These directors are all master storytellers, but what I particularly love about this group is how they've all told their stories in such different ways. They represent a rich array of stylistic voices and I can't wait to see what they churn out next!
But before looking ahead too far, one look back at the Best Directors of 2014:
Chazelle
will convince you that you have a good ear for jazz while you're
watching his film, because he does such a brilliant job of tuning us
into Andrew's acoustic senses with selectively focussed shots and a
precise sound design. Few directors can make instrumental music come
alive on film the way Chazelle does in the film's climatic explosion of
bravura filmmaking.
AVA
DUVERNAY for Selma
DuVernay's
direction is never less than gripping, using beautifully composed
images and carefully selected music to make some striking
juxtapositions. Because she takes so much care to keep us engaged
throughout, by the time the film reaches its epic finale, it's every
bit as stirring as it aims to be despite being a predictable dramatic
beat. That is the mark of expert storytelling.
Iňárritu
has taken some bold artistic risks with this extraordinary experimental foray into comedy, not the least of which is his flashy,
“unedited” single-take approach that allows us to see the world
from Riggan Thompson's eyes. Much like his central antihero, he has
put himself out on the line, working well outside his artistic
comfort zone to deliver the most unlikely triumph of his career.
RICHARD
LINKLATER for Boyhood
In
the hands of a lesser director, the patient twelve-year process
behind this piece might be dismissed by some as a conceptual gimmick.
But Linklater has clearly dedicated himself to a creative vision,
taking the fragmented instants of a childhood – the agony, the
ecstasy, and the mundane – and elevating it to high art.
BENNETT
MILLER for Foxcatcher
Intelligent,
precise, and subtle to a fault, the anonymity of Miller's signature
is in fact his greatest asset. Every facet of his craft is calibrated
to serve story, character, theme, and tone. You could freeze every
frame of this picture and parse it for meaning. Absorbing, masterful
filmmaking.
Just missed:
WES ANDERSON for The Grand Budapest Hotel
GARETH EDWARDS for Godzilla
TOMM MOORE for Song of the Sea
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN for Interstellar
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN for Interstellar
ISAO TAKAHATA for The Tale of Princess Kaguya
