I love MATCHSTICK MEN -- and what an ending! I think it's one of most emotionally satisfying of all of Ridley's more recent features. Just when you think the con-game genre couldn't be done any better -- he delivers an adrenalin-rush like "Matchstick" almost as an "after thought." Why he doesn't yet have a best director honor amazes me. How did Scott lose for "Gladiator" when his film won Best Picture? Well, he got caught in a strange year when Ang Lee won the Director's Guild prize while Steven Soderbergh won AND was nominated for 2 Best Director Oscars for "Traffic" and "Erin Brockovich" the same year. It was Soderbergh's "you're a total genius, we're not worthy of you" year. "Gladiator" brought the sword and sandals genre roaring back to life; it has its flaws, but I think it will be remembered far longer than Soderbergh's "Traffic." -d.
-----Original Message----- Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 18:30:33 +1000 From: [email protected] Subject: Re: Directors To: [email protected] Thiis seems to have morphed into another topic, hence the change of topic header. Wyler made great films, some greater than others. I would also put George Stevens up there, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD nothwithstanding it's Hollywood "moments". I also think Ridley Scott is an industrial strength director, even despite a couple of duds like A GOOD YEAR (one of the few times Russell Crowe had given a totally mis-judged performance.... what were he and Ridley thinking?) or HANNIBAL (even if it gave Scott the chance to shoot Venice as he always wanted to, as he was once quoted soemwhere about his involvement in the film). He does, however, create extraordinary worlds whether it's ALIEN and BLADE RUNNER, or the epic history of KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, which in its long director's cut version is perhaps one of the richest of historical films and definitely highly recommended. And this is a real director's cut, unlike the long version of GLADIATOR which Scott virtually disses in his brief intro to the DVD... and says the cinema version was the Director's Cut. His "contemporary" films - such as BLACKHAWK DOWN, AMERICAN GANGSTER and BODY OF LIES are richly layered, superbly characterised and acted and frankly, there are few people who can stage intricate action sequences with the style of Scott. Ironically, it's the DVD of one of his smaller films, MATCHSTICK MEN, which contains one of the most illuminating views of the director at work, one of the few nuts and bolts documentary "extras" that give some real insight into the precision with which he makes his films. When one takes into account all the films and series that he and his and brother's company, Scott Free, have produced, then he's one of cinema's greats. Phil Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
