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10. Jon Favreau
Swingers was Jon Favreau's (almost) first film. A hilarious little comedy for the sorry-for-himself everyday male, it characterized a generation subtly, smartly, and with a career-making performance from Vince Vaughn. Made, a bigger effort with less results and the same cast, was its semi-sequel and Favreau's directorial debut. Although a bit amateurish, the movie showed some promise for a man who probably should have always been behind the camera instead. Someone else must have noticed his talents too, because two years later Favreau was directing Will Ferrel's surprise-hit and child-friendly Elf. Using CGI confidently and evoking great performances out of his actors, Favreau got to know the Box Office very well (173 million gross in the U.S. alone). Then there was Iron Man. It was one of the biggest (again surprise) hits of the 2008 Summer with critics and audience alike and almost single-handedly resurrected Robert Downey Jr.'s reputation in Hollywood. No one's called Favreau a sellout because even his biggest films retain the good humor, quick pace, and winking cameos that are attributed to his work. His next project? Iron Man 2!
9. Kevin Costner
Everyone and I mean EVERYONE knows how shitty Waterworld is. That movie alone had me seriously considering cutting Costner from this list...but only because he redeemed himself (slightly) with 2003's Open Range do I restrain myself. But let's go back a bit. I don't think anybody saw Dances With Wolves coming. It reinvented the Western in an utterly unique fashion, took cliches and made them tender plot anchors, and mostly showed off Costner's incredible skill with the Epic film. It's almost hard to believe that this stunningly photographed homage to David Lean was a debut...but it was and went on to win a whopping 7 Academy Awards (including best picture). But then in 1995 there was Waterworld, a film with a 175 million budget and an 88 million gross A.K.A. one of the biggest flops of all time. 2 years later Costner tried and failed to redeem himself with the mediocre Postman. Maybe he was a one-time-wonder behind the camera. Perhaps, Costner wasn't meant to direct anymore. But then in 2003 he released a good ol' fashioned Western that changed most minds. Open Range made us take Costner seriously again. The gunfight towards the climax is to this day one of the best I've seen and the performance Costner coaxes out of Robert Duvall really is remarkable. So as much as I hate to admit it, Costner deserves a place on this list.
8. Barbara Streisand
Yes, Babs has only made 3 films. 2 of them are good. One is superb and that one is why she is on this list. I'm talking about The Prince of Tides, possibly the most under-appreciated psycho-drama I have ever seen. It's hard to forget Nolte and Streisand's chemistry, but even harder to forget that terrible flashback that Streisand had the bravery to film in a straight-forward fashion. She honed her craft her by delving into emotional stories without ever simplifying or overdoing her camera work. And most significantly, she knew how to make you forget that she was in dual-mode. You don't think "Oh wow, she is acting and directing" because the story and telling of it are so engrossing. Tides was nominated for 7 Academy Awards and somehow didn't win a single one. As for her other work, both films are well done. Yentl may not be everybody's cup of tea, but for one of Mandy Patinkin's only good roles on the screen and the music alone it's worth a watch. Her last film, The Mirror Has Two Faces stands the test of time with a complicated romance and an earnest attempt from Streisand to never belittle each character's motivations. She hasn't made a movie since 1996 but nevertheless remains on this list as the only actress-turned-director noted.
7. Sean Penn
Sean Penn is a depressing guy. But whether or not you like any the four films he has directed, you can at least appreciate his talent and his motivations. Penn's debut, The Indian Runner most clearly exhibits this fact. It's about two brothers. One is responsible, the other is always getting himself into trouble. But Penn never says it so simply. Neither characters are consistently good or bad and there are no easy solutions for either of them. Penn knows very well how to convey these conflicted souls and he gently pushes subtle performances from all his actors, lead and supporting. Although neither of his next two films were as powerful, The Crossing Guard and The Pledge were not afraid of emotional complexities, moving what could have been average revenge thrillers onto a higher level. Nicholson who stars in both, understands Penn's direction, and plays his characters almost too subtly to be appreciated. I get the impression that I'm watching Jack, not Freddy Gale or Jerry Black and that's unfortunate because they are both memorable movies. Penn's latest film is possibly his most accomplished. Into the Wild is the true story of a young college graduate who decides to abandon everything, throw away his identity, and venture into the Alaskan wilderness. This is Penn's lightest film in that it has faith in the goodness of its protagonist. It really is a treat to see him working with a completely different kind of script, and experimenting a bit with the story's structure. It should have been nominated for more than 2 Academy Awards but "such is the way of the world" as Eddie Vedder's brilliant original soundtrack muses. Penn doesn't have any work lined up but I'm hoping he will soon.
