rank a director

[GruesomeTwosome]

I’m afraid that Wes might have possibly peaked with The Grand Budapest Hotel (though it’s not quite my personal #1), as Isle of Dogs was a notable step down and I thought The French Dispatch was one of his weakest efforts. Just from the concept and the initial trailer, I do have decently high hopes for Asteroid City though.

1. Rushmore - 10
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel - 9
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox - 8
4. Bottle Rocket - 8
5. Moonrise Kingdom - 7.5
6. Isle of Dogs - 7.5
7. The Darjeeling Limited - 7
8. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - 7
9. The Royal Tenenbaums - 6.5
10. The French Dispatch - 6.5

[Fergenaprido]

1. 8.4 - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
2. 8.2 - The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
3. 8.0 - Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
4. 7.8 - The French Dispatch (2021)
5. 7.8 - Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
6. 7.6 - The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
7. 7.6 - Isle of Dogs (2018)
8. 7.6 - The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
9. 7.4 - Rushmore (1998)

10. 7.0 - Bottle Rocket (1996)

[AB537]

Also a bit concerned he may have peaked, but when his quirkiness works it's amazing. As is often the case, some of these could use a rewatch.

Great

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) ... #61 all time

Very Good

2. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) ... #187 all time

Good

3. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
4. Rushmore (1998)

Above Average

5. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
6. Bottle Rocket (1996)
7. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
8. Isle of Dogs (2018)
9. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Okay

10. The French Dispatch (2021)

Not Good

[Arkantos]

I mostly like Anderson and am looking forward to catching Asteroid City in the theatre

5/5

The Grand Budapest Hotel
Rushmore
The French Dispatch

4/5

Moonrise Kingdom
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

3/5

The Darjeeling Limited
The Royal Tenenbaums
Isle of Dogs

I saw Moonrise Kingdom on a plane (PEK -> YVR) and so it is in need of a rewatch

[blocho]

For Wes Anderson, the meaningful buzzword "twee" comes to mind. After The Darjeeling Limited (a movie so bad I saw it twice just to make sure I wasn't missing something), I avoided his work for years. In the past year, I decided to give him another chance and watched two of his more recent movies.

The typical Anderson movie is witty and full of tropes like clever-tongued, roguish protagonists and deadpan kids who speak with unusual maturity. Also, it's emotionally shallow with the occasional, effortless gesture at complicated family dynamics. And it has the usual Andersonian visual flourishes (right angles, symmetrical framing, a fetishistic devotion to consumerist detritus). There are very few divergences from that formula.

Superlative

Very Good

Good
Hotel Chevalier

OK
Bottle Rocket
The Grand Budapest Hotel

Misfires
Rushmore
The Royal Tenenbaums
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Darjeeling Limited
Fantastic Mr. Fox

[OldAle1]

An interesting alternate/negative POV from blocho; I don't really agree overall - or perhaps I just tolerate those "twee" tropes for the great visuals - but I have to admit, like some others, that his method has been wearing a bit thin for me, and I too would not be surprised if GBH remains his peak. I always look forward to a new film but... I don't really care all that much when all is said and done whether I get to it right away. Because I have such limited choices in cinema viewing here, I have seen almost all of his work on the big screen, but I'm guessing that if I were back in a bigger market and there were a lot more choices, Wes would be one of the folks who would go by the wayside.

All of these were seen in the cinema except 8-10, and all of them seen just once. I would like to give Bottle Rocket in particular another shot at some point I guess.

PLATINUM
1. The Grand Budapest Hotel

GOLD
2. Rushmore
3. Moonrise Kingdom

SILVER
4. The French Dispatch
5. Isle of Dogs

BRONZE
6. The Royal Tennenbaums
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox
8. Bottle Rocket
9. The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou

COPPER
10. The Darjeeling Limited

ALUMINUM
11. Hotel Chevalier

[Torgo]

The typical Anderson movie is witty and full of tropes like clever-tongued, roguish protagonists and deadpan kids who speak with unusual maturity. Also, it's emotionally shallow with the occasional, effortless gesture at complicated family dynamics. And it has the usual Andersonian visual flourishes (right angles, symmetrical framing, a fetishistic devotion to consumerist detritus). There are very few divergences from that formula.

