Directors to Watch: Part 4 – Movies Spotlight – September 2014

One of the great things about cinema is its constant inflow of great talent. These are three directors who having been active for many years but are about to debut potentially very impressive work in the States, thereby introducing themselves to a bigger audience.

David Ayer

Filmography to Date:

David Ayer, 46, got his start after leaving the U.S. Navy rewriting the script for the WWII thriller U-571 (using his own Navy service experiences as reference – today, however, it is a film he is not proud of as it distorts history; while it is fictional, it presupposes that American troops captured the German Enigma code when it was really the British). He then collaborated on the script for The Fast and the Furious. Next, he wrote his first solo screenplay, Dark Blue. He did extensive research into the Los Angeles Police Department for the film, this lead to him writing another LA-based crime drama Training Day. Sticking with what was working, he was hired based on a story pitch to write the action movie S.W.A.T.

Ayer had made a name for himself writing crime dramas about police in Lose Angeles. In 2005 he got a chance to write and direct his own film. Harsh Times is a lot darker than his previous work, but still featured many of the same themes. He then directed the more action-oriented Street Kings. Next, he wrote and directed his best film to date End of Watch – this time effectively employing a found-footage style. Earlier this year, Ayer wrote and directed Sabotage. It is more of an action film than his previous work, but just does not work. It is by far his worst film as a director.

2014 Film:

Ayer leaves Los Angeles police crime dramas behind to return to the WWII period. He writes and directs Fury, an action war/drama about a battle-hardened Sherman tank five-man crew. It is near the end of the war, but they are tasked with a deadly mission behind enemy lines. The film stars Brad Pitt, Logan Lerman, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal, and Michael Pena. The film is garnering a lot of buzz as a potential Oscar contender. Here is the trailer. The film comes out October 17^th.

Upcoming:

Ayer does not have any new films in production, but he has been rumored to be attached to remakes of Commando and The Wild Bunch.

Career Highlights:

1)      Training Day (2001) – writer (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

2)      Harsh Times (2005) – writer, director (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

3)      End of Watch (2012) – writer, director (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Lynn Shelton

Filmography to Date:

Lynn Shelton, 48, is a primary figure in the American independent film style known as mumblecore (other prevalent members include Jay and Mark Duplass). She got her start writing and directing her own micro-budget films We Go Way Back and My Effortless Brilliance. In 2009, she had her first quasi hit with Humpday, a film that played very well at Sundance – winning a Special Jury Prize. She also won the Independent Spirt Awards’ John Cassavetes Award for the film. She then started to make her characteristically low-budget feeling films with bigger-named actors. The first is my favorite of her films so far Your Sister’s Sister, and then Touchy Feely.

Shelton has also made a career directing episodes of television. She has done good work on Mad Men, Ben and Kate, and New Girl.

2014 Film:

Shelton’s new film Laggies is slated to come out October 24^th. It is about Megan, a woman in her late twenties who is still not ready to grow up. So, she decides to hang out with a high school girl she meets, hiding from her life. It is an interesting reversal of the man-child character that comedy has done to death. Shelton is directing with the script from newcomer Andrea Seigel. The film stars Keria Knightley, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Sam Rockwell. It is garnering a lot of positive buzz as being incredibly fun. It played to very good reviews at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Here is the trailer.

Upcoming:

Upcoming, Shelton is directing the pilot for the new ABC comedy Fresh Off the Boat about a Taiwanese family making their way in 1990s America. She is also working on a new film called Open to Anything.

Career Highlights:

1)      Your Sister’s Sister (2011) – writer, director (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Morten Tyldum

Filmography to Date:

Morten Tyldum, 47, got his start in his home country of Norway, working on television. In 2003, he made his first feature Buddy. He next made the crime thriller Fallen Angels; however, it was his next film that propelled him into Hollywood.

 In 2011, he made the fantastic crime thriller Headhunters (which you should see if you have not). The film mixes strong violence with black comedy, striking visuals and a great twisty story. The film also showcases Tyldum’s ability to get really strong performances from his actors (Aksel Hennie is wonderful in it).