6. George Clooney
Clooney is new to directing. In the past 6 years (out of a 30-year career) he has made three films. Each is shockingly different from the other and shows off a versatile hand behind the camera. His ability to pull off different genres is impressive but I've yet to see any trademark in his direction; it's as if he's a great copycat of other work without much personal ingenuity. But let's talk about the movies themselves. First there's his bizarre biopic of the notorious Chuck Barris, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind notably written by Charlie Kaufman. The film blends a very sad reality with the man's wild imagination seamlessly. The Reality TV mastermind and sleazy host was also a hitman during the Cold War?! Clooney knows it's bogus and has a lot of fun taking Barris's word and world literally. He directs confidently; taking chances where most wouldn't, trusting Kaufman's sometimes intricate plot devices and it shows. Next up was his best work so far, Good Night, and Good Luck. The war of words between the century's most important journalist Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy is captured here with intensity, intelligence, and deep insight seemingly crafted from a mature director's hand. But it's Clooney behind (and in front of) the camera. He's created an atmospheric black and white docudrama that feels thrilling and important even by today's standards. Luck was nominated for 6 Oscars and robbed (especially in the Actor's category where David Strathairn should have taken gold). Clooney's last film, Leatherheads is a flawed little screwball comedy and an homage to the 1950's easy breezy hollywood feel. He nailed that aspect but delivered a mediocre if fun movie. Clooney can do better and hopefully will, as long as he tries to be a director and less a duplicator.
5. Warren Beatty
I, for one, love Dick Tracy. Yeah, it's story sucks...and yeah, you don't really give a crap about what happens to anybody in the movie...but it's SO GODDAMN COOL!! It practically is the reason Sin City exists. Yes, even to today's mammoth standards Dick Tracy is visually stunning, noirish, campy comic book fun and that's what all the critics seemed to forget. Warren Beatty was just having a great time making it. If you really want to judge this actor turned impressive director, look at his other work...like Heaven Can Wait. It's an upbeat screwball comedy with a satirical twist about a professional football player who dies but is allowed to resume life in another body. Not only was its premise creative, Beatty allowed some serious questions to be asked along the way. He directed this debut with grace and a certain smoothness that most beginners lack, also willing to take chances with his visual flair. Maybe that's why it was nominated for 9 oscars (winning only one for art direction, tsk). Next up for Beatty was something so different from all his other work, so surprising in it's very nature that he walked away with a little golden man for it: Reds. It is an epic portrayal of the roots of communism, a romance hinting of homage to Lean's Zhivago, a melodramatic knockout that few directors ever attempt to touch. For this alone, Beatty deserves a place on this list.
4. Robert Redford
Redford was a pretty boy until he got behind the camera. In 1980 he slapped everybody who never took him seriously in the face with his emotionally draining directing debut, Ordinary People (based off Judith Guest's novel). This domestic drama about a suburban family torn apart by a terrible accident is to this day one of the most intimate character studies ever made in celluloid. Redford is so confident, steady, and relentless with the rawness of the material. He paints a portrait so vivid in fact, he'll never be able to top it again. His next two films, The Milagro Beanfield War and A River Runs Through It, were both good by most critical standards, but neither have ever really impressed me. Especially River, a laboriously slow adaptation that tugs at the heartstrings 'til they're sore (plus who really gives a damn about flyfishing?!). Then in 1994 Redford released Quiz Show, a ruthless little satire on show business in the vein of Network. But it was more grounded than that; it was more a history lesson than thriller. And as entertaining as it was biting, Redford showed a darker more cynical side to his film-making and, of course, everybody rejoiced. Unfortunately, it would be for the last time. His next three films went farther and farther downhill. It started with the weepy Horse Whisperer, an earnest but old fashioned effort and got campier with The Legend of Bagger Vance. It wasn't until 2007 though that Redford fell into the political zoo with Lions and Lambs, a cheap self-righteous Iraq thriller. So maybe he's gone a bit downhill in the past few years, but that doesn't change his status as one of our best actor turned directors.
