Wednesday, July 30, 2014

The Directors Project: #23 - Danny Boyle

Scene from Cinema Paradiso
With the many lists and essays written on the subject of film, there has been one thing that The Oscar Buzz has tried to understand: Who is my favorite of the film world? For 10 weeks this summer, I will be exploring this with a countdown of the Top 50 names based on a numerical ranking of ratings from various sources, the following is a list of directors who rank above everyone else. With occasional upsets, this is intended as both a discussion opener as well as a better understanding of me as a film critic and fan. Please enjoy and leave any comments you have regarding the entry's selection.


DANNY BOYLE


Years Active: 1987-present

Films as Director: 10

Oscar Wins: 1 (Best Director - Slumdog Millionaire)

Who: In terms of stylistic and compelling directors, there are very few that are great as Boyle. After getting noticed for his adaptation of an Irvine Welsh novel, he has made a career out of capturing a mixture of disgusting concepts with beautiful imagery. He is perverse while also being poetic. He allows the picture to do most of the work, often allowing things to meditate and consume the audience in its wonderment. While he has gone on to do many strange, different projects, he remains most successful at making unique British films that are some of the most unique in story and structure. He moves quick and experiments with many different dramas ranging from drama to horror, often with huge success. If nothing else, he is an unpredictable director who continues to provide reason to believe in modern film and its limitations on what can be considered mainstream art.

POINTS TALLY
Scene from Trainspotting
-- Trainspotting (1996) --

Flickchart Ranking: #36 (900 points)
IMDb Rating: 7/10 (70 points)
Perks: None
Total: 970 points

-- 127 Hours (2010) --

Flickchart Ranking: #304 (600 points)
IMDb Rating: 7/10 (70 points)
Perks: None
Total: 670 points

-- Slumdog Millionaire (2008) --

Flickchart Ranking: #466 (450 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 510 points

-- Sunshine (2007) --

Flickchart Ranking: #514 (450 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 510 points

-- 28 Days Later (2002) --

Flickchart Ranking: #686 (350 points)
IMDb Rating: 6/10 (60 points)
Perks: None
Total: 410 points

-- The Beach (2000) --

Flickchart Ranking: #697 (350 points)
IMDb Rating: 4/10 (40 points)
Perks: None
Total: 390 points

OVERALL TOTAL: 3460 points

WHY DO I LOVE?
Scene from Sunshine
In the formative years of me becoming the movie fan that I am today, it involved watching a lot of Boyle's films. There is something that is immediately alluring about them. He is undefined by genre and chooses to make beautiful movies that can be meditative, violent, poignant, and possibly all at once. He challenges the viewer in ways that I find refreshing and his kinetic energy keeps any of the films from dating too poorly. While he has made a few duds, including his most recent film Trance, he does have a penchant for mixing the obscene with the beautiful in ways that are poetic and stick with me in ways that make him one of my favorites currently working today.


UP NEXT: A second generation director whose introspection leads to some of the best tales of isolation of the past 15 years.

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