Back to the Pictures: Top 10 Favorite Directors

The force behind any great film is always the director.  There are those who assign themselves to the auteur theory quite evidently and those who direct with subtle skill.  Both of these can be masterfully conducted, though it is usually the first that receives the most recognition.  Here the two esteemed writers run down their favorite directors.  Some are based on pure love, pure nostalgia, pure talent, and pure amount of work.  All of them are fine directors, and there are plenty more left off.  So, comment below with your own.

Kyle's Pick's:

10. Steven Soderbergh

Favorite: Ocean's Eleven

Once described as the Michael Jordan of filmmaking, Steven Soderbergh has proven he can make any type of movie and do it at a quality that rivals nearly anyone. Most known for the award winning Traffic, a hyperlink film about the drug experience in America, and the Ocean's trilogy, among the most entertaining films to watch, establishes a filmography that has something for everyone. It's hard to connect all of them, though as it can only be described as having that "it" factor. He's hinted for a while that he wants to retire, which would be a shame for film fans everywhere.

 9. Edgar Wright

Favorite: Hot Fuzz

Few filmmakers working today, if ever, have the colossal energy that Edgar Wright brings to the screen. Although he's only directed three feature films (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World), he has all the credentials to become the ultimate fanboy/geek director. I count Hot Fuzz as my favorite of his, Shaun of the Dead is a great spoof on both zombie and horror movies, with Scott Pilgrim being the closest we'll ever get to a great video game movie (and by the way, it's not even based on a video game). I'd love to see him tackle the superhero and action genres, as you can tell the love for them are evident.

8. Paul Thomas Anderson

Favorite: There Will Be Blood

The first time I saw There Will Be Blood, I knew I would fall in love with the rest of his movies. Although I haven't been as vocal about my joy for them as I have for his latest work, he's easily among the greatest modern filmmakers, crafting interesting stories, memorable performances, and impeccable directorial choices. He made my favorite romantic comedy, Punch Drunk Love, and his coming out party, Boogie Nights, was a truly harrowing film experience. I'm dying to see Magnolia and see how it compares with his other greats.

7. Steven Spielberg

Favorite: Jaws

Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Raiders of the Lost Ark. ET. Jurassic Park. Schindler's List. Saving Private Ryan. Catch Me if You Can. Need I say more? Well, if you insist. Jaws was a film that started my fascination of movies and remains one of my consistent top 5, serving itself as one of cinema's crowning achievements. His maturation as a director reflects that of his audience, making his next film a treasure that tells us what's next for the industry. He's one of the true celebrity directors, and he's earned every bit of it.

6. Christopher Nolan

Favorite: The Dark Knight

One of the few people today that melds thought provoking material with a commercial sensibility, Christopher Nolan is a unlikely titan of the industry. His debut, Memento, is one of the most challenging and original films one could ever watch, making a neo-noir movie that's reputation is legendary. His take on Batman single-handedly transformed the superhero genre and took it to new creative and financial heights. The 21st century Kubrick, the hype that Nolan's films incur is almost too much to bear. Yet, just like Kubrick, he somehow delivers every time.

5. Stanley Kubrick

Favorite: Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop  Worrying and Love the Bomb

Mustering decent authority, I can call Stanley Kubrick the best technical filmmaker who ever lived. His films are challenging, thought provoking, and just flat out entertaining, aging terrifically. Dr. Strangelove somehow pulls off the feat of being one of the darkest and funniest films ever. Barry Lyndon is a literal painting come to life. The Shining, with little effort, is horror's best outing. Paths of Glory probably the war films' finest achievement. Every genre he worked in, Kubrick delivered shining examples, if not the top work.

4. Quentin Tarantino

Favorite: Reservoir Dogs

Exploding onto the scene as part as the 90s independent revolution, Quentin Tarantino's genre mash-ups have been met with audience and critical admiration. Reservoir Dogs, his debut, has consistently been my favorite, with Inglorious Basters not too far behind. Of course, Pulp Fiction may be his best and Jackie Brown being underrated. He has one of the most fun and overall entertaining filmographies of all the directors on this list. His dialogue is fantastic and characters memorable, making him one of Hollywood's most treasured creative minds.

3. David Fincher

Favorite: The Game

David Fincher's films are as entertaining as they are probing, and sometimes uncomfortable. But this is surely by design, as his efforts are always memorable and good, if not great. The Game is my favorite by him and is criminally underrated. Zodiac transcends the standard procedural and becomes something special. The Social Network is another classic from him. And let's not forget Se7en and Fight Club. Along with Nolan, his films are so anticipated and hyped. This doesn't seem to bother Fincher, who's confidence in his craft is justified.

2. Joel and Ethan Coen

Favorite: No Country for Old Men

Always the most interested looking people in the room, the Coen Brothers are so original and fearless that every actor in Hollywood is dying to have a part written for them. The writing is so good and the direction so powerful that it's hard not to call them the most consistent and talented modern filmmakers. No Country for Old Men was truly a transformational experience for me and further propelled me into the film world. Barton Fink just may be the greatest film of all time (that's a big statement, I know). Some days, they rival my currently #1 choice as favorites. No other filmmakers do I clamor to see their latest work more than the Coen Brothers.

1. Martin Scorsese

Favorite: Raging Bull

It's hard to find a person who wouldn't agree that Martin Scorsese is the best living director. One of cinema's true titans, Scorsese's films are consistently pigeon holed simply as gangster films. But anyone who's seen the bulk of his films knows that there's much more to him then that. Raging Bull is his masterwork, eclipsing the typical trappings of the sports genre to become one of the best films of all time. Goodfellas is such a great fun to watch, as is The Departed. Taxi Driver is simply timeless, setting the standard for every type of film after it. His movies cats a spell over me unlike any director and the movies he's made are immensely personal to me, each for their own reasons. God Bless Marty and all he's done for the craft.


Phillip:

Some very honorable mentions (ones who were insane not to mention):  Alfred Hitchcock, David Fincher, Bennett Miller, Stanley Kubrick, and Brad Bird.

 10. Steven Spielberg
Favorite: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Sir Steven is a film lover’s dream.  He is financially viable all the time, and even when his films underperform in quality (1941) they are still pleasures in their own right.  He is able to navigate between all genres, yet still retain his signature Spielberg style.  Next to D.W. Griffith and Howard Hawks and along with Martin Scorsese, no filmmaker has had a bigger impact on cinema than he.  He is truly a movie magician in all sense of the term.  There is a reason why when I simply think of the word “cinema” I think of him.

 9.  Sam Raimi
Favorite: Spiderman

When I think about what my 20 or so favorite films might be, I realize that Raimi has more films than anyone else in the equation.  He has a style that fits in well with my cinematic sensibilities and my pure love of story.  After his Spiderman outing, and with Oz coming out soon, I predict he could be one of the legendary American filmmakers in the future.  His style is zany yet controlled.  His stories are original.  He has a mastery over the camera that I haven’t seen replicated since.  Plus, I mean, he made Spiderman!  Literally, the only reason he is not higher is that he also made Spiderman 3.

 8.  Sam Mendes
Favorite: Road to Perdition

He is a director that, to me, has never made a lackluster film.  Each one of his films is as different as they are similar.  Exploring themes of love, middle class life, and the classic aspects of society, Mendes crafts each film in his own unique way.  The fact that he is making the next Bond film is a staggering possibility.  His eye for detail is nearly unmatched, as is his fascination with story.  While he received less critical acclaim post-American Beauty, he still is one of the most awaited directors each time for he announces a new project.

 7.  Quentin Tarantino
Favorite: Reservoir Dogs

While Tarantino has a very eccentric presence in the public form, he is also honest, something entirely respectable.  I still remember the first time I saw the above film; I literally was blown away like few other films have ever done before or since.  Many criticize his overt referential style of directing, yet his style is still immediately recognizable.  He is not a perfect director, but with few other directors do I have as much pure cinematic fun at a theater with, a fact I’m sure he would be most proud of.

 6.  Edgar Wright
Favorite: Hot Fuzz

A more recent choice, Edgar Wright is the best comedic director of our generation.  Combining the satire work of Mel Brooks and the dialogue of Woody Allen, Wright makes near perfect comedy.  His first two films will always (at least for now) will be his most beloved films, but Scott Pilgrim I could argue is just as good, definitely just as creative.  With the prospects he has lined up, he will be impossible to miss.  Also, he just seems like a person that would be a lot of fun to hang out with and chat up about films.  Something I can’t say for many in this line of work.

 5.  Peter Jackson
Favorite: The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

This man made the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so for that alone I owe him a huge debt.  Those movies, as strange as it may sound, have shaped me in many ways.  Much like those who saw the first Star Wars film, it transcended anything I had seen before.  Plus, his early splatter films are hilarious and Heavenly Creatures is a great film in its own right.  Nothing has ever equaled the magic I felt when I sat down in my seat in December of 2001 though, and nothing might ever again.

4.  Joel and Ethan Coen
Favorite: Fargo, although I have a deep passion for Barton Fink and Burn After Reading

If not for my number 2 below, these men may be the greatest filmmakers working today.  While I like my number 1 (a lot), these men craft films that are on another playing field.  There films are so original that they have invented their own genre.  Each of their films that are praised are deservingly so and each one that isn’t demands yet another viewing.  Their dramas are as thrilling as excellent as they come, and I have never laughed harder than at some of their comedies.

 3.  Francois Truffaut
Favorite: The 400 Blows

With an extensive filmography, Truffaut is probably the best French filmmaker in the nation’s history.  Every aspect of his filmmaking is pure cinema at its finest, which isn’t a bad thing, since he helped to invent it.  A scathing critic before his career began, the critical astonishment of his films are no coincidence in light of this.  If you have not seen one of his films, do so, whether it be my favorite above, his magnum opus Jules & Jim, or the criminally overlooked The Last Metro.

 2.  Martin Scorsese
Favorite: The Departed

Dare I say that he is the greatest American filmmaker of all time? I do.  In fact, he may be the greatest filmmaker period.  Navigating every genre next to animation, and making some of the best in each, he defied any kind of feelings one could have towards the low value of American cinema.  His finest still may be one of his first, however.  Mean Streets feels so real.  In fact, it feels more real than many a documentary I have seen.  To say what films of his are the best is a crime to others that you do not mention.  Still, the above favorite of mine is the film that makes me love cinema and first instills in me a serious thought of making films.

1.  Christopher Nolan
Favorite: Memento

Although in recent years he has become a mainstream pick by fanboy the world over, Nolan still remains a great auteur of his day.  Now better known as the director of the smash Batman films and the mind bending Inception, one cannot forget his early work and those in between the box office smashes.  Rarely do I have as much fun watching a movie, because Nolan seems to value, more so than many others, a respect for his audience’s intelligence.