.. and I absolutely fucking love it

[Lakigigar]

Wes Anderson

1. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 7/10
2. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - 6/10
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) - 4/10

Not my thing for the reasons blocho said (i fully agree with you). I have been quite mild with my ratings I feel, tho The Grand Budapest Hotel is objectively a good film that with some effort I could see the skillmanship in it, but its not for me, one of the reasons why i haven't seen much and Fantastic Mr. Fox that I saw earlier this year absolutely doesn't warm me up for more.

___

Catching up

Charlie Chaplin

1. Modern Times (1936) - 8/10
2. The Gold Rush (1927) - 7/10
3. City Lights (1931) - 7/10
4. The Great Dictator (1940) - 7/10
5. The Kid (1921) - 6/10

Despite them being silent, his films are easy watches i feel, or accessible. Some parts might drag at times in his film, but in other occassions, some moments, or quite a lot are very memorable I feel, like the scenes in the cabin from The Gold Rush, the boxing scenes, statue scene and scene at the river in City Lights, scenes in the restaurant, the shack and the fabric in Modern Times. And of course the iconic speech in The Great Dictator, or the ending of Modern Times which is quite amusing for someone who is more beloved for his silent films. So yes, i definitely appreciate the director. The characters are also easy to sympathize with, esp. since older and Golden Hollywood films usually tend to focus on more well off people and families.

David Lynch

1. Blue Velvet (1986) - 5/10
2. Mulholland Dr. (2001) - 5/10

I have a hard time with Lynch, tho to be fair, its been a while since i've seen Blue Velvet and Mulholland Dr. might not have been the best entry point, tho the question might be more: what is a good entry point to Lynch. And I doubt The Straight Story is representative for his work. I assume Twin Peaks might actually be the entry point i'm looking for, but it's a lot of work to watch a whole series, but I assume if i ever want to appreciate his work that i would have to watch Twin Peaks first. Most people probably also have seen Twin Peaks before they watched his films.

Francois Truffaut
1. The 400 Blows (1959) - 7/10

Not seen enough, should watch more, this one was okay. Feels like that one captured the vibe of schoolgoing France (& by extension) Belgium very well from what i've heard from older peoples experiences (which is always interesting). Can't say much more tho.

Martin Scorsese

1. Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10
2. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - 9/10
3. The Departed (2006) - 8/10
4. Goodfellas (1990) - 7/10
5. Casino (1995) - 7/10
6. Hugo (2011) - 6/10
7. Silence (2016) - 5/10
8. Shutter Island (2010) - 5/10
9. Raging Bull (1980) - 4/10

Can be hit or miss for me, some films might need a rewatch, like The Departed & Silence. Although most of his work are films where a lot happens so most of them would benefit from rewatches. It can be a bit to much for me, but I suspect I might like Silence more on rewatched. When I watched, the themes didn't interest me, i have a feeling that might be different next time.

I don't think i'll ever be the biggest fan of his gangster films (tho they're obviously good and lean more towards an 8) or "in religion" like he does, though as a director he is fine and okay, especially if the scope of the film is more narrow in terms of cast or setting (which for me is more impactful). Still interested in some of his other films that I haven't seen yet, notably After Hours might be my thing. Perhaps Bringing Out The Dead (a Cage film)? Mean Streets maybe? The Aviator sounds interesting (tho is long). The Irishman and Gangs of New York sound less my cup of tea. The King of Comedy, i don't really know.

Taxi Driver is by far his fav of mine, atmosphere and vibe just nails it for me, to such extent that i don't even care about the plot anymore (even if that is great too). The vibe is just so great. The score is transcedental.