2014 Film:

Tyldum’s new film is The Imitation Game. It is based on the true story of mathematician/logician Alan Turing, an Englishman who helped the Allies win WWII by cracking the Enigma code. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Keria Knightley, Mark Strong, Matthew Goode, Charles Dance, and Allen Leech. It is among my most anticipated films for 2014 – and, from what I have seen, it looks excellent. I am interested to see if the film gets into the darker side of Turing life (he was chemically castrated by the British government because he was gay). Here is the trailer. It is slated for release November 21^st.

Upcoming:

Tyldum has a few projects that he is in various stages of development – that said, he is likely to become a very in-demand filmmaker after The Imitation Game.

Career Highlights:

1)      Headhunters (2011)* – director (Blu-ray, Video On-Demand, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Directors to Watch: Part 3 – Movies Spotlight – March 2013

One of the great things about cinema is its constant inflow of great new talent. These two directors are on the verge of becoming well known filmmakers in the States.

Chan-wook Park

Filmography to Date:

Chan-wook Park, 49, is a Korean auteur who is one of most beloved and acclaimed filmmakers in his native country. His The Vengeance Trilogy is fantastic.

In 2000 Park wrote and directed Joint Security Area. It is his breakthrough hit in South Korea, becoming the most-watched film not only of the year but ever in the country. Its success gave Park the freedom of more creative independence.

With this creative freedom, he set out to make his The Vengeance Trilogy (which was not originally intended as a trilogy, rather a series of films about the pointlessness of vengeance and the damage it cause for all involved) – first with Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Next, he had a breakout international hit with the second film in the trilogy Oldboy, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival (Quentin Tarantino was the head judge that year and pushed to have the film win the festival’s top prize, but it went to Fahrenheit 9/11 – something the judges would probably take back today). The film also made a name for Park in the States. He finished the trilogy with Lady Vengeance.

In 2006, Park had a chance to remake The Evil Dead, but turned it down instead turning his attention to his own work. In 2009 he made is great vampire film Thirst (which is a must-see for genre fans).

March Film:

Making his directorial debut in the States with his first English-language film, Park is helming Stoker – a story about a young woman named India who loses her father to a car accident. Her Uncle Charlie comes to stay with her mother and her, only she has never heard of or about this mysterious Uncle. She can tell there is something off about him, but instead of being weary of him she is drawn to him. The film has a great cast as it stars Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, and Matthew Goode. It looks like a great, aesthetically interesting mystery thriller. Trailer: Here.

Upcoming:

While Park does not have a film concretely slated as his next, Spike Lee is remaking his film Oldboy for American audiences. The cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, and Sharlto Copley. It is due out in October. While I do not think Oldboy needs an English-language version, as the original is already well known in the States, but that said I do like the cast and am intrigued to see what Lee does with the material.

Career Highlights:

1)      J.S.A.: Joint Security Area (2000) – writer, director (DVD, Trailer)

2)      Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) – writer, director (Blu-ray, Trailer)

3)      Oldboy (2003)* – writer, director (Blu-ray, Streaming, Trailer)

4)      Lady Vengeance (2005) – writer, director (DVD, Trailer)

5)      Thirst (2009) – writer, director (DVD, Streaming, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Derek Cianfrance

Filmography to Date:

Derek Cianfrance has a BFA in Film Production from the University of Colorado. Shortly after school, he made his first feature Brother Tied (handling the writing, directing, editing, and cinematography himself) in 1998. After it was well received at Sundance, he began directing various television documentaries.

In 2010 he returned to features with his intense tragic romance Blue Valentine. The film is a little hard to watch as the material is genuine, raw, and heartbreaking. The performances are very good from its leads Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, the latter earning an Oscar nomination. It took Cianfrance twelve years to make (most of the time spent redrafting).

March Film:

Cianfrance’s new film The Place Beyond the Pines is one of 2013’s most anticipated. It has a stellar cast with Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, and Ray Liotta (among others). The story is about a two men on different paths – one is a motorcycle stuntman who turns to crime as a means of providing for his family while the other is an ambitious rookie cop who is frustrated with the corruption in his department – but headed on a collision course. It looks like a brilliant crime drama. Trailer: Here.

