1. Spike Lee
The Movie: The Compelling Urban Drama With Excessive Social Commentary Spike Lee is a great filmmaker - an inconsistent one, but a great one on the whole. He is a provocateur, keen to get viewers to think, such that his didactic approach permeates through pretty much everything he makes, even when you least expect it. Take Spike Lee's Inside Man, for instance; it seemed as though he was crafting a simple, straight-forward heist film, and for the most part he does, yet he can't quite resist throwing some unnecessary race relations commentary in the middle. It distracts from the drama and undermines the film; it makes us feel as though Lee is messing with us and talking down from the lectern. Do I enjoy Lee's barbed social commentary in his films that are clearly social dramas? Absolutely; Edward Norton's rants to the mirror in 25th Hour are spectacular, and the entirety of Do the Right Thing is unforgettable, but would it kill Lee to just relax and stop getting so angry all the time? I'll be amazed if his upcoming Oldboy doesn't find a way to start ripping on someone. Which directors do you wish would try something different? Let us know in the comments below.