# Flawless filmmakers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 9, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000 "2005-05-09T02:28:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/21 "2005-05-19T15:38:04Z")
Baz Luhrmann; Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, Strictly Ballroom Luc Besson; Subway, Nikita, Leon, The Fith Eliment though maybe he blew it with The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc or some of his small release films that I havn’t seen. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/22 "2005-05-19T15:39:36Z")
> [@Scoundrel Swanswater](#): > > What about Darren Aronovsky (hope I spelled it right). > I think both _Pi_ and _Requiem for a Dream_ are absolute masterpieces and do bring something new to the table. I knew I’d forget someone weird I liked. His next movie is called _The Fountain_ and I think involves Incas and time travel in some way, as I vaguely remember the Newsweek story. Hugh Jackman stars. > [@Dusty](#): > > Thirteen, actually Yeah, I left off the first three because they’re not very well known. I do want to see _Barry Lyndon_ - I’ll just have to annoy a friend who has that Kubrick boxed set. Not that I wouldn’t want to see the oldest ones; you make _The Killing_ sound interesting. A lot of these guys made other films nobody saw and I was trying to keep my sample size small. You’re also right about _Spartacus_, and it shows. If we chop that off I think his batting average improves quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/23 "2005-05-19T15:53:45Z")
> [@Lisa-go-Blind](#): > > Also in the “too-early-to-tell” category, I nominate [Wes Anderson](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0027572/). Many critics panned _The Life Aquatic_, but they’re the same crirics that also panned _Rushmore_ and _The Royal Tenenbaums_ (I don’t know much about the critical reception of _Bottle Rocket_). I think he has one of the most fully realized styles of any director currently working, but manages to make his films have genuine emotion behind them. Ah, now there’s an interesting pick. I didn’t see _Bottle Rocket_ either, but I’ve seen the others. I didn’t love any of them or laugh very much, but he does this weird, sad irony thing that’s really unique, though. And I think I liked _Life Aquatic_ because Bill Murray embodied that so well. Out of nowhere (as far as I know), I think Murray has become a really great actor. And for that reason I think you’re exactly right about the “genuine emotion” thing. Speaking of Bill Murray, some people might want to consider **Sophia Copolla**. I can’t nominate her because I didn’t see _The Virgin Suicides_. But I know that and _Lost in Translation_ both got good receptions and I did love LiT, so I figured some Doper out there had to see and like both movies. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/24 "2005-05-19T16:14:08Z")
As **Marley23** notes, anyone with a large body of work is going to have some duds. That said, I submit Mr. Billy Wilder as having made an extraordinary number of flawless films. Consider _Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Blvd., Stalag 17, Ace in the Hole, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment._ Amazing! Up until _The Ladykillers_, Joel Cohen had never directed a film I didn’t like. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/25 "2005-05-19T16:30:13Z")
Woody Allen’s got more wonderful films than most of the names mentioned, although I’ll grant you that September and Hollywood Ending aren’t much to write home about. (But by no means bad filmd.) Oh, and also I’ve never seen Interiors, so I’m not sure about that one. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/26 "2005-05-19T16:37:27Z")
Having seen many, though not all, of their films, I’d nominate \*\*Billy Wilder \*\* and **Abbas Kiarostami**. Together at last! ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/27 "2005-05-19T16:48:23Z")
> [@E. Thorp](#): > > Having seen many, though not all, of their films, I’d nominate \*\*Billy Wilder \*\* and **Abbas Kiarostami**. Together at last! Wilder made plenty of so-so films, but _Kiss Me Stupid_ is absolutely horrible. Kiarostami deserves better company (Howard Hawks, say?) ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/28 "2005-05-19T17:25:20Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > This is my free bump 😉 > Anyone else have a name to add to this list?: I may take some shit for this, but how about **Jim Jarmusch**? I have seen most of his work and have always enjoyed what I’ve seen. > **[Jim Jarmusch - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000464/)** > > Jim Jarmusch, Director: Only Lovers Left Alive. Moved to New York City at the age of seventeen from Akron, Ohio. Graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in English, class of '75. Without any prior film experience, he was accepted into the... ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/29 "2005-05-19T18:37:18Z")
