Directors and Their ‘Best’

So, when people ask me who my favorite director is, I don’t have one answer. I have seven of them. Why seven? Well, I have seven directors that I adore, so naturally, they are all worthy of my favoritism. Here they are (in alphabetical order):

• J.J. Abrams
• Kathryn Bigelow
• David Fincher
• Jason Reitman
• Martin Scorsese
• Steven Spielberg
• Quentin Tarantino

Everyone feels there is a certain movie that is the director’s ‘best movie’, which is true. But, I’m just going to talk about my favorite from each director. I’m not saying all their work isn’t amazing, it’s just my favorite, the one I can watch over and over again.

J.J. Abrams: Star Trek

Ok, so he’s a newbie. Some people really don’t like him. But, he has some great writing. I do love Super 8, don’t get me wrong. But it’s just how he was able to revive Star Trek, it was very respectable. Sure, there are still nerds out there who have cursed his name, but the movie is really good. Sleek, action-packed, yet not soulless like Michael Bay’s Transformer series. J.J. had some big shoes to fill, and I think he did it perfectly. For an action movie, this is great. And action movies are not my favorite.

Kathryn Bigelow: The Hurt Locker

First off, the was the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar, so that makes her a winner in my book. Second, this movie was… Well, I am at a loss for words. When I was watching it, there were times when my hands would be clammy, and I would start shaking. It’s the fact that a movie can do this to me is what intrigues me. The way Bigelow paired shaky sequences with no sound whatsoever is terrifying and thrilling. By the end, my heart was pounding from all the subtle adrenaline. Take that James Cameron! Your Avatar made me snooze. I am thrilled The Hurt Locker beat it.

David Fincher: The Social Network

David Fincher, master of darkness. The Social Network is a beautiful movie. I describe it as ‘eating a delicious dessert’, and get weird looks. But it’s true. I eat this movie by the spoonful. The cinematography and editing are flawless. But it’s the story that drives this movie. I’m a perfectly good, well-natured person, but I love those gritty movies about the downfall of characters (this probably explains why I love There Will Be Blood). So for a girl who always thought of myself as the villain in movies, this one is quite lovable.

Jason Reitman: Up in the Air

I didn’t expect to love this movie or even see myself watching it. I was about to sit down and watch Kill Bill when I saw this playing on HBO. The title sequence looked amazing, so I looked for a later time, then recorded it. My, this movie is a work of art. Anyone who appreciates good writing would love this movie. It has a similar feel to The Social Network in cinematography and editing, but it’s more of a feel-good, cozy movie. A must for any minimalist.

Martin Scorsese: Goodfellas

Arguably one of the best movies ever, Goodfellas tops all of Scorsese’s movies. After watching that opening sequence for the first time, I had a new respect for movies. We follow the rise and fall of Henry Hill in the organized mob, and it is a beautiful story told with the perfect amount of action, violence, and love. You practically feel apart of the Italian family, frozen with the dead bodies in the truck, and jittery while trying to flee from a helicopter. I’ve watched it over and over, yet Goodfellas continues to give me that nostalgic movie feel.

Steven Spielberg: Indiana Jones (Raiders/Last Crusade)

Alright, you can hardly choose a favorite Spielberg movie. He does so many genres and so many stories, you have to choose five. I could have chosen Jurassic Park, my first PG-13 and Spielberg film, or E.T., the heartwarming tale that makes all of us wither. But no, I have to go with Indiana Jones. I know, it’s not his masterpiece, but it’s the classic adventure movie. I really have no idea how many times I’ve watched this movie, yet I still enjoy it. Every single time. Nazis, chases, whips, Egypt… This is the classic adventure movie that will withstand the test of time, especially when tied up with an ageless John Williams soundtrack.

Quentin Tarantino: Inglourious Basterds

Reservoir Dogs changed action movies with its sharp dialogue, Pulp Fiction is unlike anything I have ever seen, and the Kill Bill series is the spoof to top all spoofs. So why Inglourious Basterds? Well, because it is the definition of masterpiece. The screenplay is perfection, riddled with beautiful dialogue and so packed that if you blink during a subtitle, you miss some amazing line. It’s dramatic yet witty without trying so hard. The music, while not original, fits everywhere. To top it all off, you have Christoph Waltz as the most terrifying happy-evil SS Nazi I have ever seen. Tarantino really knows how to make a movie epic and beautiful.

I Ate Air With a Spoon While Nerds Ceased Their Riot

Just to let you know, I FINALLY finished Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and sent it back to Netflix after having it for five straight months (I’m sure many angry nerds wanted to torch my house) and I must say, It was really good. Very powerful with those iconic huge Peter Jackson-esque pans across the landscape.

So before that, I watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. What an amazing movie. I love how Jack Nicholson is completely normal, and helps the mental patients. It was just so, so, SO happy until the end. What the heck. Billy died, the evil nurses gave McMurphy lobotomy and pretty much ripped out his soul, so the Chief indian guy had to suffocate him. I was on the verge of tear. Those evil, evil people! Overall, it was beautifully worked out and amazing how that little movie made me feel things so big. It’s so cool how movies can movie you like that. That’s all I can say.

Then I watched Up In The Air. LOVE IT.

It has that minimalist feeling like The Social Network that I love so much. And, I love going to airports and traveling. I could totally relate to Ryan Bingham. Here, you have George Clooney’s charm (attractive even if he’s 50. Yes, I think so!) and relaxing voice, Vera Farmiga’s great acting, Anna Kendrick’s enthusiastic and clean personality, a well written screenplay, some delicious cinematography (I could just eat it all up with a spoon), some absolutely magnificent editing, and this is all conducted by Jason Reitman. Did I mention that the opening song and title sequence is genius?

I have already watched it twice in one week. I have that weird thing where I feel like I need to watch a movie more than one… I don’t know. Must be a filmmaker thing.

But anyways. Up In The Air is AMAZING. It’s just so… Yummy. I can’t really describe it. Like a feast for your eyes. And your ears. That screenplay is so well written. Some fantastic quotes, like:

(This is when Ryan talks about getting 10,000,000 miles)

Ryan Bingham: “And they put your name on the side of a plane.”
Natalie Keener: “Men get such hardons from putting their names on things. You guys don’t grow up. It’s like you need to pee on everything.”

(Ryan on getting through airport security)

Ryan Bingham: “Never get behind old people. Their bodies are littered with hidden metal and they never seem to appreciate how little time they have left. Bingo, Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and they have a thing for slip on shoes. Gotta love ’em.”
Natalie Keener: “That’s racist.”
Ryan Bingham: “I’m like my mother, I stereotype. It’s faster.”

(The company is changing to firing over the internet, which Ryan doesn’t like. Natalie’s boyfriend had just broken up with her, so Ryan and Alex are helping her through it.)

Alex Goran: “He broke up with you by text message?”
Ryan Bingham: “Wow. That’s kind of like getting fired over the Internet.”

As you can see, it’s a total dramady. I love it. Go and watch it.

Then I watched An Education. It’s sweet. And kind of creepy. But sweet. David is a charming man and Jenny is mature enough for him, but he’s such a cheating, lying, horrible guy! I mean, wow, date a girl and get ENGAGED to her while you’re still married?! Think man, think. It was a good movie still. Very nice story and simple camera angles. Cute. I’d recommend it.

So yes. I’ve been using my time wisely.