[Minkin]

I finally feel like I've seen enough to participate, its just that my memory of several of these is 10+ years old, before I started rating things, so here's what I "remember" (scores will only be listed if I have that rating for them).

Wes Anderson

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - 10/10 (possibly a top ten favorite film)

Moonrise Kingdom
Rushmore- 8/10

Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Darjeeling Limited
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Bottle Rocket (1996)
The French Dispatch - 6/10
Bottle Rocket (1994) - 6/10


The Royal Tenenbaums


Isle of Dogs - 3.5/10 (easily Anderson's worst film by far)

[prodigalgodson]

I find a lot of his most acclaimed stuff surprisingly forgettable, but some of his films really connected with me. I think blocho hit the nail on the head calling "twee" as a meaningful buzzword in this case; it's hard to think of a more apt description or a more apt subject to be so described. Wouldn't mind seeing The French Dispatch and Asteroid City at some point. Also didn't realize Isle of Dogs was so unpopular, I really enjoyed both his animated films.

Moonrise Kingdom 9+
Darjeeling Limited 8
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Isle of Dogs
Hotel Chevalier 7
The Royal Tenenbaums 6
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Rushmore 5

[Torgo]

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - 10/10 (possibly a top ten favorite film)

This is the recognition that our hero Zissou needs (and lacks so much on the Forum).

[1SO]

1. American Express commercial
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
3. The Royal Tenenbaums
4. The Grand Budapest Hotel
5. The French Dispatch
6. Isle of Dogs
7. Rushmore
8. Hotel Chevalier
9. Moonrise Kingdom
10. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
11. Bottle Rocket
12. The Darjeeling Limited
13. Bottle Rocket (1994 short)

[blocho]

1. American Express commercial

I didn't know he did commercials. I just watched the American Express commercial and the Softbank commercial. I think this format suits his talents perfectly. Commercials are all about grabbing attention and conveying as much as possible in a short amount of time. Anderson's tendency towards quick dialogue and detail-packed framing really work for this. Also, commercials don't require the complications of longer-form storytelling.

[Y U M E]

Wes Anderson


★★★★¼ | 8.8
01. Isle of Dogs

★★★★ | 8.4
02. The Grand Budapest Hotel

★★★½ | 7.6
03. The Darjeeling Limited
04. The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou

★★★¼ | 7.2
05. Moonrise Kingdom
06. The Royal Tenenbaums
07. The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun

★★★ | 6.8
08. Rushmore

★★½ | 6.0
09. Bottle Rocket

★★¼ | 5.5
10. The Fantastic Mr. Fox


N/R
Hotel Chevalier short

[Anyway]

Moonrise Kingdom 9

The Royal Tenenbaums 8.5
The Fantastic Mr. Fox 8.5

Rushmore 8
The Grand Budapest Hotel 8
Isle of Dogs 8

The French Dispatch 7.5
The Darjeeling Limited 7.5

The Life Aquatic of Steve Zissou 6.5

Bottle Rocket 6

[Lonewolf2003]

Wes, I love him.

Masterpiece
-

Excellent
1. Isle of Dogs (2018): 8.8

Good
2. Moonrise Kingdom (2012): 8.5
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014): 8.5
4. The French Dispatch (2021): 8.5
5. Rushmore (1998): 8.5
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): 8.2
7. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004): 8.2
8. The Darjeeling Limited (2007): 8.0
9. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001): 8.0

Fine
10. Hotel Chevalier (2007) - Short Film: 7.0
11. Cousin Ben Troop Screening with Jason Schwartzman (2012) - Short Film: 7.0

Okay
-

Mediocre
-

Poor
-

Bad
-

Terrible
-

[Caracortada]

Wes Anderson

1. Moonrise Kingdom 7
2. The Royal Tenenbaums 6
3. The Grand Budapest Hotel 5
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox 4

[beavis]

1. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) - 4,5
2. The French Dispatch (2021) - 4,5
3. The Darjeeling Limited (2007) - 4
4. Moonrise Kingdom (2012) - 4
5. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 4
6. Isle of Dogs (2018) - 4
7. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - 3,5
8. Rushmore (1998) - 3,5
9. Bottle Rocket (1996) - 3,5
10. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) - 3,5

Pretty consistent as a director, and only improving/refining his style as he goes along. I think I need to rewatch the older movies up to Royal Tenenbaums. That was the first one I saw in cinema and I remember it very fondly, so I don't know why I rated it just a 3.5... maybe I thought all the quirks were just a bit too weird to be actually good, but then I wasn't used to what he was aiming for yet. I never rewatched any of the others (and saw all in cinema), but I'm confident that with Zissou he did something very special indeed.

[Torgo]

Zissou gang unite

[beavis]

Seems I forgot to rank the previous director. Thanks to YUME for pointing this out... guess I've been too busy with other stuff lately, but better late than never

1. Beoning (2018) - 4
2. Milyang (2007) - 4
3. Shi (2010) - 3,5

So, I'm about 50% behind on Chang-dong Lee's filmography, that didn't help...
The other three have been on my "to see" list for for ever it seems, Maybe this year!!!!
Ranks only out of 5, (it has been too long ago for most of these to also have an out of ten rating)

[Fergenaprido]

Stan Brakhage.

Not picking him because I like his films, but he's so prolific that everyone must have seen at least one of his shorts by now, and I know there are many on the forum who adore his work. I am not one of those people.

Features.

1. 1.0 - Text of Light (1974) - finally saw it this year. First feature-length film I've ever given my lowest score possible (I don't give out zeroes).

Shorts.

1. 6.0 - Black Ice (1994)
2. 5.6 - Window Water Baby Moving (1959)
2. 5.6 - Kindering (1987)

4. 4.6 - The Wonder Ring (1959)
5. 4.4 - Desistfilm (1954)
6. 4.2 - Thigh Line Lyre Triangular (1961)
7. 4.0 - Mothlight (1963)
8. 3.8 - Sexual Meditation: Room with View (1971)
8. 3.8 - The Dante Quartet (1987)

10. 3.4 - Stellar (1993)
11. 3.2 - Comingled Containers (1997)
12. 3.0 - The Dead (1960)
12. 3.0 - The Riddle of Lumen (1972)
14. 2.8 - Blue Moses (1962)
14. 2.8 - Sexual Meditation: Hotel (1970)
14. 2.8 - Sexual Meditation: Faun's Room, Yale (1972)
14. 2.8 - Sexual Meditation: Office Suite (1972)
14. 2.8 - Sexual Meditation: Open Field (1972)

19. 2.4 - Sirius Remembered (1959)
19. 2.4 - Study in Color and Black and White (1993)
21. 2.0 - Pasht (1965)
22. 1.6 - Eye Myth (1967)
22. 1.6 - Rage Net (1988)
24. 1.4 - Cat's Cradle (1959)
24. 1.4 - The Wold Shadow (1972)
24. 1.4 - Night Music (1986)
27. 1.0 - The Garden of Earthly Delights (1981)
27. 1.0 - Glaze of Cathexis (1990)
27. 1.0 - The Dark Tower (1999)

Everything except the first three is a dislike on icm.

Of his unseen films, I think The Act of Seeing and Lovemaking sound intriguing and are likely to be the best-received by me, and I will get to them at some point. The rest I'll probably watch haphazardly if they're short enough. I don't actively hate his films, I just find the majority of them boring and/or pointless, though there are a few where I like the idea (Mothlight) or the visuals (Dante), but everything else is rather dull.

[blocho]

but he's so prolific that everyone must have seen at least one of his shorts by now

Not everyone.

[Fergenaprido]

but he's so prolific that everyone must have seen at least one of his shorts by now

Not everyone.

