke

mycroft wrote:

Never heard of the documentary, and I'm a big fan of Thompson and Cox. I kinda thought of the matching of the two was one of those inspired pieces of madness, a married between heaven and hell, Burton and Taylor, that if they pulled it off it would be spectular, but it was not meant to be. Have you a link for the documentary?

Here's the IMDB link

bringitdown

Lodgepole wrote:

In defence of Spielberg, I think while he is making some duds, he's still making interesting films. Personally I enjoyed AI, and really enjoyed Minority Report. Catch Me If You Can would have made a lesser director a big name, but because it was Spielberg a lot of people ragged on it. I've yet to see The Terminal, I don't have high hopes.

Spielberg eh!

Burns: Get me Steven Spielberg!
Smithers: He's unavailable.
Burns: Then get me his non-union Mexican equivalent!....
...Listen, Senor Spielbergo, I want you to do for me what Spielberg did for Oskar Schindler.
Spielbergo: Er, Schindler es bueno, Senor Burns es el diablo.
Burns: Listen, Spielbergo, Schindler and I are like peas in a pod: we're both factory owners, we both made shells for the Nazis, but mine worked, dammit! Now go out there and win me that festival!


Also another one to consider: Gore Verbinski - The Ring, Pirates o' The Carribean, both well directed and enjoyable

lodgepole

bringitdown wrote:

Also another one to consider: Gore Verbinski - The Ring, Pirates o' The Carribean, both well directed and enjoyable

Don't forget Mouse Hunt, one of the best kid's movies in recent times.

Trip Hazard

best current directors are Tarantino, Fincher, nolan, and no one has mentioned M. night shyamalan his has made all good films and he is as curent as they come.

mycroft

and no one has mentioned M. night shyamalan his has made all good films and he is as curent as they come.

No one has mentioned M night Shyamalan, because the 6th sense was good only because the performances, ditto unbreakable. Signs left me really and outraged that such a flimsy idea could have been made, and the village is such utter much, I figured it out in fifteen minutes rejected my theory because it was far too bleeding obvious, and then to my shock discovered I was right it was far too bleeding obvious.... :rolleyes:

chewy

ok lodgepol made some good points there about speilberg.. i did like catch me if you can...(although the true story was better) and i have a bit of a blind spot for wierdddddddddddddd films like lost highway... but i stand by my earlier demoting of some directors to be not on current form

Bunnyefey

I have to say Tim Burton. The Dark Lord of the netherworld just rocks my universe. I mean, I realise that many will say that he spends his time writing himself into his characters but I think thats the beauty of his movies. To me he is a God (forgetting of course that he directed Planet of the Apes*cringes) and now hes gonna direct the re-make of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!!!!!! I mean, mix Roald Dahl, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp together and you're gonna make a nice little movie pie.

earwicker

David Cronenberg for feed-your-head creepiness.

Thematically, the "new flesh" motif is very interesting.

And anyone who makes a stab at Burroughs' Naked Lunch deserves +rep.