Upcoming:

The documentary Cagefighter is the first of two projects Cianfrance has awaiting release. It is about the intersecting lives of a group of mixed martial arts fighters during a Las Vegas title fight.

The second is his fourth feature film entitled Metalhead (though it has been in production since 2009). The drama is about a heavy metal drummer who loses his hearing and must learn to adapt to a life of silence. It stars the real life husband-and-wife duo of Jucifer who play fictional versions of themselves.

Career Highlights:

1)      Blue Valentine (2010) – writer, director (Blu-ray, Streaming, Trailer)

*Editor’s picks

Directors to Watch: Part 2 – Movies Spotlight – December 2011

One of the great things about cinema is that there is constantly an inflow of great new talents. These three directors are on the verge of becoming well known filmmakers in the States.

Tomas Alfredson

Filmography to Date:

Alfredson, 46, began his career in Sweden working as an assistant at Svensk Filmindustri. From there he moved into Swedish television working on multiple series, miniseries and TV movies. His first feature film hit came in 2004 with Four Shades of Brown, winning a number of awards in Sweden. In 2008, Alfredson made Let the Right One In – a romance horror story about a vampire who looks like a young girl. She befriends a neighboring young boy who is bullied at school. The film became an international hit, exposing Alfredson in the States and the U.K. as a filmmaker for the first time (at least for most cinemagoers).

December Film:

In December, Alfredson’s first English-language film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is being released in the States (having seen distribution in the U.K. already) about a retired spy who must find a mole within British Intelligence. It boasts a fantastic cast starring Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch (among others). It is based on the novel by John le Carre. It played to critical acclaim in the U.K. and is on the 2012 Oscar shortlist for Best Picture and Best Actor (Gary Oldman), as well as some technical awards (most likely Maria Djurkovic for production design).

Upcoming:

Next up for Alfredson is the film Larklight, a sci-fi story about an alternative world in which humans have made their way into space during the Victorian era. It is being produced at Warner Brothers with Steve Knight currently scripting. It is based on the novel by Philip Reeve and due in 2013.

Career Highlights:

1)      Let the Right One in (2008)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

Steve McQueen

Filmography to Date:

McQueen, 42, began his career in the early 1990s making shorts that he would project onto walls in an art gallery, typically minimalist and black & white. Being foremost an artist, he also has worked in sculpture and other mediums – travelling to Iraq in 2006 and returning presenting a tribute to British soldiers who died in the war with a stamp collection of their portraits called Queen and Country. In 2008, he made his feature film debut with Hunger about the 1981 Irish hunger strike. It stars Michael Fassbender. It won the Cannes Film Festival Camera d’Or (best first-time director) and served as McQueen’s breakthrough in the U.K. as well as Fassbender’s.

December Film:

In December, his second feature Shame is being released. He is again working with Michael Fassbender, as well as Carey Mulligan and James Badge Dale. It is about sex addiction in New York City and is quite explicit in its portrayal (and rated NC-17). The film has played very well during its festival circuit, receiving tons of praise. It is likely to be nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards, and is one the 2012 Oscar shortlist for Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Director.

Upcoming:

For his third feature, due in 2013, McQueen is making Twelve Years a Slave about a man living in New York during the mid-1800s who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He has a phenomenal cast lined up, working yet again with Fassbender and also with Brad Pitt and Chiwetel Ejiofor. McQueen is one of the most interesting new filmmakers working today (someone I would already feel comfortable calling an auteur two films in).

Career Highlights:

1)      Hunger (2008)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

Jason Reitman

Filmography to Date:

Reitman, 34, began his career in college as a creative writing major at USC making multiple short films. He is the son of Ivan Reitman, the director of Stripes and Ghostbusters, giving him an ‘in’ into the industry. In 2005, he made his feature debut with Thank You for Smoking. The film stars Aaron Eckhart and is a satirical comedy about Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman Nick Naylor who spins the truth while still trying to be a role model for his young son. The film was a great first feature garnering two Golden Globe nominations. But it was Reitman’s second feature that made him a known player in Hollywood – Juno. The film is about a high school student who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby away to a couple of her choosing. It served as the breakthrough for Reitman, writer Diablo Cody and star Ellen Page, as it was nominated for four Oscars in 2008 (including Best Picture), winning one for best writing. Next, Reitman had another indie hit that saw commercial success, due to it featuring in the awards season of 2009, with Up in the Air about Ryan Bingham, a man who travels around and fires people for a living. It stars George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick (serving as her breakthrough). It was nominated for six Oscars in 2010 (including Best Picture) but did not win any.