[AB537]

Seen a couple of shorts - Window Water Baby Moving, and Mothlight - and intensely disliked both. Given my generally abysmal track record with experimental/avant-garde films, this is not surprising.

[Onderhond]

The lack of music (most of the time) and pretty crude execution make that I don't really care much for his work. In theory, I don't mind these abstract shorts though.

[Y U M E]

I've seen 30 of his films, but rated none of them (for obvious (?) reasons). There are 5 of these 30 in "My 100 Favourite Shorts" (an unranked list) though, so these are highly recommended!

Mothlight (1963)
Murder psalm (1980)
Window Water Baby Moving (1959)
The wold shadow (1972)
The wonder ring (1955)

The other 25 (in chronological order):
Desistfilm (1954)
Cat’s cradle (1959)
Sirius re membered (1959)
The dead (1960)
Thin line lyre tri angular (1961)
Dog Star Man – Prelude (1962)
Dog Star Man – Part 1. (1962)
Dog Star Man – Part 2. (1963)
Dog Star Man – Part 3. (1964)
Dog Star Man – Part 4. (1964)
Pasht (1965)
Scenes from under childhood – Section #1 (1967)
Scenes from under childhood – Section #2 (1969)
Scenes from under childhood – Section #3 (1969)
Scenes from under childhood – Section #4 (1970)
The machine of Eden (1970)
The act of seeing with one's own eyes (1971)
The garden of earthly delights (1981)
The Dante quartet (1987)
Vision in meditation 2 (1989)
Delicacies of molten horror synapse (1991)
Self song & Death song (1997)
Coupling (1999)
Water for Maya (2000)
Night mulch (2001)

Most of these I saw on the silver screen at the IFFR when Brakhage was Filmmaker in Focus.

[Lonewolf2003]

I’ve only seen one, Window Water Baby Moving (1959). Which I disliked, so haven’t explored further. Experimental shorts aren’t my thing.

[Cinepolis]

Let me revive this thread real quick.

Next up: Jaume Balagueró

I've finally caught up with his two newest films and can now safely say to have watched his entire filmography (save for an obscure documentary about some Spanish band). He's a core horror director, only seldom venturing out of his comfort zone. While I don't believe any of his films to be masterpieces, his oeuvre is surprisingly solid thanks to his films' slick style and often intriguing narrative. Recurring themes are protagonists haunted by someone's death and, yes, apartment blocks.

1. [Rec] (2007) - 7/10
2. Venus (2022) - 7/10
3. Fragile (2005) - 7/10
4. Sleep Tight (2011) - 7/10
5. The Nameless (1999) - 7/10
6. Muse (2017) - 6/10
7. [Rec] 4 - Apocalypse (2014) - 6/10
8. [Rec]² (2009) - 6/10
9. Historias para no dormir: El televisor (2022) - 6/10
10. The Vault / Way Down (2021) - 6/10
11. To Let (2006) - 6/10
12. Darkness (2002) - 5/10

[Onderhond]

01. 4.5* - [Rec] (2007) (#247)
02. 4.0* - Films to Keep You Awake: To Let [Películas para No Dormir: Para Entrar a Vivir] (2006)
03. 4.0* - Darkness (2002)
04. 4.0* - The Nameless [Los Sin Nombre] (1999)
05. 4.0* - [Rec] 2 (2009) (#640)
06. 4.0* - [Rec] 4: Apocalypse [[Rec] 4: Apocalipsis] (2014) (#907)
07. 3.5* - Sleep Tight [Mientras Duermes] (2011)
08. 3.5* - Venus (2022)
09. 3.0* - Way Down (2021)
10. 3.0* - Muse (2017)
11. 2.5* - Fragile [Frágiles] (2005)

9. Historias para no dormir: El televisor (2022) - 6/10

Also an anthology I assume. How long are the episodes?
(and a funny coincidence, but I just watched Motion Detected yesterday, which has more or less the exact same plot)

[Cinepolis]

9. Historias para no dormir: El televisor (2022) - 6/10

Also an anthology I assume. How long are the episodes?
(and a funny coincidence, but I just watched Motion Detected yesterday, which has more or less the exact same plot)

Just around 50 minutes. They seem to be remakes of some old TV anthology. Honestly didn't expect to find them with English subs.

