The other day I was listening to a podcast talking about Christopher Nolan and his films’ place in today’s cinema conversation. As a film enthusiast of sorts, I found interesting a suggestion that Nolan’s importance today is somewhat akin to that of a Spielberg for past generations. With that in mind, I started thinking about the overall state of movies, and particularly directors today. What auteurs are out there that I would consider to be in that sphere of influence? What I mean by auteur is someone who not only directs, but has full control, so to speak, over their film: developing a story, writing it, directing it. I realized there is not only Nolan, but quite a few directors at the moment that I thought were doing real special things for my generation of moviegoers. Here are three directors that I feel are going to make a special mark on Hollywood for years to come:
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1. Jeff Nichols
His first two films, “Shotgun Stories” and “Take Shelter”, are small in scale and feel very personal (well, I guess they all are. If you've read any interview with him that much is clear). They are also both excellent movies, even if you can tell "Shotgun Stories" is a full-length debut by its extremely low-budget. They both star his go-to actor Michael Shannon, who I feel is one of the best actors working today, and succeed in putting intriguing twists on quintessential American stories. His third film, “Mud”, is more of the same: a heart-wringer carrying similar family and rural themes, fused with fantastic performances by Matthew McConaughey (this was at the start of the McConaughssance) and company. His latest release, “Midnight Special”, is Nichols’ experimentation with sci-fi, and its successful because it doesn’t abandon his artistic trademarks for the sake of the genre, it embraces them. His next feature, “Loving”, is set to open in theaters later this fall and if festival buzz is to be believed, it’s another expertly crafted film with award-season hype for its lead actors.
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2. Andrew Dominik
Dominik at the moment only has three films under his belt. I regret to say I have not seen his debut, “Chopper”, wielding Eric Bana as a legendary Australian criminal in prison, though his next two are some of my absolute favorites. “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”, his second film, actually just might be my favorite movie of all-time. It is a masterpiece of a western, complete with a mesmerizing score, beautiful cinematography by the one and only Roger Deakins, and riveting performances by one of the best ensemble casts of this millennium. 2012’s “Killing Them Softly” is a black comedy/crime drama with a witty script and another outstanding cast all around (Ben Mendelsohn and Scoot McNairy became some of my favorite character actors after I saw them in this). This guy just makes good films, and even though word has been scarce about what’s next for him (he had been working on pre-production for a feature about Marilyn Monroe for a while, though that seems to be in the wind), he is a director who everybody should be paying attention to.
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3. Scott Cooper
Another on the list with a great introductory trifecta of films, Cooper, like Nichols, also has a penchant for telling stories that dig deep into exploring the essences of the American everyman. His first, 2009’s “Crazy Heart”, is a somber telling of fame won and lost, as well as a man’s struggle with sobriety and redemption. Jeff Bridges demolishes everything in his path as a burnt-out country singer, and he is fantastic. When isn’t he, though? This was followed by 2013’s “Out Of The Furnace”, where he manages to really bring to life the struggles and tragedies of the working class in a way I’ve seen very few films do before. “Black Mass”, his latest feature, stars Johnny Depp as notorious Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger and Joel Edgerton (who really steals the show and is slowly becoming one of my favorite actors) as the FBI agent with whom Bulger formed a suspicious coalition. Like the first two directors listed before him, Cooper’s first three films are quality and deserve a watch.