December Film:

Reitman is easily the best known among the directors on this list, being well established in indie circles and among critics – his films receiving ten Oscar nominations (winning one). However, his new film in December, Young Adult, may be the first to win in a major category. He is reuniting with writer Diablo Cody to tell the story of a divorced small-town Minnesota girl, the most popular in high school, who returns home looking to rekindle a romance with her high school boyfriend, now married with kids. It stars Charlize Theron and looks to factor into the 2012 Oscars, especially in the Best Actress and Best Writing categories.

Upcoming:

Reitman has a few projects that he is looking at but nothing formally announced yet. The first is called Elliot Allagash about Seymour Herson, a boy who is bullied and then taken under the wing of another more rebellious student. The other is called Labor Day about a weekend holiday taken in the 1980s. A divorced mother with her son gives a ride to a large strange man, who also happens to be bleeding badly.

Career Highlights:

1)      Thank You for Smoking (2005) – (DVD, Streaming)

2)      Juno (2007)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

3)      Up in the Air (2009)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

Directors to Watch: Part 1 – Movies Spotlight – September 2011

One of the great things about cinema is that there is constantly an inflow of great new talents. These three directors are on the brink of becoming well known filmmakers in the States.

Nicolas Winding Refn

Filmography to Date:

Winding Refn, a Danish filmmaker, started his career in 1993 when he came to America to study film at the Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his first film in Denmark – the 1996 crime thriller Pusher. It is considered one of the greatest director debut films in cinema history. He made another film in Denmark, Bleeder, before making his first English language film (filmed in the U.K., Canada and Denmark) Fear X. Neither film was as well received as his first, so Winding Refn decided to return to the world of Pusher to make two sequels (With Blood on My Hands and I’m the Angel of Death) to complete the trilogy. His films in Denmark are also highlighted by his collaboration with Danish star Mads Mikkelsen (who appears in four of his films). He next took two films solely in the U.K. First, the TV movie Miss Marple: Nemesis and then the crime biography Bronson. Bronson served as Winding Refn’s breakthrough film for English-speaking audiences, also leading to many discovering the Pusher Trilogy. The film’s star Tom Hardy also was praised by critics leading to a breakthrough in his career. Winding Refn then returned to Denmark to make the very atmospheric Viking epic with Mads Mikkelsen Valhalla Rising, which is probably his most artistically interesting but inaccessible film to date.

September Film:

Drive marks Winding Refn’s (who is considered to be a Danish auteur) debut in Hollywood (and to a degree in America). He has a great cast with Ryan Gosling starring and supporting work from Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston and Albert Brooks (among others), and critical acclaim coming out of the Cannes Film Festival winning Best Director and being nominated for Best Film. Critics in general love the movie, many calling it the best film of the year (so far). I am most interested in seeing how the material, the film being an action crime thriller, meshes with Winding Refn’s style of late (specifically the great, and awful at the same time, tone and style of Valhalla Rising). Though, if the Pusher Trilogy is any indication, he can handle the crime genre very well. If the film is received as well by moviegoers as it has been by critics (and the box office is there), Winding Refn could be the next hot director in Hollywood. Here is a trailer for Drive.

Upcoming:

Up next in 2012, Winding Refn is again working with Ryan Gosling in the crime drama Only God Forgives. It is about a Bangkok police lieutenant and a gangster who settle their differences in a Thai-boxing match. It also stars Kristin Scott Thomas.

