Top Ten Best Directors of the 21st Century

[dreamdead]

It's been unanimously voted by me that we catalogue Match-Cut's best directors of the 21st century.

What does this mean? That any filmmaker who created (full-length) directorial work before 2000 is excluded from your top ten. Don't worry. Match Cut likes lists and we'll go through the decades over the next several months.

What are you tasked with doing? Coming up with ten worthy directors, listed 1-10 (with #1 receiving 10 points through to #10 receiving 1 point), that you then post here in this thread. I'm lifting the idea from this site, so feel free to read it while thinking up your own choices. Animation directorial work is, naturally, welcomed.

[Watashi]

That any filmmaker who created (full-length) directorial work before 2000 is excluded from your top ten. Don't worry.

You did this just so Brad Bird is excluded, huh?

[dreamdead]

You did this just so Brad Bird is excluded, huh?

Pete Docter is totes eligible, though.:twisted:

[Dukefrukem]

With my list I can also see into the future.

10. Neill Blomkamp
9. Joe Wright
8. Fede Alvarez (muhahahaha)
7. Daniel Nettheim
6. Bart Layton
5. Seth MacFarlane
4. Quentin Dupieux
3. Ti West
2. Wally Pfister (but really Ben Affleck)
1. Jon Stewart (but really George Clooney)

[Watashi]

10. David Gordon Green
9. Joss Whedon
8. Rian Johnson
7. Adam McKay
6. Tomas Alfredson
5. Andrew Dominik
4. Kenneth Lonergan
3. Tom McCarthy
2. Joon-ho Bong
1. Edgar Wright

[ThePlashyBubbler]

Not counting Kaufman, cause it feels like a bit of a cheat.

10. Michel Gondry
9. Julia Loktev
8. David Gordon Green
7. Ursula Meier
6. Joon-ho Bong
5. Andrew Bujalski
4. Miranda July
3. Yiorgos Lanthimos
2. Shane Carruth
1. Kenneth Lonergan

[Dead & Messed Up]

Shane Carruth
Bong Joon-Ho
Ti West
Michel Gondry
Lucky McKee
Edgar Wright
Tarsem Singh
Adam McKay
Banksy
Christopher Smith

That's all I got for now.

Edit: Swapped out Joss Whedon for Edgar Wright, and Rian Johnson for Lucky McKee

[Spinal]

I don't think I can come up with 10. Joe Wright seems like the clear winner though.

[Dukefrukem]

Editing my list to include Ti West

[Melville]

Good idea for a list, but almost everyone I could think of had a movie from the 90s tucked away in their filmography, or like David Gordon Green, has seemingly gone to pot after a strong beginning. Here's a list of people with distinctive visions I like:

10. Bong Joon-Ho
9. Giorgos Lanthimos (even though one of the two movies of his I've seen was nigh unwatchable. I'm giving him credit for creative influence on Attenberg.)
8. Cristian Mungiu (based only on 4 Months)
7. Justin Kurzel
6. Joachim Trier (based only on Oslo)
5. Charlie Kaufman
4. Steve McQueen
3. Andrew Dominik (based only on Jesse James)
2. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
1. Kenneth Lonergan

EDIT: added Bong Joon-Ho just to get to 10.

Apparently I've never seen a movie by Joe Wright.

6. Tomas Alfredson

Not eligible, or he'd be on my list.

[Boner M]

Man, I felt hopeful compiling all these names.

1. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2. Joon-ho Bong
3. Lisandro Alonso
4. Maren Ade
5. Miguel Gomes
6. Andrew Bujalski
7. Jonathan Glazer
8. Kenneth Lonergan
9. Lucrecia Martel
10. Michael Robinson

RU: Ben Rivers, Ben Russell, Giorgos Lanthimos, Edgar Wright, Pablo Larrain, Rob Zombie, Laida Lerxtundi, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Frank V. Ross, Joachim Trier, Peter Strickland, Carlos Reygadas, Rian Johnson, Aaron Katz, Julia Loktev, Ben Wheatley, Azazel Jacobs, Adam McKay, Ursula Meier

Need to see more: Alex Ross Perry, Denis Villeneuve, Asghar Farhadi, Michelangelo Frammartino, Cristi Puiu, Denis Cote, Pedro González-Rubio

Great debuts, waiting for follow-up: Amiel Courtin-Wilson, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Sean Durkin, Michael Rowe, Justin Kurzel, Nadav Lapid

Jury's still out: Steve McQueen, Corneliu Porumboiu, David Gordon Green, Sofia Coppola, Andrew Dominik, Richard Kelly, Ti West, Michel Gondry

[Boner M]

8. Giorgos Lanthimos (even though one of the two movies of his I've seen was nigh unwatchable)

Kinetta or Alps?

[Melville]

Kinetta or Alps?

Kinetta. I haven't seen Alps yet.

[elixir]

Hmm. I guess this.

1. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2. Eugène Green
3. Miguel Gomes
4. Serge Bozon
5. Maria Speth
6. Kenneth Lonergan
7. Frank V. Ross
8. Mia Hansen-Løve
9. Alexis Dos Santos
10. Bong Joon-Ho

[ledfloyd]

These inverted lists have got to stop.

1. Kenneth Lonergan
2. Edgar Wright
3. Miguel Gomes
4. Joachim Trier
5. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
6. Sylvain Chomet
7. Bong Joon-Ho
8. Cristian Mungiu
9. Michelangelo Frammartino
10. Mia Hansen-Love

[Melville]

5. Miguel Gomes

I should watch that Tabu. I've seen the first few minutes multiple times but for some reason never finish it.

[elixir]

These inverted lists have got to stop.

But it adds so much suspense!

[Boner M]

Edgar Wright >>>>>>>> Joe Wright

[elixir]

Seriously though, if it makes counting harder, I can fix it.

I'll just do it, actually. Because of that.

[ledfloyd]

I was going to list Castaing-Taylor, but he's apparently made some earlier films. Also, are we counting Sofia Coppola?

[elixir]

Virgin Suicides is '99.

[Boner M]

I was going to list Castaing-Taylor, but he's apparently made some earlier films.

I think they were just shorts?

Forgot that VS was '99.

[Yxklyx]

1. György Pálfi
2. Richard Kelly
3. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
4. Rian Johnson
5. Juan Pablo Rebella & Pablo Stoll
6. Kenneth Lonergan
7. Carlos Reygadas
8. Shane Caruth
9. Banksy (did he actually direct that?)

10. Andrew Bujalski
11. Lucrecia Martel
12. Edgar Wright
13. Maren Ade
14. John Cameron Mitchell
15. Miranda July

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

1. Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2. Carlos Reygadas
3. Christian Mungiu
4. Jonathan Glazer
5. Lucrecia Martel
6. Asghar Farhadi
7. Denis Cote
8. Todd Field
9. Veiko Ounpuu
10. Kanye West

David Gordon Green would have been top 5 if this poll was conducted in 2005. Now he is dead to me.

Edgar Wright >>>>>>>> Joe Wright

Any British filmmaker's name picked out of a hat>>>>>>Edgar Wright>>>>>>>Joe Wright

[Dukefrukem]

These inverted lists have got to stop.

It's a countdown to the best.