[General Discussion] Favorites (Actor/Actress, Director, Composer...) in Film and Television Productions

I'm feeling six for some reason or another.

I'll just talk about Directors and Actors, as I don't have much to say on the topic of composers or actresses, honestly. I'd talk about some Directors of Photography but I don't think anyone would much care if I started ranting about Deakins, Elswit, Chapman, Libatique or Cronenweth. Anyway.


Directors.

I don't have a terrible amount to share that hasn't been said. In no particular order -


David Fincher.

He simply makes films that I really enjoy. I feel he has a real commitment to incorporating CG into his films that isn't complete garbage and isn't there just because the alternative (analog effects) are simply too hard (I Am Legend). Most of his use of CG involves things he simply couldn't do otherwise, but it involves visual trickery a lot to try to make the audience think it isn't CG. Otherwise, I simply like his visual style and the sort of subject matter he tends to visit in his films. Looking forward to Benjamin Button quite a bit.

Wes Anderson.

As Deni said, Anderson comes off as quite pompous at times, but boy do I enjoy his films. His production design is always over the top, I love his sense of color, contrast and balance. His shots and structure (Yeoman's, to be precise) are always unique and I could almost always pick out something shot by him. Don't know how to describe it right now. His stories begin with outlandish characters that are almost cartoon like and he spends the duration of his films humanizing them and making you emote and relate to them. In this way, I sort of feel like his visual style is similar to Chuck Palahniuk's writing style. His films are just very unique and quite HIS, which I appreciate.

Chistopher Nolan.

Again, like Fincher, Nolan is a director who often visits subject matter of similar nature, often matter that I'm quite interested in. Between him and his brother, they are able to create or tell unique stories in an efficient manner. Memento makes me feel like the character, that I'm constantly forgetting what's going on, as much as the pacing (and shots by Pfister) in Insomnia makes me feel heavy and drowsy when I see it, but still engaged at the same time. The Prestige was just brilliant. Not much more to say than that.

Sam Mendes.

So far, he's not missed with me. I like American Beauty, Road to Perdition and Jarhead, not equally, but all for different reasons. Mendes to me, as a director, brings more of a feeling to his movies through his actors than a consistent style, in opposition to the other directors I've mentioned thus far. Overall, I've just really enjoyed his work so far.

Spike Jonze.

Like most of the others I've mentioned, another incredibly visual director whose collaboration with Charlie Kaufmann have resulted in two of my favorite films, Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. I like seeing his experience as a music video director come across in the narrative realm (much like Fincher and Romanek, who I'll mention breifly next). Pure style.

Mark Romanek.

Mostly known for doing music videos, he directed one movie with Robin Williams, One Hour Photo. This is another movie I absolutely love, split between it's story and it's superb visual style and intense production design. I feel like this movie was just expertly crafted, from it's use of symmetry and color, to it's pacing and use of pop culture as symbolism. Cronenweth did a brilliant job on this film as well (also Fincher's DP for his pre-Panic Room films).

(Coen Brothers, Scorcese, Spielberg, yadda yadda)


Actors.

Christian Bale.

Bale is hands down my favorite actor. He's just simply in so many good movies I don't even feel like listing/explaining all of them. I feel like he brings so much to a film, and just the transition from The Machinist to Batman Begins alone shows his utter fucking dedication to his craft.

Edward Norton.

Much like Bale, Norton is in a large number of quality films, and unlike some actors like Nicolas Cage, who I feel is great in good movies and terrible in bad movies, Norton is just always on, such as in Primal Fear, where I feel like he's the only worthwhile thing in the whole film. I feel as if he's got a real sense of what is and isn't a good film, and is extremely serious concerning what his body of work will end up being in the long run.

Kevin Spacey.

Like Bale and Norton, Spacey is in so many phenomenal pictures, as either the center of the film or just in a supporting role. Some of my favorite performances by him are in quite understated films like The Life of David Gale, Ordinary Decent Criminal, Swimming with Sharks, The Big Kahuna and the United States of Leland, even though his more well known roles in films like American Beauty are just as powerful. He is in shitty movies from time to time (no matter how big they are, Superman was just god awful, or small...supporting cast of LL Cool J and Justin Timberlake...ugh...). But it goes on and on with Se7en, and The Usual Suspects, LA Confidential, so on and so forth.

Brad Pitt.

Despite all the bullshit following him, and whatever his reputation may be, is always just the fucking MAN in movies to me. He always plays stellar roles and knocks the performance out of the park, whatever the subject matter may be. Looking forward to Burn after Reading and Benjamin Button quite a bit.

Jack Nicholson.

He's always amazed me as an actor. He's been able to fit perfectly into a role given to him from his thirties into his seventies. From Cuckoo's Nest all the way to the Departed, Nicholson has rarely let me down.

Robin Williams.

A brilliant comedic actor who also works wonderfully as a dramatic actor (One Hour Photo and Insomnia). I'd honestly love to see him in more serious roles because he does them unexpectedly well.


As I mentioned, I don't have much to say in the way of actresses. I, as well, like Portman quite a bit, but I'd have to say if I had to pick a favorite actress, it'd probably be Catherine Keener. Something about her. I don't know. And composers, I wouldn't have much else to say beyond like John Williams, Danny Elfman and Harry Gregson Williams, because they're just who I'm familiar with.

Jam it back in, in the dark.