3. Ron Howard
If I told you that the ugly red-headed guy in Happy Days was going to become one of Hollywood's most successful and critically acclaimed directors back in 1974, would you believe me? No and that's partly what gets Ron Howard so high up on this list. Believe it or not, his directorial debut was some garbage called Grand Theft Auto. (Wonder if it has anything to do with the game? It doesn't.) But where did his career really begin? With 1984's Splash, a silly romantic comedy about a mermaid and a confused-looking Tom Hanks. Today, it may be the most dated 80's comedy you could find yourself watching but it still charms because Howard got such great performances out of his leads. His next two big movies were Cocoon, a Sci-Fi Spielbergish delight, and the ambitious forgotten fantasy, Willow. Howard was establishing himself as an entertainer, a big-budget kind of guy until Parenthood came along. By all means a smaller scale dramedy, Parenthood surprised critics and audiences alike with its accessibility and Howard's graceful transition into a new genre. It is to this day, one of Steve Martin's best films. Ron Howard became a regular director (not so much an actor), with blockbusters like Backdraft, Apollo 13 and Ransom. Though it wasn't until 2001, that he became a "serious" filmmaker. Teaming up with Russel Crowe for the first time, he made A Beautiful Mind about the famously troubled mathematician John Nash. Blending the schizophrenic visions with the real, Howard took what could have been a simple biopic and turned into an almost psychological thriller. His efforts were payed off with an Oscar for best director along with 3 other wins and 4 more nominations. In 2005 he teamed up with Crowe again to wow not nearly enough audiences with his boxing film, Cinderella Man. He's had his flops - Edtv, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Da Vinci Code - to name a few. But his good work outnumbers the bad giving Ron Howard one of the longest and most prolific careers as an actor turned director.
2. Mel Gibson
Is he insane? Yes, I'm pretty sure he is. Is he brilliant? Yes, I'm pretty sure he is. This is one cinematic example of genius blending with madness, an actor and director so talented yet so consumed by anger and bloodlust that his films directly reflect his psyche. He has directed 4, only 4 films. His first effort was a tranquil little movie (despite what its title might suggest) called The Man Without A Face, a "don't judge a book by its cover" kind of story that he released in 1993, following his famous rehab disappearance for alcohol abuse. It's a very good directorial debut, a confident piece of work but nothing to suggest greatness. Then two years later, Braveheart had heads spinning. A violent fictional retelling of the life of William Wallace, the leader of the Scottish rebellion against the British in the 13th century, Braveheart redefined what a War film should be. Although a simplistic vision of a very complicated time, Gibson's spirited direction and gritty scenes of warfare inspired a whole new wave of epics from Troy to Kingdom of Heaven. It was nominated 10 times by the Academy and won 5 including best picture and director. 9 years passed before Gibson got into the director's chair again, allowing him to come to terms with his religiousness. This may explain The Passion of the Christ, a truly brutal depiction of the death of Jesus and one of the most controversial movies of all time. It was called Anti-Semitic, a bloodbath, unholy among other things but no one can deny what a visually stunning, deeply moving portrayal of the religious figure it surely was. His use of the original language Aramaic and incredible (expensive) reinvention of Jerusalem added an authenticity to the film that every other Christ-related movie had lacked. But 2 years later his best and maybe most bloody film to date was released: Apocalypto. Again controversial for its blurring of historical accuracy, the film was an adrenaline-pumped story of the Mayan empire's collapse. Filmed entirely with unknowns, Apocalypto was a return to brutal brilliant form, allowing Gibson to experiment with his shooting technique and his depiction of primitive action sequences. It was nominated for 3 Oscars and strangely received a foreign film nomination at the Golden Globes. Gibson may be crazy but he sure as hell knows how to make a movie work. He is literally a cinemaniac.