Eh, nobody’s perfect. A few more directors with a majority of solid work: David Lynch Steven Soderbergh John Sayles Elia Kazan Sidney Lumet Interestingly, Clint Eastwood hasn’t made too bad a showing as director. > [@rainbowthief](#): > > Joel Coen would’ve made the cut a few years ago, but I cannot overlook Intolerable Cruelty and The Ladykillers. Aw come on - Herb Myerson, the senior partner, sputtering with all his tubes hanging out and IVs rattling around - “doin the hur-dy gur-dy”? Wheezy Joe? The Baron Krauss von Espy? Ok. I consider it more of a confection than a full-on Coen Bros. spectacle, but it’s still above average and holds up to repeated viewings. Maybe they can get extra points for Fargo? The Ladykillers. Yeah, they really missed on that one. I couldn’t figure out what the hell they were thinking when they drew up Tom Hanks’s character. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/30 "2005-05-19T18:44:26Z")
> [@mack](#): > > The Ladykillers. Yeah, they really missed on that one. I couldn’t figure out what the hell they were thinking when they drew up Tom Hanks’s character. I had the opposite problem. For me it was more like they came up with this amusing, colorful character of Mark Twain, and then didn’t know what to do with him. It was just too much to ask that we believed that guy existed in the 2000s. ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/31 "2005-05-20T00:22:07Z")
I don’t know about his first two movies, and I **know** from hearing that The Village is crap, but it seemed like M. Night Shyamalan could’ve been a flawless one. His formula worked really well. But please don’t jump on me- I know that there are plenty who think Unbreakable sucked, who laughed at Signs, and we’re all sick of the Sixth Sense jokes by now. :mad: I swear, ‘I see dead people’ has gotta be the most overused damn movie line for comedy and by people ever. And I’m counting ‘may the force…’ ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/32 "2005-05-20T00:27:20Z")
I don’t think any director with a sizeable body of work is “flawless.” The director whose work I most admire is Robert Altman. Even his flops are fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/33 "2005-05-20T00:49:35Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Only three major films so far, but Terrence Malick has a better claim to this than Tarentino, who has made nothing close to “ **Days of Heaven**.” Oh, to have a career like Malick. Make a couple of movies, **take a 20-year vacation,** come back and have everyone call you a genius. Seriously, he made _4 movies in 30 years_; you’re not exactly taking risks with a work ethic like that. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/34 "2005-05-20T09:40:30Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > Luc Besson; Subway, Nikita, Leon, The Fith Eliment > though maybe he blew it with The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc or some of his small release films that I havn’t seen. This reminds me of **Terry Gilliam**. Though I haven’t seen all [his work](http://imdb.com/name/nm0000416/), I am a fan of Time Bandits, Brazil, Baron Munchausen, and all his Monty Python works, and I didn’t even hate Twelve Monkeys and The Fisher King. While I despised Fear and Loathing…, it was a respectful hate. Sort of like my feelings about Naked Lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/35 "2005-05-20T11:33:32Z")
> [@andrewdt85](#): > > > [@Sage Rat](#): > > > > For a while, Tim Burton was batting 100… > > Mars Attacks? 😕 No no, Mars Attacks was Burton doing a very good impression of a Tim Burton film but not quite getting it. I did think he was picking up the pace a bit with Big Fish–but we shall see with Willy Wonka 😃 > [@Ellis Dee](#): > > This reminds me of **Terry Gilliam** Gilliam, mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Munchausen is one of my top 10 films! Shows me to not flip through my DVDs before posting. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000/36 "2005-05-20T11:59:58Z")
While I haven’t seen every movie by [Peter Bogdanovich](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000953/) (better known as Dr. Melfi’s shrink on _The Sopranos_ these days) the ones I have seen – _The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon, Mask_ and _Noises Off_ – have all been quite excellent and cover a wide range of styles, from serious drama to slapstick comedy. Of course, he’s got a title in his filmography called “Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women”…maybe we can ignore that one. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flawless-filmmakers/303000.md?page=1)