[gunnar]

1. [Rec] (2007) - 6/10

That's the extent of the Jaume Balagueró films that I've seen.

[AB537]

Haven't seen anything from Balaguero, although [Rec] is certainly on my radar and I'm aware of some of these other films as well.

[Torgo]

[Rec] was great back then, and I also enjoyed Sleep Tight a lot.
Didn't know Fragile was from the same director, on my watchlist since it was released ..

[Onderhond]

Just around 50 minutes. They seem to be remakes of some old TV anthology. Honestly didn't expect to find them with English subs.

Sounds like fun, I see Plaza also directed one.

[Fergenaprido]

1. 7.0 - Mientras duermes [Sleep Tight] (2011) - though I might have responded better to it if the screening circumstances had been different. We went to the local cinematheque to see a different Spanish film (I forget which one), but they switched it last minute without telling anyone (or we got there after they told the audience) so for the first 5-10 minutes or so we were confused because the plot didn't make sense based on the film we were expecting to see. It's still a decent thriller and creepy af. I'm interested in seeing REC eventually, though the rest of his filmography doesn't really appeal to me.

[Lakigigar]

1. Fragile (2005) - 7/10
2. [Rec] (2007) - 7/10

[Y U M E]

★★¾ | 6.4
Mientras Duermes

★¾ | 4.5
Frágiles

★½ | 4.0
[REC]


negligible crap

[Lonewolf2003]

I’ve also only seen [REC] which I found to be great at the time.

I’m curious for the people more in the known about theses kind of movies; how do the movies by his co-director Paco Plaza compare to Jaume’s movies?

[Lakigigar]

Well let's do another one

Next up: John Huston

Been watching my 2 first films directed by him. Curious to see how well regarded he is on the forums

1. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) - 8/10
2. The Maltese Falcon (1941) - 7/10

[Y U M E]

John Huston

Seen all, some are great and a lot are an awful mess (a bit like Robert Altman). But he has my sympathy, especially as an actor, and his biography and things like Clint Eastwood’s White Hunter Black Heart for instance.

★★★★¼ | 8.8
01. The African Queen (1951)
02. In This Our Life (1942)
03. The Night of the Iguana (1963)

★★★★ | 8.4
04. Under the Volcano (1984)

★★★¾ | 8.0
05. Key Largo (1948)
06. Moby Dick (1956)

★★★½ | 7.6
07. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
08. The Misfits (1961)
09. Wise Blood (1979)
10. A Walk with Love and Death (1969)
11. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

★★★¼ | 7.2
12. Prizzi's Honor (1985)
13. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
14. The MacKintosh Man (1973)

★★★ | 6.8
15. We Were Strangers (1949)
16. The Unforgiven (1959)
17. Moulin Rouge (1952)
18. Sinful Davey (1968)
19. Annie (1981)
20. Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)

★★¾ | 6.4
21. Fat City (1972)
22. The List of Adrian Messenger (1963)
23. Freud (1962)
24. The Dead (1987)

★★½ | 6.0
25. The Kremlin Letter (1970)
26. The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
27. Across the Pacific (1942)

★★¼ | 5.5
28. The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958)

★★ | 5.0
29. Phobia (1980)
30. The Red Badge of Courage (1951)

★¾ | 4.5
31. The Roots of Heaven (1958)
32. Beat the Devil (1953)

★½ | 4.0
33. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
34. Escape to Victory (1981)

★¼ | 3.5
35. Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)

★ | 3.0
36. Casino Royale (1967)

¾ | 2.5
37. The Bible (1966)

N/R
Report from the Aleutians (1943) doc
San Pietro (1945) doc
Let There Be Light (1946) doc