1. Clint Eastwood
Ah yes, the old man. Eastwood began acting in 1955. Famous for his Spaghetti Westerns and the Dirty Harry series, he was a typecast actor with only a few good movies to his name. In the early 70's he decided to try directing but contrary to popular belief, it was not an immediate success story for Clint. In fact, during his first 20 years behind the camera he directed 15 films and not one of them received any significant attention. It wasn't until 1992 that there was a shift in the man's reputation, that Eastwood became the respected director he is today. It was all because of Unforgiven. What everyone expected to be 'just another Western' was the very antithesis of that stereotype. Eastwood took his reputation, the very movies that made him famous, and gave them the middle finger with this cynical disillusioned cowboy story. Unforgiven was great for many reasons but most significantly for the shock value in Eastwood's role reversal. He essentially said that the Western was dead. And there was no one better suited to killing that genre than Clint if you ask me...or the Academy it seems because this gained him his first Oscar. But following this good year were a number of forgettable films - some decent, some mediocre - that had people thinking Unforgiven was a flook for the director...until Mystic River came along in 2003. A bleak beautifully photographed murder mystery about three old friends reunited by a tragedy, River proved Eastwood's worth behind the camera yet again. Then only two years later, he released another film; his most startlingly sensitive project yet: Million Dollar Baby. In this seemingly generic boxing movie, Clint took risks with a very taboo subject matter, showed an emotional sensitivity no one thought he had in him and gave the best performance of his career. For all these reasons he got his second Academy Award. Next, like any good director, he tried his hand at the war pic...twice with a film about Iwo Jima from each perspective. Both were very well done - the Japanese Letters even more so. His next film Changeling comes out this year!
What makes Clint the best actor turned director on this list is not his age; it's the quality of the films themselves. The 5 great films he has made in the past 14 years surpass the best work most do in their entire lifetime. Who could have guessed that Clint Eastwood, a man who's been acting for half a century would become a director of such scope and talent so late into his life?
I don't know about you but when I saw Million Dollar Baby, I had to remind myself that this is the same guy that once growled, "You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"
Who knew he had it in him?
10. Jon Favreau
Swingers was Jon Favreau's (almost) first film. A hilarious little comedy for the sorry-for-himself everyday male, it characterized a generation subtly, smartly, and with a career-making performance from Vince Vaughn. Made, a bigger effort with less results and the same cast, was its semi-sequel and Favreau's directorial debut. Although a bit amateurish, the movie showed some promise for a man who probably should have always been behind the camera instead. Someone else must have noticed his talents too, because two years later Favreau was directing Will Ferrel's surprise-hit and child-friendly Elf. Using CGI confidently and evoking great performances out of his actors, Favreau got to know the Box Office very well (173 million gross in the U.S. alone). Then there was Iron Man. It was one of the biggest (again surprise) hits of the 2008 Summer with critics and audience alike and almost single-handedly resurrected Robert Downey Jr.'s reputation in Hollywood. No one's called Favreau a sellout because even his biggest films retain the good humor, quick pace, and winking cameos that are attributed to his work. His next project? Iron Man 2!
9. Kevin Costner
Everyone and I mean EVERYONE knows how shitty Waterworld is. That movie alone had me seriously considering cutting Costner from this list...but only because he redeemed himself (slightly) with 2003's Open Range do I restrain myself. But let's go back a bit. I don't think anybody saw Dances With Wolves coming. It reinvented the Western in an utterly unique fashion, took cliches and made them tender plot anchors, and mostly showed off Costner's incredible skill with the Epic film. It's almost hard to believe that this stunningly photographed homage to David Lean was a debut...but it was and went on to win a whopping 7 Academy Awards (including best picture). But then in 1995 there was Waterworld, a film with a 175 million budget and an 88 million gross A.K.A. one of the biggest flops of all time. 2 years later Costner tried and failed to redeem himself with the mediocre Postman. Maybe he was a one-time-wonder behind the camera. Perhaps, Costner wasn't meant to direct anymore. But then in 2003 he released a good ol' fashioned Western that changed most minds. Open Range made us take Costner seriously again. The gunfight towards the climax is to this day one of the best I've seen and the performance Costner coaxes out of Robert Duvall really is remarkable. So as much as I hate to admit it, Costner deserves a place on this list.