Career Highlights:

1)      Pusher Trilogy (1996/2004/2005) – crime (DVD/Rent)

2)      Bronson (2008) – crime (Blu-ray/DVD/Rent)

3)      Valhalla Rising (2009) – drama (Blu-ray/DVD/Rent)

*Editor’s Picks

Bennett Miller

Filmography to Date:

Miller, a New York City filmmaker, started his career directing commercials and music videos before making the very good and deeply personal to New York City documentary The Cruise in 1998. It is about Tim “Speed” Levitch, a tour guide for Manhattan’s Gray Line double-decker buses. There is such a love for the city in the film. Continuing to make commercials and music videos, Miller did not return to film until deciding to tackle the biography of Truman Capote, specifically focusing on his writing of the novel In Cold Blood about the murder of a Kansas family and the two men who committed it. The film, Capote, is excellent (and I cannot think of too many better dramatic feature debuts). It was nominated for Best Director, Film, Screenplay, Supporting Actress, and won Best Actor for Philip Seymour Hoffman at the 2006 Oscars. It is a haunting character piece, and Miller made a case of himself as an auteur with only one feature under his belt.

September Film:

Taking his time to make his follow-up to Capote, Miller finally has a new film – this month’s Moneyball. As a huge fan of baseball films (I think baseball translates to film the best of all sports), I was excited about this before knowing anything about who was involved. Now, knowing who is making the film, I think it is likely to be on many 10 Best Lists. Along with Miller directing, it features work from writers Steven Zallian and Aaron Sorkin, cinematographer from Wally Pfister and production design from Jess Goncher, all excellent talents. Plus, it has a great cast with Brad Pitt starring and supporting work from Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman (working again with Miller) and Chris Pratt. It is about Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane, who revolutionized the game with the use of sabermetrics to build a good team on a tight budget. Here is the trailer. This is another film, like Drive, that has critics enamored as it plays at Fall Festivals ahead of its release, further strengthening Miller’s stock as a wonderful filmmaker.

Upcoming:

As of now, he has no new projects announced, but with the likely success of Moneyball it is only a matter of time and finding the right film.

Career Highlights:

1)      The Cruise (1998) – documentary (DVD/Rent)

2)      Capote (2005)* – drama (Blu-ray/DVD/Rent)

*Editor’s Picks

Jonathan Levine

Filmography to Date:

Levine, another NYC filmmaker, attended Brown University before doing his masters at the American Film Institute. He also worked as director Paul Schrader’s (if nothing else, see Schrader’s film Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters) assistant before focusing on his own filmmaking – beginning with two shorts the drama Shards and the documentary Love Bytes. Next he made the popular horror B-movie All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which also sprouted rising star Amber Heard’s career. In 2008, Levine had his breakthrough (outside the schlock fan base that loves All the Boys Love Mandy Lane) with the comedy drama The Wackness, which he also wrote. It won the Audience Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, catapulting Levine into the league of hot indie directors. However, Levine took his time to pick his next project, directing an episode of How to Make It in America during the break from film.

September Film:

Levine has finally found a project that seems to be right in his wheelhouse, the comedy drama 50/50 about a 27-year-old who is diagnosed with cancer and is given a fifty percent chance of survival (it is somewhat based on writer Will Reiser’s own experiences). Here is the trailer. It has a fantastic young cast with Joseph Gordon-Levitt starring and supporting work from Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick and Bryce Dallas Howard. Even though it deals with a tough subject, the film looks hysterically funny, and it will be good to see Anna Kendrick in a real dramatic role again after she was so good in Up in the Air. Like the other two directors, Levine could see his services become in high demand if this film does as well, critically and commercially, as it is expected to do.

Upcoming:

Levine has is next project slated for 2012 with Summit Entertainment. It is a horror romance drama about a zombie who becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims (yes, it sounds ridiculous, can you say My Boyfriend’s Back, but also kind of potentially awesome). It is called Warm Bodies and stars Nicholas Hoult (who is brilliant in Skins generation 1, and ready to breakout in America after co-starring in X-Men: First Class), Teresa Palmer (also a rising star), Analeigh Tipton (who was fantastic in Crazy, Stupid, Love.), and Rob Corddry.

Career Highlights:

1)      The Wackness (2008) – comedy drama (Blu-ray/DVD/Rent)

*Editor’s Picks