5. Steven Soderbergh
There is not a filmmaker anywhere quite like Steven Soderbergh, a thoroughly independent filmmaker who has a flourishing relationship with Hollywood, there is just no bracket he fits in. At just 26, he won the Palme dOr with the absolutely brilliant Sex, Lies and Videotape, before slumping somewhat in the mid-90s amongst the high expectations following his unprecedented Cannes win. He helped revolutionize independent cinema, and still continues to make personal, uncommercial and downright obscure films in amongst his incredibly popular commercial fair. His work ethic is second to none and its quite remarkable that the product is as consistently good as it is. Soderbergh was nominated for best director twice in the same year at the Oscars, for the sublime Traffic and Erin Brockovich, which is an incredible achievement, and the film world finally woke up to his talent as a result. In a world where genre cinema is mostly dead, he operates magnificently within the confines of a genre film, making genuinely fun movies that dont lack artistic merit. Haywire is one of the best action movies of recent years and Out of Sight is a great crime film. His double-act with George Clooney is one of the most successful director-actor partnerships in the business, as anybody that has watched Oceans 11 and their other collaborations can attest too. Constantly re-inventing the wheel, and willing to have a go at anything, as this years Magic Mike proves. Cinema needs more Steven Soderberghs. Top 5 Films:
1. Sex, Lies and Videotape 2. Traffic 3. Oceans 11 4. Che 5. Out of Sight