2. Darren Aronofsky
Notable Films: Requiem For A Dream, Black Swan, The Wrestler What I appreciate about Aronofsky is that he tells stories that deserve to be told. Each of his films have forced me to reflect and resonate in different ways. Nobody forgets their first time seeing Requiem For A Dream, with the haunting theme, and just feeling torn apart for those characters. It was a ground-breaking experience for me as a film lover to watch his quick cuts and hip-hop montages when telling the tragic story of those kids. Black Swan was a haunting film, that won a well deserved Oscar for Natalie Portman, and Aronofsky was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture. Another movie and director who puts character ahead of gimmicks and flash, taking time to develop and make sure that the audience cares about the characters in order to give you an experience worth your buck. Aronofsky gives his films a vivid art house feel that gives you the sense you just read the next great underground novel. A truly avant gard storyteller who wants to give us the best possible experience he can. I was bummed when he decided to move on from making the Wolverine film, but I'm very excited to see him take on a big-scale feat in his upcoming Noah, starring Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly.