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Taking inspiration from another thread (Top 10 Directors of All Time), I thought I'd try and start a discusssion of folks' top 5 directors currently working today. These can be those you consider "the best," "most important," or just your own favorites. I'd like everyone to say something about each director, or at least give examples of what you consider to be their best work, or why they're on your list.
For me, narrowing this down to just 5 is a problem, just like narrowing the all-time list to just 10 was difficult.
Let's start with the most obvious:
Steven Spielberg: Okay, I know he's considered a lightweight by many, and given the nature of some of his films, there may be some validity to that charge. But the man knows how to craft an excellent action movie (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park), and can put some very serious **** on celluloid when he wants to (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan). I also don't think there's anyone more tappeed into the psyche of the American moviegoer than Spielberg. He knows what people want, what buttons to push and how to push them. Is that always a good thing? Perhaps not. (After all, it's one of the reasons I hate E.T.: The Extraterrestrial).
Why he belongs on my list: Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Schindler's List
Martin Scorsese: Although I’m not as big a fan of Scorsese’s as some hereabouts, I do recognize his genius, and that he is a master of the craft of filmmaking.
Why he belongs here: Taxi Driver, The Last Waltz, The Aviator.
Clint Eastwood Eastwood has evolved from an actor in “spaghetti westerns” to a director and star of pretty standard fare, to the director of some of the best movies being made today.
Why he belongs here: High Plains Drifter, Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima, Gran Torino
I’ll round out my list with two personal favorites:
Steven Soderbergh: What can I say? From the first time I watched sex, lies, and videotape, I knew this was someone to keep an eye on. Viewings of his subsequent films hav only confirmed what I sensed then. Like the others already listed, he’s a master craftsman, and has a keen sense of fun.
Why he belongs here: Out of Sight, Traffic, Ocean’s 11, The Good German.
Joel and Ethan Coen: Since they came on the scene seemingly from nowhere with their gritty neo-noir thriller Blood Simple, the Coens have produced a string of great movies (minus a couple of minor clunkers; I really didn’t get Barton Fink, and The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty just weren’t all that good). Adept at both comedy and drama, this team is among the best filmmakers working today.
Why they’re here: Blood Simple, O Brother, Where Art Though?, No Country for Old Men.
Also-rans: Ridley Scott, David Fincher, and Bryan Singer.
For me, narrowing this down to just 5 is a problem, just like narrowing the all-time list to just 10 was difficult.
Let's start with the most obvious:
Steven Spielberg: Okay, I know he's considered a lightweight by many, and given the nature of some of his films, there may be some validity to that charge. But the man knows how to craft an excellent action movie (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park), and can put some very serious **** on celluloid when he wants to (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan). I also don't think there's anyone more tappeed into the psyche of the American moviegoer than Spielberg. He knows what people want, what buttons to push and how to push them. Is that always a good thing? Perhaps not. (After all, it's one of the reasons I hate E.T.: The Extraterrestrial).
Why he belongs on my list: Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Schindler's List
Martin Scorsese: Although I’m not as big a fan of Scorsese’s as some hereabouts, I do recognize his genius, and that he is a master of the craft of filmmaking.
Why he belongs here: Taxi Driver, The Last Waltz, The Aviator.
Clint Eastwood Eastwood has evolved from an actor in “spaghetti westerns” to a director and star of pretty standard fare, to the director of some of the best movies being made today.
Why he belongs here: High Plains Drifter, Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima, Gran Torino
I’ll round out my list with two personal favorites:
Steven Soderbergh: What can I say? From the first time I watched sex, lies, and videotape, I knew this was someone to keep an eye on. Viewings of his subsequent films hav only confirmed what I sensed then. Like the others already listed, he’s a master craftsman, and has a keen sense of fun.
Why he belongs here: Out of Sight, Traffic, Ocean’s 11, The Good German.
Joel and Ethan Coen: Since they came on the scene seemingly from nowhere with their gritty neo-noir thriller Blood Simple, the Coens have produced a string of great movies (minus a couple of minor clunkers; I really didn’t get Barton Fink, and The Ladykillers and Intolerable Cruelty just weren’t all that good). Adept at both comedy and drama, this team is among the best filmmakers working today.
Why they’re here: Blood Simple, O Brother, Where Art Though?, No Country for Old Men.
Also-rans: Ridley Scott, David Fincher, and Bryan Singer.