8. Barbara Streisand
Yes, Babs has only made 3 films. 2 of them are good. One is superb and that one is why she is on this list. I'm talking about The Prince of Tides, possibly the most under-appreciated psycho-drama I have ever seen. It's hard to forget Nolte and Streisand's chemistry, but even harder to forget that terrible flashback that Streisand had the bravery to film in a straight-forward fashion. She honed her craft her by delving into emotional stories without ever simplifying or overdoing her camera work. And most significantly, she knew how to make you forget that she was in dual-mode. You don't think "Oh wow, she is acting and directing" because the story and telling of it are so engrossing. Tides was nominated for 7 Academy Awards and somehow didn't win a single one. As for her other work, both films are well done. Yentl may not be everybody's cup of tea, but for one of Mandy Patinkin's only good roles on the screen and the music alone it's worth a watch. Her last film, The Mirror Has Two Faces stands the test of time with a complicated romance and an earnest attempt from Streisand to never belittle each character's motivations. She hasn't made a movie since 1996 but nevertheless remains on this list as the only actress-turned-director noted.
7. Sean Penn
Sean Penn is a depressing guy. But whether or not you like any the four films he has directed, you can at least appreciate his talent and his motivations. Penn's debut, The Indian Runner most clearly exhibits this fact. It's about two brothers. One is responsible, the other is always getting himself into trouble. But Penn never says it so simply. Neither characters are consistently good or bad and there are no easy solutions for either of them. Penn knows very well how to convey these conflicted souls and he gently pushes subtle performances from all his actors, lead and supporting. Although neither of his next two films were as powerful, The Crossing Guard and The Pledge were not afraid of emotional complexities, moving what could have been average revenge thrillers onto a higher level. Nicholson who stars in both, understands Penn's direction, and plays his characters almost too subtly to be appreciated. I get the impression that I'm watching Jack, not Freddy Gale or Jerry Black and that's unfortunate because they are both memorable movies. Penn's latest film is possibly his most accomplished. Into the Wild is the true story of a young college graduate who decides to abandon everything, throw away his identity, and venture into the Alaskan wilderness. This is Penn's lightest film in that it has faith in the goodness of its protagonist. It really is a treat to see him working with a completely different kind of script, and experimenting a bit with the story's structure. It should have been nominated for more than 2 Academy Awards but "such is the way of the world" as Eddie Vedder's brilliant original soundtrack muses. Penn doesn't have any work lined up but I'm hoping he will soon.
6. George Clooney
Clooney is new to directing. In the past 6 years (out of a 30-year career) he has made three films. Each is shockingly different from the other and shows off a versatile hand behind the camera. His ability to pull off different genres is impressive but I've yet to see any trademark in his direction; it's as if he's a great copycat of other work without much personal ingenuity. But let's talk about the movies themselves. First there's his bizarre biopic of the notorious Chuck Barris, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind notably written by Charlie Kaufman. The film blends a very sad reality with the man's wild imagination seamlessly. The Reality TV mastermind and sleazy host was also a hitman during the Cold War?! Clooney knows it's bogus and has a lot of fun taking Barris's word and world literally. He directs confidently; taking chances where most wouldn't, trusting Kaufman's sometimes intricate plot devices and it shows. Next up was his best work so far, Good Night, and Good Luck. The war of words between the century's most important journalist Edward R. Murrow and Senator Joseph McCarthy is captured here with intensity, intelligence, and deep insight seemingly crafted from a mature director's hand. But it's Clooney behind (and in front of) the camera. He's created an atmospheric black and white docudrama that feels thrilling and important even by today's standards. Luck was nominated for 6 Oscars and robbed (especially in the Actor's category where David Strathairn should have taken gold). Clooney's last film, Leatherheads is a flawed little screwball comedy and an homage to the 1950's easy breezy hollywood feel. He nailed that aspect but delivered a mediocre if fun movie. Clooney can do better and hopefully will, as long as he tries to be a director and less a duplicator.
