Pro: Sam Mendes Is A Great Director
Earning Oscar gold and tons of critical acclaim in 1999 with the release of
American Beauty, Mendes showed that he is one of the top talents working in Hollywood today. It's hard to believe that the Kevin Spacey drama was Mendes's first feature film since it was directed with the stylistic flair of a veteran filmmaker who has found his groove. In the years since his debut, Mendes has put together an impressive resumé of work, including Oscar-nominated dramas
Road to Perdition and
Revolutionary Road. Of course,
Skyfall was one of the most well-received Bond films ever, grossing $1 billion worldwide and earning a stellar 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Clearly, the guy knows his stuff. What makes Mendes a talented director is his ability to place the emphasis on the characters and themes of his films.
American Beauty was a fascinating portrait of middle-class American suburbia with believable characters and some darkly comic moments.
Road to Perdition, beautifully shot and visually striking, was not a typical genre film, diving into subjects such as father-son relationships and the consequences of violence. The characters may not always be relatable or sympathetic, but Mendes makes the audience understand where they're coming from to make a connection with moviegoers. He continued to place characters above all else during
Skyfall, which explored similar themes to his other films. Family, a major aspect of
American Beauty and
Road to Perdition, is brought up in the Bond film by breaking down the mother-son relationship between 007 and M. Mendes has shown time and time again he's able to make compelling character dramas and that only elevates a spectacle-filled blockbuster. The producers were wise to bring him back for another round (or two).