2007: TOP TEN WORKING DIRECTORS

It’s a very slow news day, so I thought I would bring you a Top Ten List. Here are my top 10 favourite WORKING directors who are currently at the top of their game and when they are attached to a project, I can’t help but get excited. This isn’t a list of the greatest directors of all time or even those who have had it and no longer have it (De Palma) but it’s for those that in 2007 I can say are as exciting as anyone, so we are only really counting their last 3 or 4 movies…. not their whole past filmography.

Understand?

Just their last 3 or 4 movies are taken into account…

1. Christopher Nolan - Very smart director who knows the art of storytelling better than anyone. I love the theme of obsession that he plays around with and he seems to me to be a director who loves film genre’s and playing around with cinematic conventions. Memento he played around with narrative storytelling and the modern-day film noir. Batman Begins he played around with the superhero movie, and made it into an action/cop thriller. The Prestige, he played around with the art of being a director and what it means to be a showman. His movies feel exciting and his cities always feel alive.

Movies: The Prestige, Batman Begins, Insomnia, Memento

In the Future: The Dark Knight (2008), possible adaptation of The Prisoner, 3rd Batman flick?,

2. Sam Mendes - Another director who loves to get himself deeply stuck into various genre’s and making a movie that almost defines them. American Beauty is one of the greatest debut flicks I’ve ever seen. Beautiful film with a tough and cynical edge which went on to define the new Millenium of entertainment for me, although much of that praise should go to the screenwriter Alan Ball also. Road to Perdition carried on his theme of characters who were forced to look at their lives and come to terms with who they were which also spurred out into Jarhead.

Movies: Jarhead, Road to Perdition, American Beauty

In the Future: Revolutionary Road (2008)

3. Guillermo del Toro - After Pan’s Labyrinth, he has become a director I now eagerly anticipate every single release for. His movies are like big comic book fantasies brought to life, full of imagination and wonder. Pan’s Labyrinth was almost like if Walt Disney were still alive and wanted to try making an R-Rated dark fantasy flick, his imagination has no limits. Can’t wait to see which genre’s he wants to to tackle in the future.

Movies: Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, Blade II

In the Future: Hellboy 2 (2008), 3993, Tarzan movie?

4. Quentin Tarantino - He still has it. The post-modern director whose films are about the love of movies themselves is still as exciting as they come and when he talks about what he plans to do with an upcoming film… well I just go as crazy as he does. His movies are always fresh, always something new and always entertaining as hell with larger than life characters.

Movies: Death Proof, Kill Bill

In the Future: Inglorious Bastards (2009-10?), Kill Bill prequel/sequel

5. Peter Jackson - A director with probably more ambition than anyone on this list. If he sets out a goal of what he wants to accomplish, then my god he’s like method men Robert De Niro. He goes out and makes sure he gets the best resources, locations, effects and everything else so his project can become a reality. He respects the history of the source material of what he adapts and his epic scope cannot be denied. Great storyteller, a modern day Steven Spielberg.

Movies: King Kong, Lord of the Rings trilogy,

In the Future: The Lovely Bones (2008), The Hobbit??, Temeraire

6. Edgar Wright - British director Edgar Wright and his pal and co-writer Simon Pegg with Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead have created two movies that are serious spoof’s/homages that you can’t really categorize. They are just their films… you can’t pigeon hole them into anything. They have a superb sense of humor and Wright’s awesome directing talent can be seen in his trailer for Grindhouse.. as well as his two feature length films. When Wright makes a serious movie, those non-believers out there will find out just how talented this guy is.

Movies: Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead

In the Future: Them, Ant Man, Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life

7. Cameron Crowe - Cameron gets tons of stick from people but I love his style of film-making. I’ve said many times I believe him to be a modern day Billy Wilder, whose movies touch on man’s inner most feelings and deepest desires but deconstructs them in a dark comedic way, which give his movies a nice blend of the sweet and the sour. His love for music pours into his soundtracks and makes his films feel alive and full of energy. I heard some rumblings that he might have given up film-making… I really sincerely hope not.

Movies: Elizabethtown, Vanilla Sky, Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire

In the Future: ?… I would love to see him work with Tom Cruise on something again.

8. Joe Carnahan - Narc and Smokin’ Aces felt new and fresh and were just awesomely thrilling rides. This guy is different to those who just copy a director’s style, he has tons of his own original ideas which at times come bursting out of the seams of his films. I can’t wait to see what he has in store next because it feels like he is just getting started.

Movies: Smokin’ Aces, Narc

In the Future: White Jazz (2008), Killing Pablo, Bunny Lake is Missing

9. Mel Gibson - A director with huge scope and much like Peter Jackson if he sets himself a task of what he wants to achieve then he is going to thoroughly present it to you. The scary thing about Gibson is that each movie he directs gets better and better upon the last one and you really have to wonder how much better he is going to get. I loved Apocalypto and I thought it was a huge leap forward for him after The Passion of the Christ (which in it’s own way was superb).

Movies: Apocalypto, The Passion of the Christ, Braveheart

In the Future: Movie about Spanish explorer Balboa?

10. Sam Raimi - Despite the big problems I had with Spider-Man 3, the trilogy as a whole has propelled Raimi out of his small time movie roots and now into a phase of his career where he should move on and put all these new effects talents he has to something spectacular. Whether that is Clash of the Titans, The Hobbit, another Evil Dead movie or something new entirely it will probably be the most entertaining movie of that year.

Movies: Spider-Man trilogy

In the Future: The Hobbit?, Clash of the Titans? Evil Dead 4? Spider-Man 4?

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Steven Spielberg, David Cronenberg, Ridley Scott, Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese

You five guys are some of my all time directing heroes, and I look forward to your modern day movies with great anitcipation, even if they aren’t quite what they once were although you have still produced some masterpieces recently (The Departed).

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