Changelog

The Guardian just pulled on its flame-proof battle suit and released The world’s 40 best directors. Not to put it lightly, I think this will be a little controversial. There’s not a “mainstream” director in the list (well, maybe Martin Scorsese), and the list tends to favor directors who hit the stage in the 70s (Terrence Malick, Scorsese), 80s (David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh), and early 90s (Coen brothers, Quentin Tarantino). I have my own opinions (biases) on the list.

The Hollywood blockbuster may be in crisis, but the art of the cinema is as healthy as ever. Our panel of critics picks out the film-makers who are leading the way

I wish they had defined “art of the cinema.” If we count the technical art of the cinema then where the hell is (love him or hate him) George Lucas?

David Lynch

After all the discussion, no one could fault the conclusion that David Lynch is the most important film-maker of the current era.

What? Mulholland Drive was interesting, but hardly the work of “most important film-maker of the current era.”

Martin Scorsese

That said, opinion is divided over the man’s recent output.

Agreed. I appear to be one of the very few people who liked Casino, and The Aviator seems promising, but Gangs of New York was awful.

Joel and Ethan Coen

I think this might be a little high, but I’m not going to argue.

Steven Soderbergh

Again, maybe a little high, but not worth arguing over.

Terrence Malick

[W]hile his sprawling 1999 war epic The Thin Red Line at least proved that the master had lost none of his magic.

The Thin Red Line was awful. Really, really, really bad. The defining moment for me was looking down the row of seats at the theater (I was bored) and seeing every single person in the row checking their watch.

Hayao Miyazaki

Excellent.

David Cronenberg

His next film, with Nicolas Cage playing a plastic-surgery fetishist, is already inducing shudders.

Oh, I can’t wait. I’ve never liked Cronenberg, but I have to say his movies do get noticed.

Wong Kar-wai

Next up he’s making a sci-fi movie – should be interesting.

I’ll have to keep an eye out for that one (no sarcasm this time).

Pedro Almodovar

I though Talk to Her was well done, but I didn’t like it. Still, it’s the only one his movies I’ve seen, so I’ll accept this and move one.

Quentin Tarantino

But Tarantino has since been the victim of his own success: he took three years to make his third film, Jackie Brown, and another six to make his fourth.

He certainly has been influential. Though not always in a positive way. I thought Kill Bill was overrated, and Pulp Fiction just seems cheesy now, but I’m not sure it’s fair to let that sink him.

Paul Thomas Anderson

His two best pictures (Boogie Nights and Magnolia) are works of gob-smacking ambition in one so young – lush, multi-layered ensemble pieces that spotlight the damaged souls of his native San Fernando Valley. But let’s not forget the recent Punch-Drunk Love, starring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson.

Boogie Nights and Punch-Drunk Love are both good, but Magnolia was kind of a drag.

Walter Salles

I’ve only seen The Motorcycle Diaries, but I really liked it. I’m not sure I have any better sense of Che Guevarra as a person, but the history was good.

Alexander Payne

Payne came to prominence in 1999 with his stunning high school satire Election, the Animal Farm of American sexual politics in the Clinton era. From here, Payne went on to direct About Schmidt, which gave Jack Nicholson the best role of his late career.

Good choice.

Spike Jonze

Inevitably, though, one cannot celebrate Jonze without also crediting his scriptwriter – the ingenious Charlie Kaufman.

Another good choice.

Ang Lee

His movies can be a little cold, Hulk was a bust, and apparently Chinese audiences hated Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. However, I liked Crouching Tiger, and he also made Eat Drink Man Woman and Sense and Sensibility.

Michael Moore

I think this was a political choice. He may be entertaining, but he’s bombastic and plays loose with facts.

Wes Anderson

Yay!

Richard Linklater

Waking Life was a snooze, but A Scanner Darkly looks interesting.

David O Russell

On the one hand his big-budget Three Kings was an expert, high-concept war thriller. On the other, it can be read as a savage assault on bungled US policy during the first Gulf War.

Don’t forget I Heart Huckabees! I have a soft spot for quirky comedy (see Wes Anderson).

Larry and Andy Wachowski

Come on, The Matrix was great but the sequels fell to merely dull and interesting respectively.

David Fincher

Pro: Se7en, Fight Club, The Game

Con: Alien 3

Meh: Panic Room

Did you know he worked on Star Wars and Indiana Jones?

Gus Van Sant

A casual observer would be forgiven for thinking that there are two Gus Van Sants at work within American cinema. The first makes gloopy studio fodder like Good Will Hunting and the odious Finding Forrester. The second is the visionary auteur of Drugstore Cowboy, Gerry, My Own Private Idaho and the Palme d’Or-winning Elephant (an elegant, ultimately devastating take on the Columbine tragedy). For the record, it is the second Gus Van Sant who gets the votes here.

Ah hah! I think they just gave themselves away here.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 2nd, 2005 at 2:20 pm and is filed under Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.