Movies you think are a director's best

15 minutes into The Stranger, a late Visconti, and I know it's his best film.

I might come up with some others when I've finished watching this, but what films to do you think are a particular directors' best, that might not be their best known?

1. How can you declare something is "the best film" of anybody in any context without having seeing it completely

2. Why do you stop such a good experience to come and MoFo about it? (not trying to be a prick; just wanna understand your action better).

Drive is objectively Nicolas Winding Refn's best movie.

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HEI guys.

I haven't seen Drive and the reason is, if you go through NWR older work he use Mads Mikkelsen, which is a far better actor than Ryan Gosling.

I've recently sat through most of Refn's filmography actually - that's why he's the first to jump in my mind - and while I also prefer Mads' performances to Gosling's (Pusher 2 being best leading performance in a Refn film), Drive comes at the top for having a tighter screenplay and more controlled directing. It's not that on the acting front it's much inferior anyway; as it not only benefits from Gosling's (solid) work... but also from Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks.

Have you seen Valhalla Rising? If not , go watch. Also, it's the collaboration between director, screenwriter and actors that makes a film great. To me, Ryan Gosling isn't great. And yes, I have seen several of his movies and I would pick a Mads Mikkelsen film, in any language, over ANY Ryan Gosling film.

FYI, I watch a lot of Scandinavian cinema and I'm American.

Valhalla Rising rocks.

Kalatazov, Salt for Svanetia

The Stranger's pretty rubbish tbh.
At least the acting's decent unlike Rocco. Also, of course, it looks absolutely delicious.
As a bonus you also see Anna Karina's boob (which Marcello Mastroianni makes sure he gets his hand all over).

How do I stick to 1000 images for the century when Visconti routinely knocks out this kind of filth??

Oh wow, Pusher.

I've wondered loads of times what that film was. Very good acting. That would definitely be in my 90s top 10. Glad to have found it!

Mind you, you'll struggle to find anything better than Tom Hardy as Bronson I would have thought.

I also rate Drive btw.

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It's another really beautifully shot film, but I just find the acting really rubbish. It's a decent cast, but I feel that he somehow turns his actors into amateurs.

Edit: the Leopard. Sorry, I thought it was Rocco.
Again, it is GORGEOUS to look at. But other than that??

Btw, Cardinale is still with us (and of course also Delon).

First film I remember seen Mads in was King Arthur but unsure who he was. Second film was Pusher and third was Valhalla Rising. After that I watched EVERYTHING of his and even now a huge fan.

Godard: Alphaville

Well I'll stick to the more interesting ones for myself.


I am not a Walter Hill fan. I find most of his better classics overrated, like 48 Hours or The Warriors. But Southern Comfort is legit. If it had a little more character development, it might've made my top ten movies of all time.

You mean by a long shot? Two that comes to mind immediately are


Quentin Tarantino - Pulp Fiction


Terry Gilliam - 12 Monkeys

‘Oh yes’ to 12 Monkeys.

I know I'm pretty alone on Tarantino. Some of his other movies aren't half bad but I find Pulp Fiction to be in a league of its own. I didn't care much for any of Gilliam's other movies to be honest. Including Brazil. Guess I'm pretty alone on that one too

No, I think you’ve got a point on Tarantino, too. I’m quite partial to Kill Bill, but Pulp Fiction absolutely is in a league of its own. I like the style and vibe of Kill Bill a lot more, but that’s my personal reaction and I recognise Pulp Fiction does something much more impressive. So does Jackie Brown, to a lesser extent.

Terry Gilliam - Fisher King
Woody Allen- Hannah and Her Sisters
Wim Wenders- Toss up between Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire
Scorcese- Goodfellas
Cohens- Fargo
David Lynch- Lost Highway
Jarmusch- Down by Law
Sayles- City of Hope

You are objectively correct. I did the math.