5. Warren Beatty
I, for one, love Dick Tracy. Yeah, it's story sucks...and yeah, you don't really give a crap about what happens to anybody in the movie...but it's SO GODDAMN COOL!! It practically is the reason Sin City exists. Yes, even to today's mammoth standards Dick Tracy is visually stunning, noirish, campy comic book fun and that's what all the critics seemed to forget. Warren Beatty was just having a great time making it. If you really want to judge this actor turned impressive director, look at his other work...like Heaven Can Wait. It's an upbeat screwball comedy with a satirical twist about a professional football player who dies but is allowed to resume life in another body. Not only was its premise creative, Beatty allowed some serious questions to be asked along the way. He directed this debut with grace and a certain smoothness that most beginners lack, also willing to take chances with his visual flair. Maybe that's why it was nominated for 9 oscars (winning only one for art direction, tsk). Next up for Beatty was something so different from all his other work, so surprising in it's very nature that he walked away with a little golden man for it: Reds. It is an epic portrayal of the roots of communism, a romance hinting of homage to Lean's Zhivago, a melodramatic knockout that few directors ever attempt to touch. For this alone, Beatty deserves a place on this list.
4. Robert Redford
Redford was a pretty boy until he got behind the camera. In 1980 he slapped everybody who never took him seriously in the face with his emotionally draining directing debut, Ordinary People (based off Judith Guest's novel). This domestic drama about a suburban family torn apart by a terrible accident is to this day one of the most intimate character studies ever made in celluloid. Redford is so confident, steady, and relentless with the rawness of the material. He paints a portrait so vivid in fact, he'll never be able to top it again. His next two films, The Milagro Beanfield War and A River Runs Through It, were both good by most critical standards, but neither have ever really impressed me. Especially River, a laboriously slow adaptation that tugs at the heartstrings 'til they're sore (plus who really gives a damn about flyfishing?!). Then in 1994 Redford released Quiz Show, a ruthless little satire on show business in the vein of Network. But it was more grounded than that; it was more a history lesson than thriller. And as entertaining as it was biting, Redford showed a darker more cynical side to his film-making and, of course, everybody rejoiced. Unfortunately, it would be for the last time. His next three films went farther and farther downhill. It started with the weepy Horse Whisperer, an earnest but old fashioned effort and got campier with The Legend of Bagger Vance. It wasn't until 2007 though that Redford fell into the political zoo with Lions and Lambs, a cheap self-righteous Iraq thriller. So maybe he's gone a bit downhill in the past few years, but that doesn't change his status as one of our best actor turned directors.
3. Ron Howard
If I told you that the ugly red-headed guy in Happy Days was going to become one of Hollywood's most successful and critically acclaimed directors back in 1974, would you believe me? No and that's partly what gets Ron Howard so high up on this list. Believe it or not, his directorial debut was some garbage called Grand Theft Auto. (Wonder if it has anything to do with the game? It doesn't.) But where did his career really begin? With 1984's Splash, a silly romantic comedy about a mermaid and a confused-looking Tom Hanks. Today, it may be the most dated 80's comedy you could find yourself watching but it still charms because Howard got such great performances out of his leads. His next two big movies were Cocoon, a Sci-Fi Spielbergish delight, and the ambitious forgotten fantasy, Willow. Howard was establishing himself as an entertainer, a big-budget kind of guy until Parenthood came along. By all means a smaller scale dramedy, Parenthood surprised critics and audiences alike with its accessibility and Howard's graceful transition into a new genre. It is to this day, one of Steve Martin's best films. Ron Howard became a regular director (not so much an actor), with blockbusters like Backdraft, Apollo 13 and Ransom. Though it wasn't until 2001, that he became a "serious" filmmaker. Teaming up with Russel Crowe for the first time, he made A Beautiful Mind about the famously troubled mathematician John Nash. Blending the schizophrenic visions with the real, Howard took what could have been a simple biopic and turned into an almost psychological thriller. His efforts were payed off with an Oscar for best director along with 3 other wins and 4 more nominations. In 2005 he teamed up with Crowe again to wow not nearly enough audiences with his boxing film, Cinderella Man. He's had his flops - Edtv, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Da Vinci Code - to name a few. But his good work outnumbers the bad giving Ron Howard one of the longest and most prolific careers as an actor turned director.
2. Mel Gibson
Is he insane? Yes, I'm pretty sure he is. Is he brilliant? Yes, I'm pretty sure he is. This is one cinematic example of genius blending with madness, an actor and director so talented yet so consumed by anger and bloodlust that his films directly reflect his psyche. He has directed 4, only 4 films. His first effort was a tranquil little movie (despite what its title might suggest) called The Man Without A Face, a "don't judge a book by its cover" kind of story that he released in 1993, following his famous rehab disappearance for alcohol abuse. It's a very good directorial debut, a confident piece of work but nothing to suggest greatness. Then two years later, Braveheart had heads spinning. A violent fictional retelling of the life of William Wallace, the leader of the Scottish rebellion against the British in the 13th century, Braveheart redefined what a War film should be. Although a simplistic vision of a very complicated time, Gibson's spirited direction and gritty scenes of warfare inspired a whole new wave of epics from Troy to Kingdom of Heaven. It was nominated 10 times by the Academy and won 5 including best picture and director. 9 years passed before Gibson got into the director's chair again, allowing him to come to terms with his religiousness. This may explain The Passion of the Christ, a truly brutal depiction of the death of Jesus and one of the most controversial movies of all time. It was called Anti-Semitic, a bloodbath, unholy among other things but no one can deny what a visually stunning, deeply moving portrayal of the religious figure it surely was. His use of the original language Aramaic and incredible (expensive) reinvention of Jerusalem added an authenticity to the film that every other Christ-related movie had lacked. But 2 years later his best and maybe most bloody film to date was released: Apocalypto. Again controversial for its blurring of historical accuracy, the film was an adrenaline-pumped story of the Mayan empire's collapse. Filmed entirely with unknowns, Apocalypto was a return to brutal brilliant form, allowing Gibson to experiment with his shooting technique and his depiction of primitive action sequences. It was nominated for 3 Oscars and strangely received a foreign film nomination at the Golden Globes. Gibson may be crazy but he sure as hell knows how to make a movie work. He is literally a cinemaniac.
1. Clint Eastwood
Ah yes, the old man. Eastwood began acting in 1955. Famous for his Spaghetti Westerns and the Dirty Harry series, he was a typecast actor with only a few good movies to his name. In the early 70's he decided to try directing but contrary to popular belief, it was not an immediate success story for Clint. In fact, during his first 20 years behind the camera he directed 15 films and not one of them received any significant attention. It wasn't until 1992 that there was a shift in the man's reputation, that Eastwood became the respected director he is today. It was all because of Unforgiven. What everyone expected to be 'just another Western' was the very antithesis of that stereotype. Eastwood took his reputation, the very movies that made him famous, and gave them the middle finger with this cynical disillusioned cowboy story. Unforgiven was great for many reasons but most significantly for the shock value in Eastwood's role reversal. He essentially said that the Western was dead. And there was no one better suited to killing that genre than Clint if you ask me...or the Academy it seems because this gained him his first Oscar. But following this good year were a number of forgettable films - some decent, some mediocre - that had people thinking Unforgiven was a flook for the director...until Mystic River came along in 2003. A bleak beautifully photographed murder mystery about three old friends reunited by a tragedy, River proved Eastwood's worth behind the camera yet again. Then only two years later, he released another film; his most startlingly sensitive project yet: Million Dollar Baby. In this seemingly generic boxing movie, Clint took risks with a very taboo subject matter, showed an emotional sensitivity no one thought he had in him and gave the best performance of his career. For all these reasons he got his second Academy Award. Next, like any good director, he tried his hand at the war pic...twice with a film about Iwo Jima from each perspective. Both were very well done - the Japanese Letters even more so. His next film Changeling comes out this year!
What makes Clint the best actor turned director on this list is not his age; it's the quality of the films themselves. The 5 great films he has made in the past 14 years surpass the best work most do in their entire lifetime. Who could have guessed that Clint Eastwood, a man who's been acting for half a century would become a director of such scope and talent so late into his life?
I don't know about you but when I saw Million Dollar Baby, I had to remind myself that this is the same guy that once growled, "You've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?"
Who knew he had it in him?
